Hockey Tryouts 2.0

Remember last year when Sam had to tryout for hockey for the first time, and I was a mess, but ultimately he made a team and had a great season? Turns out, that crazy mother tryout anxiety doesn't go away just because you're pretty sure your kid is going to make the team. Sam had his tryouts for next season last Sunday. He will always be in the first session of tryouts because of our last name, and I saw more than one parent/child combo from later sessions there early to check out the drills, which is smart but annoying. We were both so much less nervous than last year, though, and I thought he had a pretty good showing at his session. There was a little too much talking on his part, I thought, but he performed the drills well and seemed to be paying attention most of the time. But the week between then and when we got his team placement email was excruciating.

Last year there were six teams, and they were ranked 1 though 6. Sam was on team 4 last year, and his big goal was to move up two spots, even though I bet he would have been happy with moving up one spot. Unfortunately, the organization decided to change things up this year and not tell us until after tryouts. This year they are having one elite team, and then the rest of the teams are sort of evened out, with a mixture of older and younger kids. All of the teams in our region are moving to this sort of system, and while I think it will be good for player development, it would have been nice to know this info ahead of time. The look on Sam's face when I tried to explain that he didn't really move up or down really bummed me out. Plus, he only has one friend from last year on his team, and I think he was really hoping that more of his old team mates would be on his new team. We had a really, really awesome group of kids and parents, and we all kind of wanted to stick together. But since they were all fairly skilled, they had to be split up to keep the teams evened out. BUT! We'll just have to bring that special awesomeness from our last team and spread it around to our new team.

No matter what, I think Sam's final season as a mite is going to be a great one!

Kids Who Play Hockey Have Parents Who Play Hockey

When I was a kid I was at the ice rink several days a week. My mom worked there, so we went along with her most of the time. I skated each weekend, sometimes at multiple sessions. I met one of my very best friends there when I was 11, and we still keep in touch today. Once I went to college, though, I hung up my skates. Not intentionally, but just because other things got in the way. I don't even think I took skates with me when I moved to Philly. The first time I skated after that was on Sam's third birthday, and it was shaky. Once we moved to Morgantown, I began skating more often with Lucy at her 'hockey' practice and now I'm skating several times a week with Sam's team. Add in the occasional public session with the kids, and I'm feeling pretty good about my skating ability.

My hockey ability? Now that's another story. When I'm at practice with Sam and we have to demonstrate something, I usually hang back. The other coaches on our team (we have SIX) all played or currently play hockey, so I've never been confident enough to step up. I mean, I think I can do most of the maneuvers we do in practice, but do I really want to try them out for the first time in front of a bunch of kids who think I know what I'm doing? Nope. No thanks! Not today.

What to do, then? Luckily, the answer was revealed to me in an email from our local rec center. A women's hockey clinic, for all skill levels, running for eight weeks. I ran out, bought myself a purple practice jersey (of course) and didn't sleep for days, I was so anxious. I got there extra early on my first day (of course) and began suiting up. I had put on all of my equipment the night before just to try it out. I've been dressing Sam for three years, but never myself! It was a little weird moving around in all of those pads, but I managed to get my skates on and get onto the ice without any major pratfalls.

After a few laps, I was feeling good! It was definitely weird skating with all of this stuff on, but I was glad to have it when I did a major belly flop during our scrimmage. We did some skating drills and some stick work, which was what I was the most anxious about. I yap at Sam that he should always volunteer to go first during drills, and since I didn't want to be a hypocrite, I got right in line behind the coach when he started working with pucks. And I lost that damn puck every time I had to make a turn, with all of the other ladies watching. But by then I was having so much fun I didn't care!

The next week I recruited a friend to come, too, so it was even more fun! I skated my butt off, and I felt it later on, but after only a few weeks I'm feeling a lot more comfortable playing hockey. So next week I'm joining the actual league that plays actual games. Crazy, I know, but I think I kind of love it!

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Speaking of hockey games, our team came in second place in our last tournament, and Sam got his very first trophy. He was so, so excited! Go Hornets!

