Hockey for Fun

Playing hockey for fun, what a concept. We have been doing spring hockey outside of the usual team context, and though the level of intensity and expectations are lower, it’s much more relaxed and as a consequence, loads of fun. Don’t get me wrong, it was an invaluable learning hockey from the best, and the skills obtained and work ethic developed are huge, but it sure was stressful.  Not just for the kids, but for the adults helping out, as well, i.e., me.

I really enjoy just sitting in the stands and watching for a change, and I don’t feel any stress about screwing things up, which got me to thinking how crazy it all is. Why feel so much pressure in a game for 9 year old kids? It makes no sense, but lots of things in life don’t make sense.

Either way, it’s fun just playing hockey for fun. I realize that in order to become a better hockey player, it requires some level of dedication and maybe a little stress, like many things in life. However, we have to keep in mind the age of the kids, and at some point you just stop enjoying it. How do you instill that level of diligence and passion without putting them through the ringer?

That’s something I’ll have to ponder for next season. Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Bobolink for the pic.