Pure Pond Hockey and Skating

Today I took the kids out behind the house for a skate.  We had a blast and I managed to take a video of Shaylee's first time skating without my help.  This was her first time out this year and I bet we can count on one hand the number of times we had her out.  She never hesitated and showed no fear.  Once her skates were on, she was off.  I thought this fit well with the story I just had published in the January 28th edition of the Kings County Record.  

Tuesday was very cold and I was checking the weather forecast to see what Friday would be like.  I couldn’t wait for it to come.  The forecast called it almost bang on, so when Friday came my countdown shifted from days to hours.  The temperature rose to a warm -2°C by the evening and I met up with a buddy and headed to the snow covered hills around Waterford.

Now most people, when you mention snow covered hills around Waterford, they think skiing.  I was heading out to go play hockey.  Grassroots, old time, pickup hockey, played outdoors, under the moon.  The Waterford Youth Centre is now home to the local outdoor rink and what a bucolic winter location this rural community has created.  An outdoor rink is the backdrop to a covered bridge over Trout Creek, and behind the rink is a rugged rock ridge.

Oddly on this night, I didn’t even truly notice the scenery.  I was there to play hockey.  About 18 guys showed up to play.  We threw our sticks into centre and then a couple of guys divided them up.  We played hockey, 5 on 5, on gritty ice, and there were some fantastic plays and some not so fantastic plays.  Some of the guys skated hard while others hardly skated but no one criticized anyone else.  No one kept score and half way through we changed the teams up.

Considering that I hadn’t been on skates yet this season I was a bit apprehensive at first.  Once I got the puck though I pushed it a bit and then I let it go.  We played for 2hours and even though I was dead tired when we stopped, I didn’t want it to end.  I think I scored a couple of goals but so did everyone else so it was a great night.  Playing with and against guys I haven’t played against in years was fun, and reminded me of the respectful rivalry and chemistry I had with some of them.  I would try a little harder when I had a chance to face my brother one on one and I’m sure he was doing the same.  

After the hockey ended, no one was in a hurry to go home.  Guys sat around and chatted about, what else, hockey.  How the Habs were on a roll or how the Oilers were under performing.  Every now and then the topic would roll to the weather or the recent party or the dreaded ice user fees in Sussex.  To those in Waterford that night, that was actually a non-issue.  Who really needs a full facility, especially with the weather we were blessed with that night?

If you want a chance to experience the thrill of pond hockey in Waterford then get a team together and register for the Corner Cup which will be played at the Waterford Youth Centre this year.  The tournament will run from February 13th to the 15th.  Teams of 6 will compete, in a 4 on 4 tournament, for the wood carved, Corner Cup.  Registration is $120 per team with the winner taking half the pot and the remainder going towards the Village of Sussex Corner’s “Sullivan Park Enhancement Project.”  To register you can e-mail me or find me on Facebook.  Coming up in my next column, I’ll be staying in Waterford.

--

Tough Decisions: Do I Pass or Shoot?

Sometimes in life you have to take a step back and look at the whole picture.  You need to pause and think about what is truly important.  Recently my family has had to take that step back and re-evaluate what our long term priorities are and what is truly important to us.  Our community, like many others in New Brunswick, has been embroiled in a controversy over ice user fees at the local arena.  I won't get into all the details because really they don't matter a great deal.  The end result was that our minor hockey organization needed to raise it's registration rates for the upcoming hockey season.

Now before I go much further I should explain that I'm a true Canadian and hockey has long been a large component of my life.  That will now change but not without long discussions between my wife and I and at times our kids.  It has been a tough decision and now that we've made it, I'm afraid that people might misconstrue the reason's for the decision, and worse that decision might have a long term impact on our son.  As an 8 year old he really improved his game last year and started to develop a love for the game that might now fade.

The decision to pull him from hockey this year was not simply due to the increase in registration fees and I wanted to make that clear.  We are a family of four with a modest household income, restricted mainly by our personal choices, my wife to be home with our kids as much as possible (love you so much for that Michelle) and me because I wanted to "make a difference" with a non-profit organization.  We are fine with those choices and have managed our funds well.  Hockey however, is an expensive sport.  It doesn't just include registration fees but equipment and travel as well. 