Can a Picture Be Worth 1,000,000 Words?

Ice, Ice, Baby

We had the most lovely late summer weekend last week. Warm and sunny days without a cloud in the sky. The perfect time for hockey to begin! Sam had his first three practices Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Nothing like starting off with a bang. And I had my first three practices as an assistant coach. 

I cannot tell a lie. I was so nervous I almost peed my pants. When I was an assistant coach back in WV, I was working with 4 and 5 year old kids who were mostly just starting out. And the organization was very relaxed. Basically, anyone with skates and a helmet could come out and be an on ice babysitter assistant coach. 

Up here in Pee-Ay things are a little more intense. There are teams all over the place, with each organization having at least one elite team that usually contains the son or daughter of a famous local hockey player. You have to try out to make even the lowest level team. And many of the coaches played hockey in college and some still play in adult leagues. And then there's me. Former figure skater, hockey fan and mother. I have skates, a pink helmet, and a pair of gloves only because of the big bag of gear our nephew donated to Sammy. He's 10, and his hands are as big as mine. Thanks Jack! 

I actually know how to skate pretty well, and know a thing or two about the game of hockey, but damn if I wasn't shaking like a leaf. Lukcily we got there a little early on the first day and I got to go out and skate a few laps at the tail end of the public session before the practice began. Good thing, too, because my right leg was litterally trembling. The pre-practice coaches meeting had been cancelled, so I hadn't really met anyone. And the one guy I did know didn't remember/recognize me with my helmet on, so I had to do that awkward thing where I reminded him who I was and of the (several) times he's come to our house so his kid could play with my kid. Good times. For some reason I wasn't yet on the coaches email distribution list, so I didn't have the practice plans and I was just sort of floundering, surrounded by about 60 little boys and a few girls hell bent on running me over.

I almost quit then and there.

When I got home I wanted to cry, I was so disappointed in myself. Luckily, I have an awesome husband who came to watch us, and he reassured me that I looked just as qualified to be out there as almost everyone else. (There was at least one guy a little more qualified than me.)

I went back the next day things were a little easier since it was only 25 kids instead of 60, and I got to know the other coaches on our team better. Finally, last night was another big group pratice and I really felt good about it. I had fun, Sam is having fun with me being his coach, and he seems to be listening and doing well. I think the other guys realize that I'm serious about being there and not just some clingy mommy who wants to be with her baby all the time. 

Well, I do want to spend time with my boy, but if we can spend time together playing hockey, well, that's even better, right? It sure beats sitting in the stands with my toes freezing off! 

Choke: UPDATE

As a follow up to Monday's post about Sammy's hockey tryouts: HE MADE THE TEAM!!!!!!!

I may have cried a little. Or a lot. Who knows?

Choke

These past two days were a wonderful time, and our weekend was pretty much perfect, thanks to friends, family and little kids dancing around with pink teddy bears. However, there was one little blip that made things just a tad shy of absolute perfection: Sam's hockey tryouts. 

Sam is seven years old. He's never had to actually try out for anything before. And apparently we didn't  do a very good job of explaining to him that it was basically going to be just like a practice session. On Saturday morning, he was limping. 'I don't think I should go to tryouts, mom. My foot hurts.' I sent him to see Dr. Dad, and he wasn't entirely sure Sam was faking it, but wasn't entirely sure if he was hurt, either. Since he had been fine and dandy until just that morning we decided to go.

As soon as we arrived, he asked why so many kids were there. All along he had been thinking that he was going to have to go out there and skate all alone, and I think he seemed relieved when he realized that were going to be 25 other kids out there with him. But as soon as he relaxed a little, this guy walked in.

So I guess Pascal Dupuis lives in our town, and I guess his kid/kids play hockey. Sam was nervous once again. He looked around for some of his friends who play hockey here (which is why he wants to) but couldn't find them. 

They got out on the ice and he seemed to be calming down, but as soon as the actual drills began, I knew he wasn't really going to give it his all. The very first kid in his group to do the drill was awesome, and Sam has this really annoying habit of not wanting to do something if he can't be the best at it. His skating was lazy and he did seem to be weirdly not using his one foot. The he fell, and it was pretty much downhill from there.

