The environment in which one grows up, or the way in which one is nurtured, can greatly affect what an individual likes in their future. Many times a child will learn to enjoy the same things that their family enjoys.

Empiricism has played a huge role in my life in many ways, but the biggest evidence of empiricism I can demonstrate is my love and passion for the sport of hockey. My father has always loved hockey, and even played for his high school team back in Pittsburgh. I have watched as many Pittsburgh Penguin hockey games with my father as possible for as long as I can remember.

Although I have been watching hockey with my dad for a long time, he was not the main source of my love and passion for hockey. When my mom was but a teenager, she lived with her sister and parents next to Duane Rupp, a former Pittsburgh Penguin defenseman (actually the first Penguin defenseman to record a hat trick in franchise history). My mother’s family befriended the Rupps and frequented Penguin games with Mrs. Rupp in Melon Arena. After college, my aunt decided to get Penguin tickets of her own; she has had season tickets for about twenty seasons now (and counting). She never had children or got married, so her niece or nephews usually accompanied her to games.

It is one thing to enjoy the sport of ice hockey on television, but to watch it in person is a whole different experience. I have attended hundreds of Penguin games in my life, fueling my addiction.

During my childhood, I liked all sports, but as I grew older and became more able to form opinions of my own, I began to veer towards hockey and away from other sports. Today I find it more and more difficult to enjoy other sports as much as I used to (besides hockey). I also played inline hockey from 8th to 12th grade, an I intend to play on Penn State’s club team next year.

It really is incredible how big of an influence an individual’s family can be on their lives. My love and passion for hockey may be an extreme case, but it is easy to see how empiricism works.