I always like to spend time with the kids, especially with kids

The words of Alexander Ovechkin, spoken not as the triumphant athlete but as the humble man, carry with them a timeless truth: “I always like to spend time with the kids, especially with kids who need help. For them and for the parents, to see their smile is always nice.” Though he is known for his strength upon the ice, it is here that he reveals a deeper strength—the power of compassion, of turning one’s fame and fortune not inward to the self, but outward toward the vulnerable. This is the ancient law of greatness: the measure of a person is not in their victories alone, but in the joy they awaken in others.

To speak of children is to speak of innocence, of those who stand at the threshold of life, fragile yet full of promise. In every age, the child has been seen as a sacred trust, the seed of the future resting in tender soil. When Ovechkin says he delights in their smiles, he declares a truth older than any empire—that the pure joy of a child carries more weight than the applause of multitudes. For in that joy is hope itself, shining unclouded by sorrow or cynicism.

The origin of such a sentiment lies not in the hockey rink, but in the eternal tradition of leaders and heroes who stooped down to lift the weak. Consider the tale of the Roman general Scipio Africanus, who, after defeating Carthage, spared the life of a young captive woman and returned her unharmed to her family. Though he had conquered in battle, it was this act of mercy that won him the respect of both enemies and allies. The lesson is clear: those who tend to the powerless wield a glory that no battlefield can confer.

The parents, too, are not forgotten in Ovechkin’s words. He recognizes that when a child suffers, the heart of the parent is pierced as well, and when a child smiles, the parent is healed. Thus, to give joy to the little one is to restore strength to the family, to renew the courage of those who carry heavy burdens. What greater service can one render than this—to make the weary breathe easier, to grant them a moment of relief in the storm?

Yet Ovechkin’s testimony also reminds us of something perilously easy to forget in an age of spectacle: true greatness is not measured by trophies, but by tenderness. The roar of the crowd fades, records are broken, medals tarnish, but the memory of kindness—the smile given to a struggling child—endures in eternity. The ancients would say, “He who lifts one heart has changed the fate of the world.” In this way, the athlete who comforts is greater than the athlete who only wins.

The lesson for us, O listener, is plain and powerful. You need not be a champion of the arena to follow this path. Each of us, in our own sphere, passes by those in need—children hungering for attention, elders longing for companionship, neighbors weighed down by unseen struggles. We may not heal all wounds, but we can offer presence, laughter, and smiles, and these, though simple, are treasures beyond price.

Therefore, take action. Set aside time for the young, the vulnerable, the forgotten. Visit the sick child, play with the lonely, speak gently to the weary parent. These deeds may never appear in the chronicles of history, but they will be written upon the hearts of those who receive them. And one day, when you recall the smiles you helped kindle, you will know that you, too, walked in the path of the noble.

Thus, from the lips of Alexander Ovechkin comes not merely a reflection, but a call. Let us strive for victories, yes—but let us strive even more to bring light to those who sit in shadows. For the truest triumph is not found in the arena of sport, but in the bright smile of a child whose burden has been lifted, if only for a moment. And that is the crown no one can take away.