Wondering About the Future

Having an inclination for the dramatic doesn’t help in this arena (no pun intended), but sometimes I wonder what the future of hockey holds, namely for us. I can’t speak for the rest of the hockey world, but sometimes I sit back and wonder where this is all leading.

First off, the hockey future of both our kids is not crystal clear. We are not clear what sort of girls team there will be, and how the current issues will be addressed, and believe me, there are plenty of issues. They have plenty of kids, maybe too many, so numbers are not an issue, it’s more about distribution.

N’s team, on the other hand, is all about numbers. His team is almost all second year kids, so next season, he and two others will be left. Running the numbers through my head, I believe that makes three, which is enough for one offensive line, but that’s about it. To make it all the more interesting, the other two are precipitously close to playing elsewhere, either up with the older kids, or on another team. Believe me, I was floored when I learned of this.

That leaves just N, which for the record, breaks my heart. All of his friends are moving on, though truth be told, he is in a bit of a gray area because of age and experience. He’s been playing less than everyone, and he is the youngest of the bunch. Now the big issue is if there will be enough players for a team next year. I’ve been asking, even pleading with people to have their kids play on the team, and at some point it just gets pathetic. Not just because it’s sad to see a grown man grovel, but it speaks volumes about the situation.

Then there’s the question of my future in youth hockey,  but there’s not enough time in the day to tell that one.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Bilal Kamoon for the pic.