Determination in sports | Jean-Xavier Pelletier | TEDxAcademieSaintLouis

Jean-Xavier is here to share his passion for hockey with you. He'll talk to you about his idol. "And you'll see that what we have in common is our determination for our favorite sport: hockey."

Jean-Xavier Pelletier is 11. He's been going to the Saint-Louis Academy since preschool. He's been playing hockey since the age of four, and he's been a goalie since the age of seven.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

(Voiceover) Jean-Xavier Pelletier:
I'm Jean-Xavier Pelletier,

and I'm 11 years old.

I've been a student
at the Saint-Louis Academy

since kindergarten.

I've been playing hockey
since the age of four,

and I've been a hockey goalie
since the age of seven.

I'm here to share my passion
for this sport with you.

I'll tell you about my idol.

And you'll see that the one thing
we have in common

is our determination
for our favorite sport: hockey.

(On stage) J-XP: Today, I'm here
to show you that anything is possible.

But you can't do it using magic tricks.

In my experience,
you must follow your dreams,

be determined, work hard,

keep a supportive group
of people around you

and have someone who inspires you.

Jonathan Marchessault
is a young player on a new team:

Golden Knights of Las Vegas.

We are both determined
about our favorite sport.

When I started, most young players
only wanted to score goals.

But my goal was to be
the fastest back to the zone

to stop incoming play.

At age seven, I had to make
a choice: my position.

And here is what I said
to convince my parents,

"Daddy, Mommy, I know what I want.

I'm old enough.

I would rather defend the goal
than be the fastest back to the zone."

My first two years weren't that easy.

I found myself at top level, alone.

I've been through many defeats.

I was left to myself.

Let me elaborate:

I saw that the people around me
had lost faith in me, in my abilities,

and I wanted to prove them wrong.

I also realized that my body
wasn't ready for the change either.

So, I kept training at home,

I focused on myself,

and with my determination, hard work,

support from my teammates, my family,

with their love, honesty and trust in me,

I moved up to a higher level.

At our school, we have a slogan
that depicts what I just said very well:

"I can go faster alone
but even further as a team."

Several people have told me
that phrase describes me well.

John inspires me to never give up.

He told me he had never played
high caliber minor hockey,

had never been drafted,

but was invited in 2012-2013
by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Unfortunately, they didn't keep him.

It's a pity they don't know
what they're missing today.

He got three boarding penalties

before being drafted
by the Golden Knights.

This year, he is one of the 20
leading scorers in the league,

alongside one of the best goalies,
Marc-André Fleury.

And last year, he scored
as many goals as Connor McDavid,

currently one of the best players
in the national leagues.

He told me that family support
was and still is very important to him.

Don't forget, follow your dreams,
be determined, work hard,

keep a supportive group
of people around you

and have someone who inspires you.

Finally, I hope my experience
has convinced you

that anything is possible.

Now, it's your turn
to believe in yourself.

Before I go,

watch this example
of how hard I've worked.

(Applause)