Thanksgiving Hockey

Youth Ice Hockey is an all-consuming sport. The time and money invested is significant – and not just on the part of the player. For the more passionate players, hockey becomes a family affair…particularly during the holidays.

It used to be that we looked forward to the long-lazy days following Thanksgiving and Christmas to recharge our batteries, visit with family and friends and consume copious amounts of leftovers. Now, the days following winter holidays are anything but lazy, as travel to and competition at hockey tournaments fill the hours and empty the wallets.

Our BRIHA Squirt Bears are in Pennsylvania this Thanksgiving weekend to compete – and thus far are performing well.  Though I was unable to travel with them, I am comforted in the knowledge that they are with “family”. Our parents, coaches and players really do enjoy close bonds – supporting each other through challenges and pitching in to help as needed. This weekend, they even welcomed two players from the Richmond Rage to round out our ranks for this tournament. And as a team, they all enjoyed the Hershey Bears game last night.

So, a quick thank you to all the folks helping to take care of our team – and my two big boys – this weekend.  Good luck in the championship game later today BEARS!

Counting my blessings

This past weekend, one of our CBHL rival teams came to Charlottesville for three games over two days.

As I’ve come to expect, our Bear families were exceedingly hospitable – welcoming our guests Saturday afternoon for the first game at 3:45 – a game the home team won handily… followed by 8:00 am and 11:30 am games Sunday morning.

In the spirit of the season, here are my observations from this past weekend of things for which I am THANKFUL:

1) For having a team composed of parents, players and coaches that are attentive, supportive and appreciative. Attentive to my requests for timely attendance and responsive feedback to my communications — as well as to our players needs (delivering post-game cookies, filling water bottles and tying tons of skates among other things).  Supportive of our coaches in their methods and madness – and never really questioning the times in which they sometimes put the most – um – unorthodox lines on the ice – we all believe in the development of every player at this level. Appreciative in the efforts it takes from all of us to create an environment that is enjoyable  – not chaotic, but truly comfortable and welcoming.

2) For having coaches that do not scream at our players, but instead, offer guidance and advice to make incremental improvements. They never belittle, degrade or accost our kids – physically or verbally. I find myself disappointed in the realization that this is the exception as opposed to the rule and I could not be more grateful for the environment they create for our kids.

3) For living in an area that fosters cooperation and the expectation of the best of people – as opposed to constantly expecting ulterior motives. (Case in point: Knowing that we had only a short time between our games Sunday morning – and that getting players undressed and redressed takes quite a bit of time in itself, one of our enterprising team mom’s suggested that we hold a potluck brunch between the Sunday games… all of our parents were happy to participate. AND. When I suggested late Thursday night that we extend an invitation to our rivals to join us – requiring everyone on our team to provide “a little more”, they ENTHUSIASTICALLY agreed. And our rivals accepted our offer. Our Bears provided a full buffet of egg casseroles, sausage and gravy, coffee cakes, pastas, muffins, hash browns, yogurt, fruit and juices. It was typical Charlottesvillian hospitality on display and it made me proud to call this place home – and to be a part of our team).

4) For having a team that is encouraging and enterprising. Our players and parents never – really, never – place blame for a loss. Not on a line, the coaches, a player. And if any one of our parents sees a need – they don’t hesitate to jump and address the situation – whether it be watching over younger siblings, manning the penalty box, taking team photos, cleaning up our “house” or tying skates – everyone plays a part willingly.

5) For having coaches who are teaching our players so much more than the game of hockey. There is one thing in particular that our coaches do that I find especially compelling. Before the start of each game they select two players and have them skate to our opponents bench to either thank the coaches for bringing their team to our ice – or for hosting us at their home rink. It teaches our kids so many valuable lessons that – while they may think only relate to hockey – really are life lessons: How to address adults respectfully, how to be appreciative of others, and how to be humble among them.

6)Finally, I’m thankful for my own family: For a player who loves what he does and makes me proud by his effort on the ice, his respect for his coaches and support of every teammate; For my youngest son who willingly schleps to ice park after ice park, weekend after weekend, following our rules and cheering for his big brother; And for my dear husband who has not only been my co-manager these past several years – but who has recently stepped up to happily take  on the bulk of the work. Without him, I could never have done all the things I’ve done – and, in many cases – our team (and to a greater degree our son) wouldn’t have had the opportunities they have enjoyed these past several seasons.

So much to be thankful for. (And that’s just the hockey stuff!)

Lions and Pigeons and Bears, Oh MY!

Yes. I know. It seems that for me, all things relate to literature in some way.   This week, I’m reminded of The Wizard of Oz and “Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my.”