When I was a kid travel wasn't necessary to play hockey.  You could play house league and simply play for fun and not to compete.  What ever happened to house league anyways?  Why do 7 & 8 year old kids need to travel an hour every other week to play?  Is it because hockey has priced itself so high that participation numbers are dropping?  I really don't know.  I do know that if the whole model of minor hockey was restructured, my son might still be playing.  If we just had to pay registration and the needed equipment then maybe he could still play.

When we looked at what was important for our family, we felt being a family was important.  You see our daughter also wanted to skate this year and we definitely couldn't say no to her and yes to our son.  Also I haven't had any recreation outside of my hiking and fishing and trust me, I could use a gym membership.  As a family we can all enjoy the local civic center for roughly the same price both kids could register for hockey.  Thus, we've decided to spend more time together and diversify our interests.

Hockey is still a sport and I'm sure, like last winter, I can find a pond somewhere this winter and scrape it off when we have the urge to slap a puck around.  Since there is no strict structure to the pond hockey we'll all be able to play that together too.  If you're looking for a game of shinny this winter, look us up.

When Should Hitting Be Introduced in Hockey?

So I've been following a little in the checking controversy in minor hockey.  Hockey Canada is considering removing checking from the Peewee levels across all its leagues.  Most of what you read seems to support the move.  As a kid I didn't start playing checking hockey until Bantam (one age group above Peewee), and I don't think it had a negative impact on my ability to transition into a checking game....but.....I have no way of comparing.  Just for the sake of a blog post I'm going to argue against removing checking.

To be honest, I probably received more checks than I gave, and I'm pretty sure there is a video of me in high school where I took a suicide pass, Lars Eller like, and ended up on my back side, likely unconscious for a second or two.  Back then though there was less attention being given to concussion symptoms so I think I only missed one shift.  Not that I think Eller should have come out and played after that hit.  It was a bad circumstance all the way around for him and his defense man who likely felt terrible without all the media blaming him.  My Habs never recovered after that hit by the way.  Why do I tell you this...well...to demonstrate that I have reason to support taking contact out of the sport.  However, since, I love the game, I fear the precedence the move might set and what might happen to the game if we reduce the contact.

The whole essence of sport is to compete.  Competition brings out things in people, often an intensity, which helps them compete.  Sometimes this manifests itself as aggression and we need an avenue to vent that aggression.  My fear is that if we take hitting out of Peewee we may see the aggressive tendencies come out of players differently, mainly with the stick.  In Peewee where kids are learning how to compete, if they can't stop you with their body, they can't grab you with their hands, then all they are left with is the stick.  This could be further exacerbated by the fact that in Peewee the gap in development can be large so weaker players who compete not differently will do what they can to stop the player who consistently has beaten him.  If you've played hockey you'll get the picture I'm laying out here. 

Lots of the numbers Hockey Canada is throwing around about kids more likely to suffer a concussion while playing contact hockey in Peewee is very true, but if we take it out of Peewee is not the risk then further increased at the higher levels.  To further the risks if that happens, the speed at which you are hit is much harder in Bantam, Midget, etc than in Peewee so the concussion is likely to be more severe as well.  I have no science to back this up but I wanted to ask the question. 

At first I didn't think it would make a big deal but the more I think about it and read into each side, I think, I would rather see the hitting be introduced in Peewee.  If my kids don't like getting hit at that level, or I don't like them getting hit, then I still have time to get them into another sport where they can compete and not feel out of place.  By the way, my oldest has three more years before he plays Peewee, so I have a stake in this discussion.

Would love to know what others think so drop a comment.

Way to Go Sonics

This entry was published in the March 26, 2013 edition of the Kings County Record.  Since press time the Sonics lost in the cross-over game against Fredericton but despite that, the kids have created their legacy that they will talk about for years to come.  Way to go guys.  I really wish I had a good picture from my high school hockey days I could share, maybe on a later post.

