Soccer Talk

This was my latest column which I had published in the Kings County Record.  We have since registered both kids for soccer and now wait patiently for the season to start.  I look forward to sitting back and watching from the sidelines.  Thanks to all those who work hard for Kings County Soccer.
 

"Dude, you're a Dad." once said commercial that appealed to me not long ago.  That has been apparent to me for sometime and I relish in the roll as Dad.  At times I struggle though.  One aspect I have trouble dealing with is that my recreational activities are now more based around my kid's choices.  Honestly, I think just getting the kids to all their appointments, practices, and games could be a sport in itself.  I think if I'm hitting .600 I'm doing well, which means you have to be better at it, than hitting a baseball.  I have a great team mate in my wife who keeps me on track and heading in the right direction other wise my kids would likely relegate me to the "parenting minors."

This summer my average might be better than last.  After playing baseball for two years, my son has decided he wants to try soccer again.  This suits me fine as my daughter also wants to play soccer.  This means that I only need to go to the field one night a week.  That should be easy enough.  Even better, I'm pretty confident they won't ask me to coach, because I know very little about soccer.  This means I'll have time to socialize and enjoy watching my kids develop as they play.  This is a win-win, for me, my kids, not to mention the players who won't have to listen to me holler instructions as a coach.

I'm really looking forward to watching my daughter play this summer.  This will be her first organized team activity.  I'm interested to see if I will encourage her as loudly as I do my son.  Will I instruct her as enthusiastically and push her as hard as I push my son.  I have to admit that is not one of my finer points and I hope I can improve my cheering skills this summer.  I've never been a great spectator so this will be a new role for me and I'm looking forward to it. 

In high school I only played a little soccer.  My best skill was that I could run.  Kicking, which by the way is important in soccer, was my weakness.  When it came to using my head, well I couldn't think soccer that well, but I scored more goals with my head than I did my feet.  That is likely due to the fact that Perry Crawford seemed to get a thrill out of being able to hit me in the head with the ball when making a corner kick.  Despite my lack of soccer skills, I loved the sport.  It tested me and was gruelling on the body.  The running was a great way to get my body ready for hockey season and just keep me in good shape and active.

Blessed Evening

Monday was the first day of fishing season here in this part of NB and my son caught a trout and couldn't wait to eat it.  Last night I was busy with a meeting so I couldn't cook it but tonight I was home for the night.  With it being so nice out, I decided, since my wife also despises the smell of cooked trout, to barbeque.  I prepared my secret flour batter and placed 4 modest size trout (three frozen from the end of last season) on some tinfoil.  I added some butter to brown them up some and placed them on my barbeque.

Once the trout were on the heat I took the time to hoe my garden into some rows for the planting season.  We have some peas and beans already started and we may have been to eager.  The plants are getting root tied in the small space we have them in and its looking like at least another week before I can move them to the garden.  Temperatures on Sunday and Monday are supposed to drop to -6*C.  Despite that this evening the temperature was great for some light yard work and a barbeque.

Typically, Seth is a picky eater, one thing he does love though is trout.  He gobbled three and left me with one, which meant I got warmed up chicken strips.  The chicken was good as Shaylee, my daughter, would attest too.  They paled in comparison to the trout in my opinion but Shaylee would likely disagree there.  When I think of how peaceful and enjoyable my evening has been, and the kids aren't in bed yet, I can't help but feel a bit of guilt as I continue to hear about the bombing in Boston, MA.  I thank God for the way he has blessed me and my family and ask he watches over those struggling elsewhere tonight and maybe feed them some fish.

Fishing Journal, April 15, 2013

Prior to fishing season I was  asked a question I wasn't sure the answer too.  Before the fishing season opened I took the time to find out.  The question was, "If my 8 year old son wants to go fishing do I need a license to accompany him?"  Here is what I found in the NB Fish 2013 booklet distributed by the NB Department of Natural Resources.  For anglers under 16 the booklet makes the following statements:  

"Resident anglers 10 to 15 years old must buy an Atlantic salmon license if they want their own bag limit."
"Anglers, who are under 16 and do not have an Atlantic salmon licence, may fish for Atlantic salmon only when accompanied by an angler with a valid salmon licence. The licence holder must include the child’s catch in his/her daily catch limit."
"Anglers under the age of 16 who do not wish to fish for salmon do not require an angling licence. These anglers have theirown daily bag limit."

So my interpretation, and you may wish to get DNR to verify this, is that if your child (under 16) is fishing for trout he can do so without an accompanying license.  However, if you go with your child, you can not be fishing, unless you have a license. All that being said I suggest you purchase a license.