Regarding Lions:

Our friend, Tara Wheeler, who joined us at the 2009 PCOI/Dave Fay Memorial is featured in this month’s issue of USA Hockey magazine.  A former Miss Virginia and the former goalie for the Nittany Lions, Tara recently shaved her head in support of the St. Baldrick’s foundation to raise funds in the fight against childhood cancer. Diminutive in frame, Tara Terrific (as the article is titled), is anything but small when it comes to heart and hope. And as I’ve said before, there’s nothing better than combining hockey and cancer fighting!

On Pigeons:

Mitch hit the Book Fair at school last Friday and selected what has become, in this house at least, an instant classic: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! Now, bear with me a moment, this takes a round-about trip… At first, I couldn’t imagine how a story about a Pigeon wanting a puppy could possibly be entertaining.  And a quick flip through the VERY sparse pages more or less confirmed my original suspicion. But. (Yes, BUT)… The PIGEON is hysterically funny. Brilliant writing even.  To convey that range of emotions with so few words is nothing short of brilliant.  The moral of the story is basically, “be careful what you wish for”. Obviously, I’m biased based on previous posts…  And for my fellow Washington Capitals bloggers, who last week suggested we “be careful what we wish for” in hoping to see more Aucoin and Alzner - so too is the case. You never really know the cost of your wishes until they’ve come true.  Get better soon Ovi, Green & Schultz too!

And now on to the Bears:

The BRIHA Bears hosted two home games this past weekend.  First came a non-league game against the Richmond Rage Saturday afternoon.  I love these non-league games – particularly those that are against teams outside of our division – because it gives our rookie and developmental players a chance to really get some game time. My hope is that we can close the gap between our best players and all the others so that come season-end, we have a much stronger, deeper bench that will serve us well in the playoffs. Our goalie wasn’t able to make the game, so coach threw his own son – our ‘big gun’ – in net and really gave the rest of the team an opportunity to play. I think both sides got something out of the day and we look forward to future matches as well!

On Sunday, the Metro Maple Leafs Lower A Squirt team came to town for the final of our three season games. Our Bears beat the Leafs in both games a few weeks ago in a double-header weekend at Metro. With our goalie, Reid, back in his normal stance in goal, the warm-up game from Saturday and the recent wins against the Leafs (not to mention the fact that they had to travel a few hours to get here!), we were feeling encouraged.

We outshot those Leafs 34-9. They had three penalties to our none! And, somehow — somehow — they beat us 3-2.

Lions and tigers and BEARS, oh MY!

So You Want to Play in the NHL

Brendan is an avid reader. We all are, really. They joke that when I die, it will be both easier and cheaper to annex my house as a library than to move all the books I’ll have accumulated.

On a recent trip to the bookstore, Brendan selected the Dan Bylsma book: So You Want to Play in the NHL: A Guide for Young Players.  He’s been working his way through the text, taking it in little by little and allowing himself time to digest and interpret his learnings.

After reading for a while the other night, he paused for a few minutes to write down a quote from the book that struck him as important – for both him and for sharing with his coach.  It read: “When you can skate faster than you can pass the puck, then you don’t have to pass the puck anymore.”

Seems like good advice.  For an 8-year-old or, even, for some current NHL players….

Regardless, I loved that he felt it was important enough to pause his reading, write it down and commit it to memory. That’s good learning.

I imagine when he’s done with the book, it could be a good read for a hockey mom as well.

And for the record, Bren does want to play in the NHL.

Stars

So, in watching the plethora of sports available in the month of October (NFL Football, World Series Baseball, Start of Season Basketball and Hockey of course, among others) we’re all witness to the effects of stardom.  From the dismal display of Cow-wonder-boy Tony Romo to the triumphs of the New York Yankees, the drama of the Celtics versus Bulls to the ovations for Ovechkin, October sports delivers it all. 

But, here’s the things about “Star Athletes”:  We create them.  Sometimes, a player is labeled a star because of potential – of expectations.  Sometimes, it’s because of actual performance. Regardless, it’s usually due to a confluence of factors: athleticism, charisma, marketability, interest, rebellion, uniqueness, controversy.  Somewhere in the process, something about an individual captures our hopes – our passions and desires for what we want our team to be – or, in some cases, what we want to be ourselves.  We like to believe our stars represent the  best of us.  But, in reality, we often exalt those that represent the worst as well.