High school was an exciting time for me.  It was an easy time too.  I had very little responsibility, I attended lots of social functions (a mature way to say parties), and I played a ton of sports.  I was a multi-sport athlete but my heart and soul went into playing hockey.  As luck would have it recently I was taken down memory lane and I wanted to acknowledge the contribution my high school hockey team had on me and now more recently, the current Sonic Boy's hockey team.

The 2013 Sonic boy's hockey team recently won the NB Southern Conference hockey championship and I want to congratulate them for that big victory.  I know how hard these boys worked to make that happen.  My Mom used to shake her head in frustration I'm sure as I would put twice the effort into hockey practice than my school work or chores.  The early morning practices twice a week, an afternoon practice, and then one or two games a week were physically demanding but I loved every minute of it.  The bus rides to St. Stephen with pranks and jokes and lots of heavily exaggerated stories, the excessively loud voices and laughter in the dressing rooms, and the warm up music all still sit fresh in my memory banks.  When I think about those days a smile creeps over my face and then I turn a little sullen as I think about what might have been.

In my senior year we came close.  We won the regular season championship only to be denied in the playoffs.  We were played out and struggled with injuries but made no excuses.  We won as a team and we lost as a team, thanks to all that time on the bus.  That group of guys, even today, likely feel a connection that will always be there because when one was disappointed we all were.

As I write this the Sonics are prepping to play a winner take all regional crossover game against the four time defending Provincial champions, Fredericton Black Cats.  Tonight I bet the boys struggle to get to sleep.  They'll be distant from those around them as they put their focus on the game ahead of them.  Right before the puck drops their stomachs will do a quick flip as their heart starts to race.  Once the puck hits the ice its game on and muscle memory, competitive drive, and adrenaline takes over.  The aches and pains from the regular season disappear for 60 minutes as they put the team before themselves.  There is little difference at this point between sweat and tears as their emotions are bared and raw.  Late in the game when their muscles can no longer push them, their emotions power them on, and allow them to find that last needed effort.

For the seniors it is so much more than just a hockey game.  It is a chance to create a legacy that will live in the halls of the school and the dressing rooms of the rink for years to come.  Win or lose the Sonic hockey team should be proud as they have already won a number of games but they have built up each other and made each other stronger.  Way to go guys.

Bonding on the Bus

I have had a great year coaching hockey this year and I think the boys have a similar feeling.  It was a great weekend not long ago that prompted this blog entry.  I hope you enjoy it
 

I've poured my cup of tea and have formed a column idea so now to put it on paper.  It has been a great winter and I was able to get out a number of times on snow shoes and have spent time just taking in snow covered hills and frozen fields while an eagle or crow flew over head and snowflakes gently fell.  I've spent time in various arenas in our region and even a couple at Harbor Station during a Seadogs game or two.  That is where my inspiration for this column comes from.  Not the Seadogs necessarily, unfortunately they are having an off season, but from a particular trip I made to a game with the Novice 1 team I'm coaching. 

Thanks to the great support from a number of the kid's parents we were able to take a Tim Horton's tour bus to Saint John for a Sunday afternoon game between the Seadogs and the Voltigeur.  It was a defensive game won by the Volts 1-0.  The boys all sat and cheered loudly and some of them got their faces on the score board.  I continually laughed as some danced and acted silly while some sat and analyzed the game and it struck me how different the kids were yet they all got along so well.

After the game was over we hung out for a bit and the boys were invited down to skate with the Seadogs players.  I went from being amazed at how well mannered and behaved my team of 7 year old boys were to being stunned at how accommodating the 17-21 year olds from the Seadogs were.  They chatted with many of the kids and signed tons of autographs while wearing a smile, despite the tough loss they just played through.  It was also neat to see how much of an impression these junior players had on the Initiation and Novice players that had been given the chance to attend the skate.  Many of the kids I coach were continually coming up to me showing off the autograph they just got on their jersey or game ticket and they didn't need teeth whitener because the glow in their cheeks brightened their smiles better than any toothpaste could.

