Hockey is Done but Not Over

We had our last hockey day of hockey, and both N and I will miss it, though he will more because he had such a good time. I’ll miss watching the kids play, it’s so awesome to see, I can’t even begin to tell you.

I’m also immeasurably proud to point out that N was promoted by the end. He came in the only kid who had never played hockey before. All of the other kids had some hockey team or camp experience, but N had none. We have skated a lot, and even played with a puck on the pond, but he’d never geared up, and never gone through drills. They really put you through the ringer in these camps, and N really held his own. I can’t tell you how proud of him we are.

Anyway, as I’ve mentioned, some of these kids have been skating for as much as five years, and it shows. N couldn’t compete, not that he cared, he’s just having fun. It’s his neurotic dad who is worried and anxious. They placed the kids in groups according to their abilities so they could have more fun and not get left behind. They had the expert A group of kids, most of whom were older with a few exceptions, and these kids were ready for the NHL. They were amazing. Then they had the B group of kids who were good skaters and puck handlers, but not quite at the A group level. Finally, there were the beginners, or C group, which N was in. This was good, because he didn’t have to get too insecure and worried about not keeping up.

Well, by the end of the camp, N had been bumped up to the B group, and I was doing cartwheels down the aisles I was so excited. He wasn’t even really aware of what was going on, which is fine, though I want him to be proud of his progress. The kids in the B group were also closer to his age, and he even seemed to jive with them and make friends. These kids were good, and N was still working hard to keep up, but he was more in his element. These kids are much more sound hockey players, and they keep each other in line and guide one another, so N gets some firsthand encouragement, if not a little pressure, to work hard on the ice. It’s a good experience for someone is probably not pushed hard enough at home by mom and dad. Peer pressure can accomplish amazing things, especially in sports.

We stayed, of course, for the free skate afterward, and N and his hockey buddies went nuts on the ice. It was cute because two little girls who were figure skaters arrived and were bummed that all these crazy boys had taken over the ice, but to their credit, they braved the jungle. Some of the hockey boys skated over and watched in amazement as if they’d never seen figure skaters before, or for that matter, girls. They were really good figure skaters, too.

After skating, N was hungry, so we stood in line for pizza at the rink, but the family right in front of us nabbed all the pieces. Bummer. I asked for a phone book and called Pizza Chef in Woodstock and ordered a small pie - you gotta love cell phones. Then we picked A up at the library, they ate their pizza in the car and we headed home.

Normally I would take them home and make lunch, but A has theater camp about an hour after N’s hockey camp, so there is no time. I tried it yesterday, and we were scrambling because we get home a little after 1:00, and have to be at the school by 2:00, which leaves us little to no time to prepare lunch and eat. This way, at least they were fed by the time we got home, leaving them a little time to unwind and me time to unpack N’s hockey things to dry.

We then took A to her gig, and N and I ran some errands. We got to watch a little of the theater camp, but that’s for another time. I also want to thank KB once again for setting us up with all the equipment for hockey. He saved us, we couldn’t have done it without him.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Michael W for the pic.