The reality of sports stars, however, is that it takes a whole lot of concerted effort from a wide variety of individuals to help them attain – much less maintain – stardom. And that’s where a bit of perspective is helpful – in looking at the entire constellation as opposed to the brightest burning star. The unglamorous roles of trainers, equipment managers and even coaches must be coupled with the hard work and determination of teammates – those that hold the line, catch the pitches, inbound the ball and make the assist, to catapult a star into being.

As it is with everyday life, the goal is to make a contribution. To be a part of the team.

As I’ve said here before, it is one of the things that makes me most grateful to have become part of the world of hockey. In no other sport do I see same level of appreciation for every role player – in addition to the stars. As my own son navigates the sometimes slick lanes of youth hockey, I try to remind him that the goal isn’t for him to be the highest scoring player on the ice.  It is for his team to win the game. Sometimes, he has to remind me of that as well.

That’s one of the blessings of having a grounded “star” player.

No Life

At a recent Squirt hockey game, I saw a little girl wearing a shirt that read: “I have no life. My brother plays hockey”

I’ve often felt this is the case for our younger son, Mitch. He’s basically grown up at the rink. Heck, he was still in-utero when Brendan took his first skating lesson — and has been at the rink nearly every week since.  While I’ve often commented on the challenge (and joy!) of having a child who is incredibly passionate about something, I believe the greater challenge of parenting in such a family is to make certain the sacrifices required of everyone else aren’t such that siblings truly have “no life”.

I’m hoping that we’re finding a good balance wherein Mitch enjoys his time at the rink, making friends and playing with other hockey siblings and cheering-on his big brother. But, also one in which he knows his hopes and dreams and desires are equally important. Even if they aren’t hockey related. Even if it’s just to watch Star Wars. Again.

I wonder how the parents of players like Ovi, Green, and Backstrom handled it?

Because it’s not how, it’s how many.

Yesterday, the Blue Ridge Bears Squirt team opened their season with a win at home.

The official start of hockey season is reassuring around here. It gives structure to our schedule until spring. Knowing already when and where we have travel games, coupled with which of the Capitals’s home games we’ll be attending allows time for little else for the next several months. You schedule in a few, key family holidays and the precious few (two?) remaining weekends are left intentionally,  blissfully empty.

The home opener (and it seems we Bears always open at home, thanks to our fantastic scheduler!) is like watching the Bears awakening from a long, summer hibernation. The weather yesterday was fittingly fall: cold, grey and blustery. Perfect for a chili fundraiser and the warmth of a home hockey game. Watching our rookie parents acclimate to the pace and action of travel games is encouraging.  We again have a great group of parents – and kids – all excited about the journey we are embarking on.

Yesterday’s win wasn’t pretty by any account except the final score. The Raiders opened up with a goal in the first minute. We struggled getting shots on goal, tallying only 16 the entire game. And we allowed 21 to be taken on our own goalie while giving our opponents 6 Power Play opportunities – 4 in the second period alone.

The veteran Bears played well – but the scoring came from some unexpected sources – with one of last year’s “part-time” players opening up the season with a hat trick – including one short handed, all-heart-and-desire goal. Little #81 Lawrence Dupont, still a Mite, stymied the Raiders along the blue line, streaked through the neutral zone to drive the net and take the shot – which was blocked by the goalie only to see Dupont collect his own rebound and bank it in off the back of the goalie and into the net. Seriously.

Adding to it two goals by Beers and one by our “big man” Szalankiewicz (all great hockey names, no?) we beat the Reston Raiders in the end 6-3. The rookies got their first real taste of league play and even had a few shifts on the power play.

We rushed home to cheer for our other home team, the Washington Capitals as they welcomed the Nashville Predators to the Phone Booth. Again, not a terribly pretty game – but in the end, a point is a point. Or two.

As Peerless, put it “Because it’s not how, it’s how many“.   One win down. 17 to go.

Hockey: Magic and Miracles

So, recently there has been a flurry of youth hockey activity on the internet.  The YouTube sensation of then 4-year-old Josh Sacco reciting Herb Brooks pre- Miracle on Ice speech followed today by the video of 9-year-old Oliver Wahlstrom’s ”magical” shootout attempt. (Makes you start to wonder what’s in the water up there in Boston, eh?)

Watching these kids, I realize how truly small the hockey world really is. For my two boys religiously watch Miracle on Ice – though they prefer to reenact the scene where Brooks runs the team “AGAIN” and “AGAIN” … as they try to see which will be the first to quit.  Sibling rivalry and all that. And Brendan has always worn #80 in honor of his first love of hockey, that Gold Medal winning team.