Will he get on a team? Probably. I don't think they turn too many kids away, and even if they do there were some younger ones who would likely get cut before him. But I honestly can't say for sure. And if he doesn't it's going to be a bad, sad scene. For all of us. Keep your fingers crossed!

Now Get Out There and PLAY!

Many people might think that hockey season is over, but they would be wrong! The spring clinics are in full swing, in anticipating of try out season in a few weeks. Then summer camps will be beginning. Not to mention the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not that I care since the Flyers are out and all, but I know that there are some folks here in Pittsburgh with a pretty serious interest. Hockey is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. But if you love it, you really love it.

In case you were wondering, my son is the second kid from the left, with the green mouth guard, looking straight at the camera instead of listening to his coach.

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This photo was entered into May's I Heart Faces photo challenge.

Gypsy Life: Day Nine

Holy crap. We're already on day NINE! That means that, in the most positive of situations, we've past the halfway point of the gypsy livin'. In a slightly less rosy scenario we still have almost two weeks left here. Let's keep the positivity flowing, ok?

Sam had his first hockey game today, which was kind of cool. They put him on a lower team, which I think wasn't the best match, but he had a lot of fun. Oh, and Pascal Dupuis was there with his kid. NBD. If the NHL keeps up with this lockout thing, I bet we'll see a lot more of him this season.

Oh, and as a total positive hockey sidebar, his new team and his old team have the same exact colors! So that scarf that I spend many, many, many hours crocheting for him last season hasn't been rendered obsolete! Hooray for me!

We also had a really nice visit with our babysitter from WV. Part of the reason I'm having so much trouble finding a sitter here is that we had the absolute gold standard in babysitters with Nicole, and it's really hard not to compare. When we moved there I put an ad in the WVU student employment office. She was the first person to respond, the only person I interviewed, and we had two years of absolute happiness with her. The kids love her, I love her, and I'm pretty sure she loves us back! I never got a chance to say goodbye to her down there, which is probably for the best as it would have very rapidly dissolved into an epic ugly cry on my part. Today we had a little hug goodbye, but we knew it wasn't GOODBYE. I mean, it's only an hour and a half down the freeway. 

The kids were so excited to see her (and her boyfriend, who is also awesome and totally cool with my kids jumping and hanging all over him like little spider monkeys) that I couldn't help but get a little misty, though. We miss you so much Nicole!

Season's End

Well, another hockey season has come to a close. It's kinda weird, really, not having somewhere to be four or five days a week. Weird, but totally awesome. Hockey is fun but the season is sooooooooooooooo long, especially for little kids.

As with last year, I wanted to do a compare and contrast video. Here is Sam at the end of last season and the season before. Here is Sam a few months ago. I didn't really get a good video of him in a game at the end of the season, so that video from the public session will have to do.

Now onto the Lucy! Here is a video of her pulling along some other kid a few weeks ago:

I am amazed with her skating ability. Even more so compared to Sam at the end of his first season. The only issue is that she has almost zero interest in the game of hockey. She loves to skate, and she'll do drills until the cows come home, but try and get her involved in a scrimmage and she's done.

I'm thinking we may have a figure skater on our hands. Bring on the bedazzler!

He Shoots and Scores!

On Saturday Sam had a hockey game at the Rostraver Ice Gardens. This is the ice rink where my parents met, my grandmother and mother worked, and half of my extended family, myself included, learned to skate. It would have been so perfect for him to score his first goal on that ice. His play has really improved in the past few weeks, and he's been getting lots of shots on goal, but none have made it past the goalie. I was up in the bleachers, on my feet every time he had a shift.

He had plenty of chances, but sadly, none went in. Afterwards, the two of us had lunch with my Uncle Rick and cousin Max and then skated together during the public session.

That's him in the red jacket. Notice how I only see the back of him! When I think back to last year, I can't believe how far he's come. I honestly couldn't keep up with him most of the time. I have a feeling that, as he gets older, I'm going to be seeing more and more of the back of him. I hope he remembers to turn around and smile for his mommy every now and then.