The bus ride home was full of laughter as most of the kids, who on the way to the game hung more with their parents or tighter friends, now all grouped together towards the back of the bus.  It was then when I saw how certain events helped bond youth and I felt blessed to have been able to help provide this moment for them.  For many of these kids they will play a tournament at the end of March where most of the team is booked in a hotel and likely this will turn into another bonding experience.  If they are anything like my self, they'll share memories they'll remember for a lifetime.

Any sport or team activity provides various bonding experiences.  No doubt you already know that but in case you don't, I suggest you try a team activity or simply taking a road trip with a number of acquaintances.

 

I'm a Rink Rant who Needs a Rink

The below is from a column I had printed in the February 26, 2013 edition of the Kings County Record.  I softened it a little so it wasn't overly confrontational.  I strongly feel that in NB we all need to pull together to get our government to support more recreation, education, and health issues and leave the business up to business.  If we have the resources here and there is a market, business will come, either now or down the road.  In my mind down the road is likely more sustainable.  I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts on what we can do to overcome this issue.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I am likely to raise a little ire with what I'm about to write.  This may come across more as an editorial than a simple column so if you aren't interested in hearing my opinion, I suggest you move on to another column today.

 As a parent, a player, and volunteer for many of this areas sports and recreation organizations, I find it tough to observe the ongoing debate and division over local rinks and recreational facilities.  This isn't just a local problem, similar problems are occurring across our Province.  Grand Bay-Westfield is the most recent example of where a community is struggling to keep their arena operational.

Our government continues to provide a number of grants, subsidies, and poor loan guarantees which our tax dollars fund.  More often than not we get little in return for these investments, especially anything sustainable.  My question is why does the government not invest more into the operation of recreational facilities?  The Town of Sussex has stated they can no longer afford to shoulder the operating deficit on their own due to changes in the municipal grant system, which they now receive less of.  This has led them to find other ways to increase user revenues to cover costs.  I appreciate their position even though it puts me into a tough situation as well, especially when my son and daughter want to play hockey next year.

It upsets me (to put it politely), that our Provincial government can not step up, with the funds raised through the Atlantic Lotto Corp, or through resource royalties, and fix this problem.  They continue to throw money into business development corporations that do the research and monitoring work that in my opinion should be paid for by business.  You hear commercials from our Province stating they support initiatives that will help curb childhood obesity.  Now when its time for the rubber to hit the road, where are they?

Here in the Sussex region we have been pitched against one another.  I think we need to start asking our provincial government to step up.  They need to be serious about creating a healthy future where recreational facilities and functioning ecosystems are considered the proverbial ounce of prevention.  We have to accept some responsibility and look at ways we can control and reduce costs as well.  Maybe our vision of Minor Hockey has to change and we alter the divisions so more kids can play in the same division.  Maybe we need to restructure Hockey NB so teams travel less, saving parents money so they can afford higher registration fees. 

This can only be done if the Province steps up and helps local sport.  The elite and highly skilled athletes now have numerous ways to fund their endeavors so let's provide them with less and give the developing youth a chance.  My fear is that if the Province doesn't step up for the communities they serve our current hockey and skating programs could crash or the non-profit agencies that aid people struggling to keep their kids in sport will crash.  If the costs for minor hockey increase, participation drops, and thus, more rate increases will be needed to cover the shortfall and a devastating cycle begins.  The worse case scenario is that our local arena will close.  On the bright side it could bode well for the sport as more kids will turn to the frozen ponds and remove the business side from the sport.

Praise of the Wolfpack

Kids are amazing!!!  It is amazing how quickly they pick up new skills and how fast they grow.  I have been coaching the same bunch of kids in hockey for almost three years now.  They have been playing incredibly well and I don't really think it is the coaching.  I don't mind taking some credit but these kids, from this small town, are simply just getting it.  Every time I give them a new skill to practice they quickly added it to their already long list of skills.  Earlier this month we introduced "changing on the fly" to these 7 year olds, I'm not kidding, they do it better than most junior  teams after just one game.  Last practice, I introduced stick handling while skating backwards, a skill I still struggle with.  Today at practice I added the skill to a relay race and I was stunned that every kid completed the task.  I had to push a couple of them but they did it.  I'm not a professional scout but I'm pretty sure most 7 year olds struggle just to skate backwards so these guys are good.