Without a license, I took my son and daughter fishing on April 15th, for the traditional first day fish.  The kids had one pole between them as my daughter is only 3 so likely wouldn't fish.  Her and I stacked rocks while my 7 year old son got the lines wet.  After I carried my daughter through the thickets and over blow downs, between each fishing hole, I was convinced that the fish were going to out smart Seth, or that if they were there that Shaylee or the dog scared them away before Seth had a chance.  Both kids insisted we keep trying so I carried them across the stream one last time so Seth could cast into a small but deep pool.

After my third rock tower was knocked over by Shaylee, Seth let out an excited scream.  He hollered "Dad, I caught one! I caught one!!"  I turned around expecting to see a small trout or chub but was surprised to see a modest 8" trout being tossed around on the end of his line.  I helped him get it off the hook and he couldn't wait to take it home to tell his mom.

All in all it was a great first day experience for all.  I hope you had a good opening day and wish you tight lines through this season.

Crown Water Surprise

This blog was originally published in the April 9th Kings County Record.  I am super excited to take this trip but I have a ton to learn.  I have been reading as much of the chatter on NewBrunswickFishing.com as I can Thankfully I have some friends who have more experience salmon fishing than I do, but no more enthusiasm.

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This is an odd time of year.  Hockey is over, baseball hasn’t started, and fishing season is a week away still.  That doesn’t mean I have nothing to do though.  I’ve pulled out the glove, cleats, soccer balls and all kinds of equipment in anticipation.  First up is fishing so yesterday I pulled out the fly rod and reel and checked it over and for good reason.  A little more than a month ago some friends asked me if I wanted to join them in submitting an application for the Crown waters reserve.  That was a no brainer and I jumped at it. 

To my surprise, our group was lucky enough to get drawn for a Crown pool on the Northwest Miramichi.  I can’t wait!!!  Now I have to learn about fly fishing for salmon.  I only started fly fishing two years ago and while I’m comfortable casting for trout, Atlantic salmon on the Miramichi will be a new challenge.  The trip should provide some good material for my column though.

Already I learned a great deal about how to apply for Crown waters angling and what exactly that means and costs.  For roughly $102 plus my angling license, food, and fuel, I will have 2 days of fishing on 6 pristine kilometres of river and a cabin to lay my head at night.  I’ve paid more than that for a cot at a seedy hotel in a questionable neighbourhood. 

Our date in late June is early in the Atlantic salmon season so our chances of catching a trophy salmon are made even slimmer.  Trout should still be plentiful while we’re there though.  Really, it won’t matter if we catch anything, at least for me, because we’ll be in a location where we have to leave pavement, cell reception, and stress behind.  Further, that section of the Miramichi River is “catch and release” so I won’t be eating what I catch.  I’ll take lots of pictures of what I catch though or what the others catch.

Catch and release is a great fisheries management tool, especially if the angler is conscientious about how he handles the fish he hooks.  Barbless hooks add a level of sport and make releasing a fish much easier.  Limiting the time you play the fish is also crucial as is limiting the time you keep it out of the water, so I’ll be taking pictures of the fish while they’re still in the water.

There is a catch and release section on the Kennebecasis River to help improve trout populations.  If you plan on fishing the main stem of the Kennebecasis River this summer make sure you know where the catch and release sections are.  The Fish NB guide book is a great resource for all the angling restrictions in the province.  To help out even more you can complete a creel census through the Department of Natural Resources website, through the guide, or if you’re fishing the Kennebecasis you can anonymously fill out a creel survey on the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee’s website.  Survey’s like this are required on the Crown pools and help managers make decisions on strategies for the next angling season.

Obviously, since I’m already writing about it, I’m excited about this trip.  If you’re reading this column you’re likely excited for fishing season to get started.  I encourage you to fish with conservation in mind so that there are trout and salmon for years to come.  See you on the water.

Wandering through a Workshop

Lately I have been helping out at the Sussex Corner Elementary School's breakfast program.  This is a great program that provides kids whose parents can't currently provide them with breakfast.  I feel blessed to help out with this program.  While there, I was approached by a staff person from the District and she asked if I'd be interested in providing a writing workshop to two middle school groups.  I jumped at the chance to expand my skill set and writing portfolio.

Last summer I provided a workshop to a small group of adults and felt pretty good about what I had presented.  I edited this past material to suit the younger crowd and to meet the time requirements I had.  The night before the workshops I got really nervous and began to question my own ability.  When I awoke in the morning I had a good breakfast and once I stepped into the Sussex Middle School library I was ready or I was hoping I was ready.

