Ski Connection

Speaking of skiing, I've found that being a decent skier can give you entry into groups of your peers. I think it's wrong that this is the case, but that's the reality of youth, not to mention adulthood. If you're good at something, kids gravitate to you. I see it all the time in whatever sport I've taken part in, and I see it now as a hockey coach. Everyone wants to be with the better players, which kind of stinks if you're one of the lesser players, but I won't get into that.

Both of our kids are competent skiers, and this is good on a number of levels. First, skiing is something they'll do for the rest of their lives, and learning early means once you're an adult, you can really make the most of it. Secondly, as I mentioned, being good at anything wins some respect from your peers. Thirdly, being good at something is good for the self esteem, and in the rough world we live in, a little self-esteem is not a bad thing. Finally, being good at something makes it that much more fun.

Since we've been skiing with a big group, being good at it attracts the attention of the other kids, and once they see you're good at it, something changes in the interaction. It helps that kids like to show off a little. A&N area little on the outside with this group since they've known each other longer and have been interacting for a while, but just recently A joined the group and skied with them for the entire day, and by the end of it, the kids were much warmer to her because she showed them her stuff. She also really enjoyed the day, so it's a win-win situation.

Boy, growing up is so complicated, isn't it? Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Valle Nevado for the pic.