The Journey of Girls Hockey

[joehockey]

This article was sent to me by a Canadian Parent in the Two Nations Female Hockey League it was from the Toronto Globe and Mail - I highlighted what the ultimate take away (aftert the fun and friends) might be for players.....enjoy....

Monday's Globe and Mail
December 29, 2008 at 12:00 AM EST

It was my young nephew's first game with a real hockey team. Looking around the stands, I saw brand-new hockey moms and dads bursting with pride and joy.

Some no doubt dreaming of the NHL, the rest content that their little ones were having fun and getting exercise.

My eyes welled up as I watched my nephew skate with great determination, his stick perfectly poised just like the pros he worships. Although his stick never once touched the puck, despite his energy and passion, my tears were not for him.

I was filled with emotion because I was experiencing the start of my sister's hockey-mom journey just as mine was ending.

I never thought giving up hockey-mom status would be a wrenching experience. Hockey has been a part of my life for 16 years, from the day my oldest daughter decided at four years old that hockey skates are more fun than figure skates, to this year when my youngest daughter decided at 17 that parties are more fun than hockey practice. Having scored three daughters and no sons, hockey was not part of my parenting plan.

All three girls took the obligatory dance classes and figure-skating lessons. They showed promise. I proudly paraded them to dance recitals. I swept up their hair for skating shows. But eventually my girly-mom fantasies ended as my daughters, one by one, rejected dance
tights in favour of hockey pants, shin pads, elbow pads, neck guards, mouth guards and Jill straps.

The small shelf in the basement that easily stored their figure skates was replaced by an entire room loaded with hockey gear. The gas-friendly sedan was traded in for a hockey-bag-friendly van. My calendar filled up with game, practice and tournament times. Juggling the schedule was an acquired skill, and my main topic of conversation with my husband "I'll get Katie to her game," he'd say. "I'll pick up Alicia and Brigitte from practice and meet you at the rink for third period," I'd say. We'd discuss the bad refereeing, the good coaching and who would go to which tournament. Not the most romantic conversations, but at least we had something to talk about.

Over the years we spent immeasurable hours at too many rinks to remember. As my daughters became more and more competitive, my life became all about hockey.

We grew accustomed to the icy stares from relatives when we couldn't commit to family dinners because of games. My sister's holiday rant on the insanity of scheduling hockey on holidays is as traditional as pumpkin pie.

Yet there are fond memories of those ill-scheduled hockey tournaments. My daughters had lots of laughs with teammates while playing mini-sticks in the hallways of many motels. I've shared good times and too many drinks in the motel rooms of fellow hockey moms. (We had to get over our ref -rage somehow.) Truthfully, the success of a tournament often had more to do with getting reservations for the whole team at a suitable restaurant than coming home with the biggest trophy.

Now, with evenings rushing from rink to rink behind me, I find myself on the sofa wondering if television was always this bad. Clicking from channel to channel, I try to find anything to entertain me half as much as one of my daughters on a breakaway.

I won't miss the reek of sweaty hockey equipment and damp skates, or the row of hockey sticks tripping me in my front hall. Perhaps my new BFF can be someone other than the mom at the rink with the warmest blanket to share.

I'm looking forward to a winter getaway somewhere far from ice rinks. Best of all, I can plan my schedule around four seasons, rather than hockey season and soccer season.

Still, I'm surprised at how much I miss those weekends hijacked by hockey games, practices and tournaments. I've yet to fill the void with an inspiring hobby, and even with extra time on my hands, the to-do list doesn't get any smaller.

My daughters only play hockey for fun now. The expense of years of training didn't get them to the Olympics, but it did pay off. They're confident, athletic, hard-working and great at time management
My sister is planning to raise a well-balanced boy. He'll play piano, enjoy theatre and dabble in sports. Their life won't revolve around hockey. There will be time for family holidays. But you know what they say about the best-laid plans.

When my nephew's game ended I pulled myself together. I have, after all, many years as a hockey aunt to look forward to, and I can opt for the comfort of my living room rather than the cold rink whenever I want. "Thanks for coming," my sister said nonchalantly. "And, by the way, sorry we can't come for Thanksgiving dinner - we've got hockey."

And so her journey begins.

Sheila Ferguson lives in Toronto

[SportsMa]

The expense of years of training didn't get them to the Olympics, but it did pay off. They're confident, athletic, hard-working and great at time management Sheila Ferguson lives in Toronto

Thanks for posting this! Important life lessons learned through sports!