And tonight, Brendan, who has already “won” the title as the best 8 year old shooter in Virginia will compete against the same from the state of Maryland to determine the winner in the Washington Capitals Youth Hockey Shootout. Like young Wahlstrom, Brendan too plays “up” against 9 and 10 year olds, having been a member of the Squirt travel team since he was 6.  Yes. 6.  And playing up a year for the Washington All-Stars. Difference being we do NOT live in a hockey mecca.  And Brendan does not enjoy the benefit of having elite hockey playing parents. It’s really all him.

It is unlikely that he will attempt the kind of dazzling display seen in the Bruins video. But, his patience and persistence will likely result in some stellar goals. As his mom, I expect the experience will offer Magic.  And I’m saying my prayers that, if needed, he gets a Miracle too.

Gotta love this game!

Of Happiness and Hockey

I recently read the book “The Happiness Myth“. It’s a great read that provokes me to rethink some of my previously held notions about what makes me happy and why.

Coupled with the recent deluge of articles and special reports on the topic of happiness, I’ve reached one conclusion: People are happiest when they have a shared experience.  After all, isn’t that why we prefer to GO to sporting events or even to watch with other fans at our local sports bar?

As Jennifer Michael Hecht, wrote in the book, “the game of watching sports has rituals, parties, heroes, and opportunities to scream your lungs out, slap hands with your neighbors or suddenly embrace one another in a fit of joy”.

Sounds like a hockey game to me!

It is in the shared experience, whether it be victory or defeat, that we find comfort and happiness. 

As the Washington Capitals look to their season home opener tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, I am wondering about the rituals of our Capitals fans.  I know many have them – things they do, items they wear, places they visit before a game in hopes of feeling a part of the team.

For Caps fans, its become a ritual to wear the Red. Conveniently, red has always been one of my favorite colors. I know I have my own game day rituals and plenty of red attire…. do you?

Charlottesville: On the Map

On Sunday September 20, three of the Charlottesville/Blue Ridge Ice Hockey players competed in the semi-final round of the Washington Capitals Youth Hockey Shootout.

Brendan competed as a shooter at the Mite level (as he only turned 8 this past spring – although he’ll be a third year Squirt this season…) and we also had two goalies compete – Bren’s Squirt goalie, Reid Pritchard and his rookie year goalie, now a second year PeeWee, Zach Hale. The semi-final round witnessed the 4 best shooters at each level from Maryland and Virginia squaring off against the two best home-state goalies.

In the end, both Brendan and Zach Hale made the finals – and Reid BARELY missed ( I think one of the shooters gave up on the second goalie after realizing there was no chance for him to win after he missed his first shot on her! But I digress…)

There were a few “entertaining moments” during the shootout…. First, there was all the talk in the locker room about how far the Bears had travelled to compete… the nearly 3 hour drive was infinitely more than those that were coming from Ashburn, Reston and Montgomery.

Then, there were the other mites.  As Brendan stood, waiting for the Zam to finish and take the ice, the Maryland shooters were lined up across the way. All four from the Montgomery Blue Devils. One player looked at me and said “Is he a Mite?” and when I answered yes…he asked “from WHERE?”… when I answered Charlottesville, he intoned “Is that CBHL?”

Without Bearing out (pun intended) the long story, I merely winked and said, “Sure is”…. without going into the painful details of how our Bears had beaten the Blue Devils just this past March to advance to the Championship game.

Brendan beat out shooters from two of the best teams in the state — the Reston Raiders and the Ashburn Xtreme…and beat two goalies, including a GINORMOUS goalie from the NOVA Ice Dogs…scoring on 5 of 8 total shots to easily win the VA side of the competition.

In goal a few rounds later, Zach Hale seemed to SWELL in size with each shot he faced, stopping all but 3 of 16 shots on goal to handily win as the PeeWee VA goalie.

The super cool thing about all this is that, in the end, it really puts Charlottesville/BRIHA hockey on the map.  2009 has been a “TIPPING POINT” year for our organization:

• Two teams making it to the Championship Round of the CBHL playoffs in March (Squirts and Midgets)
• Three Players (Keaton, Szalankiewicz and Blasik) making it to the highly competitive Washington All Stars Spring/Summer league and
• Two players (of 4 total invited!) making it all the way to the final round of the Capitals Youth Hockey Shootout

Now, our Bears go on to compete during two upcoming Caps games in a Maryland versus Virginia format. (Our own little “Miracle on Ice”)

May the best state/team/player win…. but hey… it is VA versus MD….is there really any doubt?

VA all the way!

(And now, Charlottesville is officially on the map as a hockey-happy-town!)

GO BEARS!