I'm not bragging here, I'm simply praising these kids.  It isn't my coaching that makes them so good, they are natural athletes and are well parented.  As a Novice team, parental support is as important as coaching.  I lucked out and not only have great kids but great parents to coach for.  They step up and volunteer for the various needed tasks, they don't complain if I discipline there child, and they make exceptional efforts to be there for their kids.

The kids chose the name "Wolfpack" for the team and I think it is so appropriate.  Wolves are a family oriented species that push and sharpen each other and our boys are sharp.  I'm proud of everyone of them.

Just as another note, before finalizing this post the boys played a game with, arguably, two of our better players missing.  Despite that the kids who were there played hard and my son, who normally plays defence, scored his first goal as a centerman and had two assists to help the Wolfpack win 8-6.  Way to go guys.

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.

Just random thoughts.

It seems to always happen to me this time of year.  My deadlines are looming and I still am not sure of what to write about.  Its not that I can't think of things to write about, it is more the fact that I can't sit down and put those thoughts adequately on the paper.  Like everybody else this time of year my thoughts are a bit scattered in preparation of the Christmas season.   I could write about the parties I'll be attending, the parade coming up this Saturday, and the wreaths we bought from the Sussex Corner Elementary School, or the fact that I still don't have winter tires on my car.

I usually use my writing though as a place where I can slow down and reflect on what I have been doing and those things I am looking forward to.  Don't get me wrong, I am really looking forward to the Christmas holiday, but I have never really enjoyed the hectic pace that has developed along with consumer greed this time of year.  I'm as guilty as the next guy, hence the reason I can't focus on writing this column.  My mind is racing trying to think of the perfect gift for my wife, my nephews, and my parents.  I don't want to disappoint them or show them how cheap I can be. 

Typically my column appears in the Sports section of the local weekly paper, so there is no way this will be my story but I truly needed to simply start writing to see what would come out.  My effort to focus is appearing futile however and so therefore I may have to change tactics.  

I could write about being a hockey coach and how we just handed out our new jerseys to our 5-6year old players.  Maybe I could talk about watching the torrential rain fall this afternoon and how I then started wondering about the effectiveness of rain barrels as a flood attenuation tool.  You should have seen the rain by the way…Wow!  We don't get rain like that here, all that often.

I think I have settled on a topic to write about for my column.  Thanks for bearing with me here.  You'll have to stay tuned to see what it is I decided on.  Oh and don't forget the Santa Clause parade in Sussex this Saturday.

Stanley Cup Dreams

Note: This is a version of a column that I had published in the April 12, 2011 edition of the Kings County Record.  

 

It is that great time of year when the Leaf fans are spending their evenings raking the yard and prepping their gardens while the Canadiens fans are glued to their televisions hollering loudly as Carey Price makes a remarkable save on a blast from Zdeno Chara.  My hockey season, much like the Leaf's is over.  I wrote last fall that I was coaching an Initiation hockey program.  That team just finished up their season.  There is no Stanley Cup, no big contracts, or promotion deals but to me it was hockey at its best.

To watch kids step on the ice for the first time is very entertaining.  Some were fearful, some clumsy, and some were just naturals.  No matter how good they were, when they took that first full stride, their face would light up with such pride and joy I couldn't help but feel their excitement.  They overcame the first challenge with ease.  From that first stride the kids made huge improvements throughout the season.  Unlike the pros, the kids don't suffer slumps or ups and downs during the season.  Every game they show improvement and win the personal battles while honing their game skills.

Another aspect I noticed was how many of them responded to competition.  I have always been a believer in healthy competition and its ability to bring out the best in people.  Watching how much more effort some kids put out to win a relay race and to watch them improve over the span of that short race has further affirmed that belief.  A child who can't focus their attention long enough to listen to an explanation on how to complete a drill, suddenly watches and cheers on his teammates as they run through a grueling relay.  If they lose they are more than eager to try it again in hopes that they can improve and win.  This illustrates how the competitive drive pushes people to improve.

