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DICK'S Sporting Goods

When the U.S. Women's Hockey team takes the ice at the 2018 Winter Olympics, their goal may be to win gold, but there's another prize at hand.

They will help girls all over the country, like 14-year-old Nina Herceg, fall in love with their sport.

Herceg has been enamored with hockey players' athleticism and ability ever since her dad started taking her to games when she was little. It didn't take her long to want to lace up her own pair of skates.

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Hockey’s youngest commentator covers games for one special fan: his blind dad.

What happens when vision loss changes the way we enjoy our favorite sport?

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Horizon Organic

As any sports fan knows, love of the game can run pretty deep.

There are player names to memorize, stats to learn, jerseys to collect, and of course, games to watch. For many families, loving a sport or a team brings them together. Parents and kids pile onto the couch or into the arena to watch games as a group.

Gerry Nelson has always enjoyed watching hockey. But things got a little trickier when blindness made it so he couldn't watch the game he loves.

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Ever heard of Chicago Blackhawks backup goalie Scott Darling? The president has.

He has proven himself to be a leader off the ice as well as on.

In hockey, backup goalies don't often get much credit — especially from the president.

But that's exactly what happened when the Stanley-Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks made their way to the White House on Thursday for an awards reception.

Among the people President Obama wanted to give credit to: backup goalie Scott Darling — who played in just 14 regular-season and five playoff games last year.

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Being a young gay athlete can be rough. I know because I was one.

I had fun playing basketball in high school, but it was exhausting — on and off the court. Hearing homophobic language tossed around the locker room like one of the basketballs was part of the daily grind. And it was painful thinking,would any of my teammates accept me for who I am?

Clearly, I'm not the only one who felt that way.

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