Here is another attempt at keeping up with this blog. Over three years later since my last post. I usually struggle with organizing my thoughts. Maybe this time around I'll just keep typing. Also, I really like having a good title. Even though now that I look back at my old posts, I can't tell what the entries were about anyway based on the title.
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So my kid has gotten very much into hockey recently. Last season, his team made it all the way to the Finals. They lost, which sucked, but they took it well and quickly moved on. In the locker room, the head coach allowed the parents to say something to the kids. I was busy taking videos as usual, and when I am in that mode, I tend to be quiet behind the camera. After the moment had passed, that's when I realized there was something I did want to say.
This is what I would have said to that group of 9 to 11 year olds:
"I never played hockey before. I didn't get a chance to play this sport growing up, and you guys are all lucky to have all these people organize everything so you could play. You are lucky to have parents who pay your tuition, buy your gear, drive you to games and practices. You are lucky to have great coaches who expect the best out of you. You get to do this. You get to play this game. I never got to do that.
What I would say to you is that when you get on that ice, when you are chasing after pucks, battling for position, taking your shot, give it all you've got. Because you get to do that. You get to try. You get to put on your equipment, and your skates, and your uniform, and you get to play. I don't get to do that. Your parents don't get to do that. Your coaches don't, and there are a lot of kids out there who don't get to have that chance.
Don't ever doubt yourself. Don't let anything stop you. And always do your best."
The Playoffs were on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, I came in to work, and then we promptly prepared to get everybody working out of the office. Spring hockey was cancelled, and the rinks were closed.
What I would add to that speech now is: "You never know when it can all be taken away from you, so make every second on ice count."
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We are usually always out going to rinks or ballparks or playgrounds or something, so we were hardly ever home. When quarantine started, we quickly realized how lucky we were with our house. Location, location, location. We are at a dead end street with no traffic (except for lost drivers who don't understand what "No Outlet" means).
At first, we would just go out with sticks and a green biscuit, using a cone or a bottle as target. Eventually I got a net. And then a Better Hockey shooting pad. I resisted getting these things for a long time because we were always able to find stick time or public skate sessions (and because hockey costs do add up). However, it actually turned out to be a good thing, and my kid's shooting did improve. It was good to be able to just calmly coach and correct him without the noise of pucks hitting post and boards and glass and skaters whizzing past you every second.
Later in the spring, when we were ready to progress to skating, I decided to get him in-line skates. Again, I had avoided these because I wanted to make sure his skating technique was best for ice. It was actually his head coach who encouraged it on a team Zoom meeting, as in-line takes more effort and strengthens the skating muscles. But when I looked online, they were either very expensive, back ordered or both. I decided to check out eBay and was able to find a pair and get it by the next week.
The only issue was that when my kid put the skates on, the buckles immediately broke. Fortunately, we still had hockey tape, and so I just used that to secure his feet. This turned out to be a good purchase, too, as he was able to practice stick handling with speed.
And I got a pair for myself. I hadn't skated in years so I had to readjust. Now I'm pretty comfortable on them again. I even took the brake out. I'm hoping to be a better skater and hockey player overall so hopefully I can be an on-ice coach for my younger one in a few years. Right now, my older kid's team is good with coaches. They're a great staff, and we're lucky to have them and I'll write more about that later.
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So anyway. It's January 1, 2021. We've been out playing hockey on our street almost everyday since mid-March. Over 9 months now.
The neighbors know us. We have lost pucks in their driveways, on other streets and down the drains. Regular pucks, biscuits, ball pucks. And some tennis balls. We have recovered some pucks. We have come outside to find pucks placed on a chair in our driveway. We have ripped holes in the net. We have broken sticks, worn down blades and wore out equipment. We have hit a passerby (only one time, not on purpose as the puck took a weird bounce off the grass). We have hit cars (so far no dents or scratches). We have tripped and fallen and gotten bruises and cuts. We have been out on nice days, hot and sunny, windy, rainy and even snow. We have woken up sore many, many days, and then we just went out and did it again.
And well, I was just out there with my kid. And being there was something that I never got from my own dad when I was a kid. And tomorrow we will be out there again.
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Here is my kid's goal in the Finals game, off a great pass from the defenseman:
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