The day went off without a hitch and I was able to take 15 boys from Sussex Middle School out around the trail and along Trout Creek.  This followed the brief 1/2hour presentation I gave and in which I was surprised at how well behaved the boys were.  They enjoyed the opportunity to get outside and listened intently as I gave them my perspective on how I observe and write about nature.  I encouraged them to use all five of their senses and take in the smells, the sounds, the colors, textures, and tastes and to mentally note how they feel.

When we returned to the classroom we gave the boys some time to write a piece that I would review.  It was amazing to me to watch the majority of these boys sit and focus on writing.  It was more amazing to read some of what they wrote.  One young man wrote from the perspective of the black capped chickadee that we observed and he was incredibly detailed in the descriptions he provided from that view point.  When I did the same exercise for the kids in Belleisle, I was again impressed with the material the boys created.  I dare say that one student there was more intellectual than I was and wrote poetically about our short trip up a hill and through a spruce stand.  Another boy wrote a spine tingling piece about a "stalking crow" that had me feeling a mix of emotions that was both awe of the setting and fear of what was to come.

It was rewarding for me to put on these workshops.  It was encouraging to see the material these young men wrote and while I don't think I had a big role in that, I am hopeful that through my influence they will continue to write and embrace that skill.

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.

Cherishing Many Moments

I love weekends where I have nothing planned.  I'm not much of a planner anyways and prefer to "wing things" or "go with the flow."  The only thing I had planned for this weekend was to coach a hockey game for the "Wolfpack."  I should state they won the game handily.  Outside the hockey game I had nothing going on.  My wife was taking my son to a chess tournament Saturday morning so I thought...or my daughter thought..."Yay!  A daddy/daughter day." 

I couldn't let her down and I know she loves a picnic so we got up and had a good breakfast and then packed our picnic.  She helped me make a couple of sandwiches, PB&J for her and ham and cheese for me.  We packed some drinks, fruit and granola bars.  We packed up and away we went.  I had no idea where we were going but just walked out the door and headed off.

It was colder than previous days but she was still eager to go and her short legs followed me across the street and into the wooded area behind the Sussex Corner Elementary School.  The dog was happy to be off her leash and sprinted back and forth in front of us.  We watched birds flit amongst the poplar and birch trees in front of us.  The thin ice layers on the mud puddles cracked and creaked under the heat of the morning sun.  It was a morning that filled the senses and my daughter brought youth and humor to the whole scene.

We worked our way up along the farm fields of the Dutch Valley and then crossed the road and headed up parallel to the Mill Brook Road.  We through a frisbee for the dog and she chased it and would set it down.  Shaylee and I would then race to get it.  I couldn't believe how much energy her three year old body had.  In a cedar grove along Mill Brook we sat and enjoyed a morning snack.  She found a snow covered hill and decided to slide down on her bum.  She climbed the short hill, I bet, 15 times, and giggled every time.

We continued hiking and I pointed out trees and told her the names and she eagerly soaked up everything I passed on to her.  It was an awesome bonding time for us but it had to come to an end and it was too cold to have Shaylee out for a picnic so I surprised her by ending the hike at her grandparents.  We enjoyed hot chocolate and our sandwiches.

Shaylee shared her stories with her grandparents and it was now my turn to soak it in.  It is important to cherish moments like these and I was doing my best to do so.  Hopefully this blog will help do that.  That afternoon I went to the rink to coach the hockey game and share moments with my son, who also did admirably well in his first chess tournament.

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 Have an Addiction

I have an addiction.  It makes by eyes bloodshot and sometimes gives me a drastic headache.  It is somewhat seasonal or binge like in nature.  When I'm sitting bored, I'm thinking about picking it up and doing it.  When I'm working I am tempted by it.  My wife feels that sometimes it means more to me than her.  The geek side of me embraces this addiction and thrives under its influence. 

Browsing over maps is addictive to me.  I spend hours looking over Google Maps or GeoNB.  I look at the topo map or the aerial photo.  I zoom them in or keep it well back.  I'll follow roads, rivers, shorelines, mountain ridges, or tree lines, just to see what is around them and to see where I might want to go hiking next time out.  If I ever wish to move I've visited many cities already and have some strong ideas of where I'd like to go. 

GIS technology is amazing and I wish I knew more about it so I could feed my addiction even more.  The best thing about the online mapping that is available is that it provides you with so much free information.  If you want to know whether the house you are considering buying is in a flood plain you can check out the GeoNB site.  If you want to know about the confusing rotary in Halifax, check out Google maps. The information you can glean from these maps is impressive and if you build your GIS repertoire it is endless.

I have been building my Google map skills and have built a few maps that I have shared here before.

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.

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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.