On Sunday he had another game. This time dad took him and I stayed home with the little guys, since game time coincided with nap time. Guess what he came home with?

His first goal!

Hockey Mom to the EXTREME!

As I've mention before, hockey consumes a large portion of our lives. I knew this was going to happen when I signed the kids up, so I'm not particularly perturbed about it. Do I like having to lug all four kids (half of whom are sick) to the rink right after school for Sam's game? No, thank you very much, but it's not the end of the world. And since he has hockey four days a week, if he misses one here and there I don't lose any sleep over it.

What makes it bearable is how much they seem to love it. Sam is a madman out there, and while Lucy has been slower to come around, she's been having a much better time lately. She's made a big jump in her skating ability recently, and she can probably skate backwards better than Sam can. Not falling down so often makes her much happier out on the ice.

But I think the biggest reason she's liking hockey more and more these days is because of this one coach out there. Oh, and did I mention that this coach also happens to be her mother? As in ME? Yes, according to Lucy I am the best mom hockey coach ever! Never mind the fact that I'm really just an on ice volunteer mostly tasked with pleasant job of herding the kids and administering sips of water and/or hugs when someone is crying.

(Funny side note: somehow in the above sentence I accidentally typed 'hits' instead of 'hugs' which, while appropriate for hockey in general is not so appropriate for hockey with four and five year old kids!)

Now, with everything else going on in my life, you'd think that maybe I'd pass on being a hockey 'coach', but let me let you in on a little secret. I love it! I love being on the ice. I love helping the kids learn to hold their hockey stick. I love that some of the kids (besides Lucy) really seem to like me, too! At the end of each practice we play a little game of tag, and one kid makes it his goal in life to freeze me. A little boy who just started after the new year came up to me on Monday night to show me how he wasn't crying, because last week I had to sit with him on the bench for ten minutes while he wept. There are more than a few little girls out there, too, and they are awesome. When we're running drills, two girls are always my go-to kids to demonstrate because they've already mastered them.

So even though I probably look half a fool out there in my dad's too big helmet, I'm going to keep on 'coaching' Lucy's mini-mite team. We're both having a blast, and at the very least, I stay a lot warmer skating around then I do parking my butt in the bleachers!

She loves it when we're on the same team!

The Net Minder

A few weeks ago, early in the morning...

Sam had a hockey game, BIG SURPRISE. But we got up and headed over to the rink with smiles on our faces. I think we were smiling, anyway. Like I said, it was reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeealy early.

In the past few games and practices, Sam has shown a lot of interest in playing goalie. Now, I have nothing against goalies in general, but I'd rather not stick him in the net just yet. First of all, he needs to learn to skate better, and being in the net the whole game isn't going to help that. Second off, goalie pads are crazy expensive. Especially for a lefty. So, yeah, we aren't super enthusiastic. But Sam is, and if we want to be good parents we should at least let him try, right? Plus, at the age and skill level where he's playing, none of the kids wear goalie pads, so we don't have to worry about that one yet.

So early in the morning, my son got himself a big stick and headed to the net. And guess what? He was actually kind of good at it.

Good enough that other parents from the team commented about his skills. Good enough that he ended up playing goalie several times since then. Part of the reason he likes it, according to him, is that he gets to be on the ice the whole game instead of playing shifts. And he also likes that he gets to grab the puck with his hands and the other players don't. I'm not entirely sure those are good enough reasons to be the net minder, but since he still gets to rotate through the other positions, we'll let him try it out for a while.

But he looks so cute as a little winger!

If I Were a Pumpkin...

My little Lucy has a thing for pumpkins. A serious thing. Every time we're out and she sees some, she wants them for her own. If she spies them at another person's house, she asks if she can have them. If we're at the farmer's market, she wants to buy them. And when I say no, she often finds a way to charm the person selling them into giving her one. Which is how we ended up with SIX pumpkins in our house.

