Why we play the game

[BulldogGm]

I have a son who play's Travel Hockey and this message was sent and shared to the Club where he belongs to. I wanted to share this, to remind some on why we play this great game...........:

A Squirt Tryout-

To whom it may concern:

1st Note to self: When trying out for the travel team and kids are coming from miles around to make the A team, rental skates for your son is a bad idea. Especially when you are the smallest and least talented kid on the ice - by FAR. My question was why I only saw him every half hour when the shifts were changing every two minutes? Answer, he was getting the freeze out on the bench and the bigger kids simply cut in front of him.

2nd note to self. Deciding to run out the next day and finally buy new skates and have the idiots at Sports Authority sharpen them is almost as bad as rental skates. Second day of travel tryouts went better considering he had brand new skates. He was all happy that he touched the puck! "Dad, did you see me??? I got my stick on it!" Of course after the tryouts we had the skates tested and the guy at the arena just laughed and said they were sharpened with a stone. I told him to stand his ground and hold his position in line on the bench in between shifts. From my position in the stands, watching him get pushed around in order to hold that position was the hardest of all. Late that night, he comes into our room with a nightmare, which is something he never does. Reason? He said that hockey players had pushed him through a hole in the ice and he was underwater. What have I done?????? Thursday brought an extra day of tryouts. I had to go out of town but left a note telling him his best was all he needed and to remain confident. I got a phone call minutes after the tryouts ended. "Hey dad, I got to play center dad. AND I GOT A SHOT ON GOAL!!!!" A simple shot on goal. Everyone else probably had 5 or 6 a night. He got one in 3 nights. He didn't know what the center was on Monday.

I did everything wrong. Travel tryouts for the FIRST experience to be on a team. Rental skates the first night and thus painting A HUGE target on his head. Targets are fine if your play can back it up. Given his experience, probably not a good idea. New skates during the whole mess and dull ones at that - please. Forcing him to stand his ground and take the bench abuse? Ask any guy and they will remember that feeling. It stays with you for awhile. I am a bad father. He never complained once, never told me about the problems on the bench until I really pushed him. Last night, after it was all over, he told me how scared he was that first night, how scared he was to fight back on the bench the second night but how it was worth it all to take one simple shot on goal on the third night. That may have been the most important shot taken in three days. There is much work to be done and he has a huge learning curve to overcome but somehow I feel that this week was a life altering experience. Hockey tryouts turned into life tryouts and how you have overcome. Run away from your fears and antagonists now and you might spend the next ten years of school running away. You may never stop running.

But he didn't run.

He played hockey.

He is my new hero and I wanted you to know.

My sincerest thanks for the lessons your organization taught us.

[RichardGraham]

Hi,

Great, heartfelt post. I think you have every reason to be extremely proud of your son.

Sincerely,

Richard Graham
Editor
Inline Hockey Central

[MDE3]

Great post....As a hockey father who has been a "travel hockey" junkie forever ferrying my son far and wide (and think of the parents who have two or three players in the family) to play one form or other of this game....I salute your pride in your son and your recognition of those challenges he faces...that joy makes it worth the effort.
Hopefully someday your son may look back and know how often his dad's heart was in his mouth, and how much joy and anguish his father shared over all the successes and failures...and understand that bond....This of course does NOT only apply to fathers and sons.

[TeamBreakaway]

BulldogGM This is a great post. The experience in words. Everyone wants their kid to be Gretzky but the truth is that there is only one Gretzky. I run an elite roller program and have parents constantly calling me to have their boys tryout for the team. I did away from having a tryout because it causes some bitterness. I've invited the boys to come to our practice and have them skate with our boys. I talk to them after the practice. Some come back for a second practice and some do not. Everyone of our boys are challenged. You show up for our practice and expect to do what everyone else is doing. It might take them 30 seconds to skate suicides and you 3 minutes but you start and you finish. Your son had a lot of heart. He was there not one night but threw the end. That takes a lot of heart. I admire a kid that has heart and wants to play. What we have done with our groups is that we have an "A" squad and a "B" squad. Everyone plays. So if I see you come to my practice and stick it out week after week when we break up our squad I make room for you. It's called rewarding people for working hard. Now sometimes that backfires because we have the few who feel their kid is the best around and in all honesty he's just mediocre. There the one's that walk away or jump from squad to squad. You can't have consistency or build a decent squad until you form a group of players who want to play together. They will progress together and you will see their accomplishments from game to game. Good luck.

[NLane]

What a wonderful post. Since beginning this sport my son has been decent. I never had to watch the struggle but still have seen a progression even until today. Stats don't mean much to him and never have. As a young teen he gave someone else his MVP trophy after the end of a league. All he asks is "Did we win?". The "we" is what matters. In pickup, and some men's leagues, I've seen him make an older, recreational player's night by setting them up for a goal even when it takes 8 times to get it right! 2 years ago practices really made him work. He made it his motivation for the season to make sure certain players couldn't do their special moves by the end of the season. It made him a better player and was a lesson for everyone. It takes work to get better even when you are a good player.

[Superstar9]

I totally agree with you there Pedro, I would rather have 12 kids that are " mediocre" but give it everything thing they have than have kids that you can't count on being there at practice next week or playing against you in the next tourney because some team offered them something they thought was better. Committment is everything. I'm dealing with that problem down here right now. I've had a couple guys jump ship from our awesome adult team just because a guy from another team is paying for everything for them to play for him. I can't just take the whole team and have us play for him because I run a rink and our owner insists that I play for a "Sportstowne" travel team and WIN w/out those great players to help me. Now, I've decided to take lesser skilled players who won't jump ship and are gonna be there week after week. We wont be as strong but, I'll have a full team that's committed. Just another hazard you have to deal with being a director. It would have been much easier just to change the team name and play for that guy who'll pay for everything but, not if your boss says you cant.

Chris Street
SportsTowne Hockey Director
478-314-300
[email protected]
www.sportstowne.net

[Superstar9]

I have the same problem with my U-17 team and committment, travel programs can be a headache... do you choose to let those players come back when they "feel like playing" or do yu take the lesser skilled players and have a consistant squad.. tough call when you have an owner that's hellbent on winning and lacks morals.

Chris Street
Sportstowne Hockey Director
478-314-3000
[email protected]
www.Sportstowne.net

[hockeynut]

Great post, I spend most of my time on this site reading and not replying to see whats going on for our next game(PIHA). Who won?, who lost? Each year I help to run tryouts and tryout myself, as well as coach at the youth level. But after reading a post that had such a message behind it, I wanted to just say that I hope I can play this season and every season with the heart your son has. And thank you for the perspective!