Sport at this level is much more pure than at the pro level in my mind.  The kids at this level usually aren't even sure what the score is so they are simply playing to play.  The score only matters at the end of game and then, only if you can get their attention long enough to let them know that it was "a tie game."  Once off the ice the kids immediately start to focus on what kind of donut they want at Tim Horton's after the game.  They talk loudly about who has the biggest "Bakugan" collection or asking their parents if their newly formed friend can come over and hang out.  They aren't dwelling on the missed shot or the botched call by the referee.  It was always up beat in the room after the ice time which made it very enjoyable.

It is a great reward to watch a young kid improve throughout the season.  As a reward for the kids this year we took them to a Saint John Seadogs game.  I was amazed to see in my own son how much his understanding of the game has advanced.  This was something I did not focus on as a coach so he simply picked up this aspect of the game himself.  It is likely that all the kids were growing in this manner and so next year I better adapt my coaching approach.

Outdoor rink update

I guess its time to update the status of our little outdoor rink project.  I have been busy shovelling snow off it and I was really wondering if it was ever going to come together.  Today however Seth and I were able to finally skate on it.  It is curently -22 with the windchill so it was a short skate but we were there.  It is still a bit uneven and bumpy but I skated on much worse as a kid.

I have gotten into a good flooding routine now and have become efficient at first working out the kinks and then finally flooding the surface.  The biggest challenge is thawing my outdoor faucet so I can flood.  This requires about 10-15minutes with the heat gun everytime.  This is not bad since I have devised a way to set the gun up and leave it while I prep the hose, scrape the ice, or what ever I need to do that day.  Then once the water is running it only takes me about 10-15minutes to flood the small area and I have to roll up the hose and take it inside for the next flood.  If its really cold like today, I have to go through the whole process again, which is no fun, but after today has been worth it.

Seth's favorite thing to do was jump into the snowbanks.  He wasn't much interested
in practicing stickhandling.

With the weather forecast calling for some clear skies and cold temperatures I am hoping that by the end of the weekend the ice will be much smoother and nicer.  My lower end is great right now but I still need more ice to cover the bumps at the upper end.  Still a work in progress as it likely will be throughout the winter.

Keep your head up :P

Hockey (or sport) is the Building Block for Life

I can remember, not that long ago, rushing to the rink in my parents van, fully dressed in hockey gear, which my mother insisted I put on.  My father was flustered as he had rushed home from work and was running behind, hence the reason my mother insisted I put on my gear before getting to the rink.  As fast as those days went by, they still consume a great deal of my memory bank and the smell of damp hockey gloves still invokes an adrenaline rush within my aging body.

I couldn't really remember my first years of hockey.  It took an enjoyable phone call with my Mom to remind me about those first important years on skates.  Through mine and my brother's first years of hockey it was my Mom who shuttled us to the rink and tied our skates. It must have been tough for her because if I was anything like my son is now it would have been a struggle simply to get me to sit down to get my gear on.  For that I thank you Mom.  Hockey played a big part in my family's life as I grew up and early indications seem to show that that trend will continue with the next generation, and it excites me, I am Canadian after all.

After a short time of consideration I decided to become the hockey coach for my son's Initiation team, and I have realized I owe my parents another huge thanks.  It is hard work getting my son out the door and to the rink, getting him into his gear, getting my skates on, and getting the practice organized but well worth the effort.  The young kids all have fun and their parents all look on with pride and it makes the early morning and rushed afternoons worth the effort.

It is astounding how quickly the kids learn.  They are learning to play hockey much faster than I am learning how to coach it.  I still scurry around before practice in a disorganized blur, while the kids now step onto the ice comfortably.  Where once most fell in a heap shortly after stepping on the ice, they now can't wait to get going and glide off with only a slight hesitation.  We spend less time picking them up off the ice now than we do trying to get them to stop and pay attention to the next drill.

No doubt my son will only have vague memories of this part of his life when he is older, but I hope to share with him the stories of my past and his past so that we can remember together.  I don't simply remember the game, I remember the little life lessons it provided and the lasting friendships it forged.  Like in all sports, youth hockey coaches, I'm starting to realize are not just coaching a player, they are coaching the future leaders of their community.