When I was younger, I was always taught not to make excuses.

You can't be sensitive, because you're going to get criticized. I don't care who you are, you're going to get criticized.

This is why you play - to get an opportunity to play in the playoffs.

Work hard, love what you do, put your best foot forward and never forget the kid in you.

So is work ethic. You do things over and over again, and when you get in a situation you like to think it comes natural. I think there has to be a mind-set that you’re not afraid to fail. I’m not afraid to fail. I’ve done it quite a bit. The calmer you are, the more the game slows down for you, and I think part of that is controlling your emotions.

I'm a New Yorker now, and believe me, there's no comparison between the Big Apple and Kalamazoo, no similarity at all. New York City's hectic, always in fast-forward, and Kalamazoo's more laid-back, smaller, slower.

I always take criticism as a challenge. It's the way I've always looked at it.