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.

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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.

Winter Time Calorie Burn

My daughter loved building this snowman and insisted I take her picture.

NOTE: This entry was published in the January 29, 2013 edition of the Kings County Record.  I really did do all this in one day, and as many calories as I burned, it probably paled in comparison to a few days prior when my father and I pulled the kids uphill to a nearby sliding spot and vista.  I hope you enjoy the read. BW 

 

I've heard people say "I always put weight on in the winter because I'm not as active."  While I used to agree, I'm not so sure now lately that it's true.  You might not think you're active in the winter time but even the simple things in winter time burn calories.  I got curious after an exceptional day out with the kids.  "How many calories did I burn today?"

Let me start by saying, it was a really exceptional day.  The weather was excellent, the company was enthusiastic.  The snow had fallen the night before and was fluffy and light, thank goodness.  My first task was shoveling the driveway and it took me a little more than half an hour.  Just on this task alone I burned approximately 200 calories.  At this juncture I should state that I can not guarantee the calculations on calories as I didn't make them but rather pulled them off of a website.

Shortly after shoveling I took the kids out and built a snow man in the backyard.  I couldn't believe it when I calculated (looked it up) the calories I burned here.  Think about it you're bending over and packing the snow, rolling the snow balls, and then lifting the snow balls to the top.  If it takes you an hour to build your snow man, first off you build quicker than I do, but secondly you'll burn 285 calories.  My total calorie burn so far this day, 485.

After a healthy lunch with soup and a sandwich, I got the kids dressed to go out again.  By the way, that might burn more calories than anything I did this day.  I won't count it though.  With our gear on we grabbed our sleds and went sliding.  Now everyone knows that sliding is half play and half work.  On the ride down you barely burn a calorie but on the way up you burn a bunch.  According to a couple of different web sources, a person can burn more than 470 calories during an hour of sliding.  Of course, I think the slope and length of the sliding hill might have a role to play in the number of calories you burn.

As we finished sliding we sat at the bottom of the hill giggling and making snow angels.  Hey, how many calories do you think you burn doing that?   I have no idea.  I heard it said though that you burn a calorie a minute when you laugh.   Being outside and playing gives you lots to laugh at and makes it easy to burn calories without event thinking about it.

If you are searching for things to do outside during the winter, February 8-9 is the Sussex Corner Winter Carnival.  This is a full day of family fun and calorie burning activities.  I'll be leading a snow shoe trek to the Bluff on the evening of the 8^th and I guarantee lots of calorie burn.  If this interests you meet up at Sullivan Park at 7:30 that night and we'll make our way to the wonderful night time view from above Trout Creek.  If you think you can do it, you can do it. 

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

Outdoor Rink Part III

Patients is needed when building an outdoor skating rink.  I have learned this over the last week.  That and a few other things about making a skating rink outside.  Just to be clear, I have never made ice indoors either so this has been a fun learning curve.  The location of my small rink is in my backyard which I thought was relatively flat, that was until I started putting water on it and it all flowed to one end.  I also learned that my yard drains quickly.  Since I didn't put a plastic cover down I put a great deal of water into the ground as opposed to on my ice surface.  This weighs heavily on my conscience as a watershed conservationist, but my son asked and I said we could, so what am I to do?

Don't get me wrong it is getting better but the weather is not as cold as I would like.  It is late into the evening before I can get the first flood on so the ice building has been slow.  Stay tuned though as I am sure I will get a skating rink before the end of winter.

Outdoor Rink?? Part II

If you follow the weather at all you likely know that we have had a run of warmer weather which slowed my progress on our outdoor rink.  Tonight however, it was a cold -9 celsius with the wind chill, so I headed out with "my hood up."  Get it?  "hood up"; "head up?"  I know.  Groan. 

With the snow this morning, I had to give the area a quick shovel.  I also compacted the snow layer by laying down some plywood and jumping on it.  Good thing I didn't make a big surface because my legs would have been sore after I was done with that task.  Once I got the water running again I flooded the surface twice with a good base forming again before I called it quits.   With a forecast of four more cold days before the temps start to rise again, I might get a good surface for a late evening skate by Thursday.  Maybe??
   
It was such a nice night out that I wandered out into the nearby field and laid on my back to look at the stars.  A great deal of jets were flying overhead tonight as well.  Being outside and enjoying the cold is rewarding and purifying.  My head clears, my body relaxes, and a calmness comes over me.  Flooding the ice is a simple task that allows my head to wander and I enjoy it.  This started off as a way for me to hopefully spend more time outside with my kids, but the reward will be more than that.

Outdoor Rink: Part One

The boys helped clear off the space for the small ice surface.

Today was a sunny, snowy day.  The temperature never came above freezing so I thought I would try making my first outdoor rink for Seth to enjoy.  I have no grand illusions of boards and nets and all the glam.  In fact the ice surface won't be that grand.  Seth, a friend of his, and I cleared off a space about 10m X 6m to start flooding.  After we cleared the space I took the boys to Bill's Corner store for a hot chocolate.  The boys then played in the fort for a while before we went in for lunch.



The boys enjoyed their hot chocolate while
sitting on the steps of the St. John's United
Church Center.



I didn't put down plastic, I didn't build boards.  Seth, the other boy, and I shovelled off the space and put the pile along the edge to create the boundary.  We did that this morning.  I then fought all day with my hose and the pipes trying to get the water to flow so I could flood the ice tonight.  It was a bit frustrating but finally I got the hose clear of ice.  Just a note for those who might find themselves in this same predicament; I put the hose in the bathtube with hot water.  It took about 10minutes to melt the ice out and I cleaned the hose while I was at it...oh and then the bath tube.

Under the stars and a cool night sky I applied a generous amount of water straight to the grass snow mix area that the boys and I had cleared off earlier in the day.  Now I will wait and see what it looks like tomorrow morning and hopefully flood again.



There is nothing better than a kid's rosy smile while enjoying winter.



Sussex Corner Winter Carnival

The Sussex Corner Winter Carnival is just around the corner and excitement is building. This is a great event hosted in a rural community with lots of outdoor scenery and small town charm. The winter Carnival was reinvigorated last year with the addition of an outdoor hockey tournament and fireworks and it was well recieved. Organizers are hoping that this years version is even better.

The main site of activity is Sullivan Park on the Post Road. With the Bluff as the scenic back drop families can enjoy sliding on a groomed hill, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, skating, and lots of games and fun. There will be lots of food, live entertainment, and of course the competition will be tight for the 2nd Annual Corner Cup. Truly a family oriented event geared to get any family outdoors in winter. A great way to beat the on-set of cabin fever in February, so grab your skates, sled, and some warm clothes and meet all your friends at Sullivan Park, Saturday, Februaury 13th.