Well,
the season is over and I have to say that it's a bit of relief on a
number of levels. I think most parents experience a little burnout by
the end of the season because it's such a marathon getting kids to
practices, games, and team parties. Then there are the emotional ups
and downs of winning, losing, and other assorted disappointments. I
didn't talk about this much during the season but I definitely felt a
profound sense of betrayal by DW and the WYH program, but I'm also
aware that I'm not in a position to whine... not that this will stop
me.
I
will make this as short and sweet as I can, but this year they
brought in a slew of players to bring up the numbers of the program
and make a super team that could win it all. For the record, they did
win it all. My gripe is that N should have been on that team, but I'm
not in charge so it's not my decision. While the case could be made
that I'm just a whiny parent who wants their kid on the A team (I
am), several parents from the "other" team came up to me
and said N should have been on that team. One person in the know even
said not a single person he knows isn't scratching their heads as to
why he's not on this team. Same person even said before the season
started that N was a shoe-in, so I'm not just deluding myself.
Either
way, besides being qualified in terms of skill, N has been a loyal
WYH person for years, and we as a family have been involved with this
program from the get go, doing more than our share of helping out.
Even in lieu of all that, N was good enough to make that team, and
better than some of those clowns they brought in, who for the record
bailed out on WYH for greener pastures. How's that for loyalty?
Clearly
DW and various parents had an agenda that meant bringing this outside
group in, keeping them together, at the expense of kids who were more
deserving. It was really a crappy situation and made me lose all
respect for everyone involved, some of whom I didn't respect in the
first place. They got what they wanted, but I have zero love for WYH.
On
a bright note, N had fun and I really think he grew as a player.
Playing on the B team was probably a better introduction to full
contact hockey, and I think he really embraced the roll. It was hard
at times having players who were total slackers or had crap
attitudes, but I'm proud of N in that it didn't stop him from going
out and working his hardest. He really grew as a player and got a lot
out of it. At times he had to do the work of two players, which may
have strengthened his mojo.
Regardless
of the positives, however, I feel our time at WYH may be over. This
is not solely because I'm bitter, but there are several issues at
play. I won't go into them, but suffice it to say that changes may be
on the horizon, for better or worse. We'll see how this goes.
Until
then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Mika Kylmaniemi for the pic.
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