2012 Timbits Hockey Jamboree

It was a long but rewarding day today.  As I write this I am struggling to keep my eyes open.  After a winter storm that brought snow and freezing rain last night, we woke early this morning to be sure we could make the one hour drive to Saint John.  We were heading to Saint John for the Tim Horton's Timbit Hockey Jamboree at Harbour Station.  In case you didn't know...simply playing at Harbour Station is a big deal for kids 5-6 years old.

We arrived at the rink around 9:40am for the first of four games my son would play today.  He was only supposed to play 2 but due to other players being sick and unable to make it, he was going to fill in for a team that was short.  For a 6 year old that means a lot of hockey and a long day.  I was a bit concerned that maybe it was going to be to much.  I was also a bit concerned because his first two games were against the younger age class.  I had a chat with him and asked him to take it easy though and surprisingly he listened well. 

His first game was a relaxed pace and he didn't get to engaged.  His team won quite handly with minimal input from him.  Of course at this event the score doesn't really matter.  The next game there was no holding Seth back and he was fully engaged and scored a hat trick leading his team to another victory.  After the game he asked his Mom "Did you see my hat trick Mom?"  She enthusiastically responded with a "Yeah!  You were great!"  As he moved out of ear shot she turns to me and asks "Whats a hat trick?"  She is learning so much already...I am so proud of both of them and love them both so much.

After game two Seth was thirsty and hungry.  He stated he didn't want to play four games today.  After some food and a juice box though he was ready to go again.  It might have had more to do with all the chocolate glazed timbits he ate too.  The third game was with the team he was scheduled to play with and with his age class.  He competed hard and though he didn't score he was continually in the play and moving the puck forward.  At this age that is very positive.  Game four was very similar and the kids won both and as much as the adults want to believe the score doesn't matter...you can't tell competetive six year olds that.  They all came of the ice smiling and laughing, Seth maybe a little less so as he was a bit more tired than most.

The best thing about this format is that it really gives the kids a taste of what true hockey is really about.  For many it is the first "tournament" they play.  The kids that were there last year remembered almost every goal from the year before.  They anticipate playing at Harbour Station again.  For a parent it is a bit chaotic and rushed but the kids move through it seamlessly with the young minds unaware of the rapid pace. 

Just one thumbs down and that was the fact that one of our players ended up losing his boots.  Either accidently or through theft, but if the latter I give a big thumbs down to the thoughtless and selfish person who felt it would be okay to send a kid home from the rink in his sock feet.

I tip my hat to Tim Horton's for hosting such a great event.

New Sweaters Bring a New Attitude

This is from my Kings County Record Column from December 13th, 2011.  Kids seem to really inspire my writing, I love how everything is so huge and exciting to them.
 
Hockey is once again underway for another season and once again I am coaching the 5-6year old kids.  It is proving very rewarding, especially since I have been able to take my lessons learned from my previous year's experience and put them to good use.  The number of kids playing this year has increased and to start we were short about a half dozen jerseys and a couple of coaches.  A couple of willing dads stepped up to take on the needed coaching spots and a local sponsor allows us to purchase new sweaters every three years and a big thanks goes out to everyone who is making a contribution. 

McKnighthockey.com

The newer jerseys were identical to the old ones but, they are, new.  When we brought them out and let the kids know they were getting new sweaters loud screaming and hollering ensued.  Some kids wanted new colors, others wanted new numbers, others wanted the same color and numbers, while others were still wondering what was going on.  With four colors to work with we were able to organize the kids into comparable skill categories. 

With help from many of the mothers, we were able to get all the kids into their new sweater before the end of practice.  I rotated the kids through skill and game stations, with one of the stations being a sweater exchange.  After getting their sweater, the first year kids especially, were coming up and pulling on my old tattered sweater asking me to look at their new one with a big Christmas sized grin on their face.  After I acknowledged how great they looked they proudly skated away.  I swear many of them skated stronger, faster, and harder with the new hockey sweater.

Something as simple as a new sweater is a big deal to a young kid and for some could be the turning point of the season and that moment that triggers their desire to come back and play next year.  It is those moments or a number of smaller moments that build their confidence and make them feel like a true hockey player.

This could be a short edited version of our entire lives.  I know for me that my life has been formed by a number of small victories or successful lessons learned.  These victories often came during a time when I was feeling slightly defeated or uncertain about the next steps.  I have to give thanks to God that when I needed it most a positive experience was there to keep me moving towards my goals.  For a young hockey player, a new jersey may be all he needs to start scoring goals for his team. 

Just as a side note, I simply coach a team, but there are a number of people who work hard to organize Sussex Minor Hockey.  It is often a thankless job that results in upset parents calling you at all hours of the day, or a need to fill out multiple insurance forms, or having to spend consecutive hours at the rink.  This is true for many minor sport volunteers so if your kid plays sports, be sure to thank them.  I want to say thanks to Sussex Minor Hockey board members and volunteers, its an awesome organization.