- Blake Simpson

- Oct 27
- 2 min read
I’m super excited to finally share something I’ve been working on behind the scenes for a long time. It’s real, it’s live, and I honestly couldn’t be more proud.
A little background first. When I was growing up (I know, I still am, I’m only 14), my mom had this awesome Christmas tradition. Every year, she would give me and my sister 25 books, each one wrapped individually. Starting on December 1st, we’d open one book every day leading up to Christmas. It was our way of restocking our bookshelves for the year.
As we got older, the number of books went down a little (since the books got bigger and more expensive), but for most of my childhood, that was our tradition. And when I started playing hockey at age 7, all I wanted were hockey books. The problem was, there weren’t many out there, especially not ones that were fun to read or matched my age level.
Fast forward to today. Last year, I took an elective class in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and this year, I’m taking one in Entrepreneurship. My parents challenged me to combine what I’ve learned from both classes and create something meaningful.
At first, I wasn’t sure how to start. AI is changing every single day, and some people are still skeptical about it. But I decided to use it as a tool, not to completely replace creativity, but to make my ideas come to life. I want to be completely honest about that. Without AI, my new book (and the rest of the series that’s coming) wouldn’t have been possible. It’s an incredible tool when used the right way.
That’s how my children’s book series, Own it. Support it. Respect it.™, began. My first book in the series is called Every Position Counts, and it’s inspired by real stories from my hockey journey. Each story is based on things that actually happened to me or my teammates and turned into lessons that go beyond hockey, lessons about teamwork, effort, and respect.
So whether you play hockey, another sport, or are just part of a team in school or life, I hope you’ll see yourself somewhere in these pages. Because no matter your position, on the ice, in your sport, or in your job, it all counts.
Thank you to everyone who’s supported me and encouraged me to share this dream. You can check out Every Position Counts now on Amazon and learn more at www.BarDownOSR.com.
Let’s keep growing, learning, and always being One Shift Ready.