According to her, I am the big orange one, the big green one is daddy, the medium one in the middle is Sam, she is the other medium one, and the two littlest ones are Maggs and Freddie, sized accordingly.

I don't know what we're going to do when they start to rot.

In other news, we went to a hockey game on Monday night. It was no big deal...

Except that it TOTALLY WAS. It was supposed to be me and SOB, my mom and dad, but as soon as we heard that Sidney Crosby was going to be making his season debut, SOB threw out the idea that Sam should go in his place. We forced him to take a nap on Monday afternoon, and he complied, so we piled into my dad's car and headed to Pittsburgh! He had an amazing time, and his excitement was so darling I nearly cried. Plus it was my parents' first time in the new arena, so they were pretty jazzed, too. In fact, my mom did cry!

Our Thanksgiving vacation has been pretty bomb ass so far, and we haven't even gotten to the main event yet. How is it going out there for you, internet friends?

And now I'm off to make some cranberry sauce!

Then and Now

I was chatting with SOB the other day about Sam's progress with hockey, and we went back to watch some videos he had made on his phone. Here is one from sometime during the first month of practise.

He's the one in the gray shirt with green socks. At that point all he was interested in was getting the puck into the net, even if that meant falling on his ass!

Mid-season, though, he began to realize that skating was kind of an important aspect to playing hockey as well. After watching a few real hockey games I think he noticed that most of the guys don't just stand in front of the net waiting to take a shot. He got more interested in the drills, and his ability to stay on his feet.

Of course, in the end he still wants to score a goal, no matter what!

Inspiring

Last week my firstborn ran head first into everything that was headed his way. It was an amazing week for me, really, just watching him. Since he is only four and a half, he didn't realize how his positivity affected me, but if it was something I could bottle our whole family could live out the rest of our lives without having to lift a finger.

On Wednesday the kids went to their first dance class. Sam has been asking to take dance lessons for a long while, most likely because we watch SYTYCD together and he lurves it. And Lulu has been begging for ballet classes ever since her pal Reagan started taking them last year. Signing them up for dance was near the top of my list when we moved. Now, I had no trouble finding Lucy a cute little leotard and skirt to wear to class, but I had a lot more trouble finding dance attire for my son here in West Virginia. That should have been a sign for me, but luckily I'm pretty stubborn and fairly plucky, so I just threw him into some of Lucy's leggings, topped it with a slightly small tee shirt and called it dancewear. He called them his handsome pants.

We walked through the door of the studio and my kids kicked off their shoes and bolted into the room. I was glad they were so speedy because that way they didn't have to hear the comments about boys not belonging in dance classes and what not. I got a lot of strange, mean looks in that lobby. The part that really killed me, though, was the five year old boy who lit up like a Christmas tree when Sam went into the class. He turned to his mother and said, 'I didn't know boys were allowed to take dance class!' expectantly. She just glared at me and said, 'They're not.' Her poor son sat there for the next hour all long faced, looking for any reason to go into the studio, only to be scolded.

And guess what? Sam and Lucy had an effing blast. Best 45 minutes of their week, so far!

Lucy doing "ballet"

But it only got better from there. On Sunday morning Sam started his instructional hockey league.

He was so, so excited. We got there nice and early to get suited up, and even though he couldn't get on the ice for almost 40 minutes the kid refused to take his skates off. He just walked around in them, talking about how awesome they were.

As soon as he got on the ice, though, his tune changed. At the very beginning things were chaos. There were at least thirty kids out there, a dozen or so who couldn't skate at all, and others who could only skate a little. There weren't nearly enough adults, and Sam panicked. But after a few minutes a girl from the youth team got him a chair-type thing and he perked right up.

Even though he fell down an awful lot he kept getting back up. He came off of the ice after forty five minutes, and when I told him he still had fifteen minutes more, he beamed.

When he took off his helmet, he looked so much like my little brother that I may have gotten tears in my eyes. I was worried that he would complain and not want to go back, but instead he complained that he didn't have hockey every day. He's probably asked us to take him skating at least twelve times since then.

This kid never ceases to amaze me.