Hockey has started up again, and it seems that the lessons of last year have had a lasting impact. Through three practices and one game my daughter has been treated with the utmost respect and collegiality by the guys. She's one of the team. It's so awesome to see.
It's also awesome to see how well my kids are skating. 3 of my 5 play hockey, they're all doing so well. It's really fun to be on the ice with them, and it's even more fun to help coach their teams. The boys think they're the shit, but my daughter is going to kill all the stats this year. Not to mention she's not shying from physical confrontation, which she can't at her age. She's short, but she's strong. And super solid over her skates. She's going into the corner with guys a foot taller than her and coming out with the puck. She's hitting the boards, but she's quick, so she actually gets missed more than hit. And she's putting hits on a lot of guys.
My youngest has just figured out shooting. The downward pressure necessary so the puck doesn't get under your stick on the one timers. He's probably my best skater, but has traditionally been the weakest on stick handling. You can't believe how he's coming along. He's also tiny, but he's just been asked to captain his team because he's the one making the plays. He has played one game and already has three assists. That's what he does - he sees the game and throws the puck to the right people.
My second youngest is a ham beast. He skates pretty well, stick handles pretty well, but is also super solid over his skates. He goes in and clears a path for people who then score. He's not exactly a bruiser, but he's close. He won't fight, but he throws his body into plays. He doesn't have the finesse of the other two, but he's bigger, and forces plays.
None of you care about hockey. That's fine. Right now I have three kids in four different teams, two of which travel. It's a big part of my life. And I can't tell you how rewarding it is to see the kids doing so well. Not because I want them to, but because they have taken an interest and invested themselves in this sport. They love it, never any complaint when it's time to leave for hockey.
Watching your kids succeed is really a fantastic thing.