... I decided to pretend I was an actress playing the part of a hockey player.
OMG, I never heard anyone else do that before. I do it often -- e.g. if I have a job interview, I think "I'm playing the part of a confident, calm candidate." (I hate job interviews...)
I've done about 60 plays as an actor, director, or both. It's much easier to play a stressful scene than actually live it.
When I saw this article I just felt the urge to post. I've found if you do something with all your heart or something common in an uncommon way you gain respect. For me, this was when I joined my high school's cross country. The sign said no-cut but apparently there were no Aspies or any special needs on the time at all ! (Even the coaches were a little worried I couldn't keep up with the team). I eventually made it to the county championships and finished in the top 100 out of 143 girls! What I loved was being able to bond with the team- the kids were very kind, I let them ask all the questions they wanted. I was also their main fan too ^^. Respect works both ways.
Rock on!