23 | November | 2014 | He Sowed She Sewed

Archive | 10:29 pm

Hockey Debut

It has begun.

The girls had their first hockey game today.

It was a day of learning, of patience, of other girls being faster than my girls- but it was a first-hockey-game kind of day and I could not be happier with my ladies.

Hockey this past month has been difficult to say the least. They have proclaimed that they simply are not going when we told them to get in the car for practice. They have told me the bottom of their foot itches so bad that their eyes well up with tears (after of course I have laced up both skates and they are already late). They have told me that they are never ever going to go back to that ice arena. They didn’t know why we were driving so far to do this dang thing, whatever it is.

It happens after activities when the girls are already pretty tuckered out. It happens when they might be otherwise taking a nap. It happens when they would perhaps rather be watching tv or fighting with one another in our living room. So, why- if it is so hard- are we playing hockey?

I don’t know if this season will lead us into other seasons or if this season will be their last. I don’t know if the girls will fall in love with the game or just despise it more and more. I don’t know if they will ever score a goal just be content sitting on the bench. What I do know right now is they are learning to work at something. They are learning that it is okay to not be very good at something, but to do it anyway. They are learning that if they work hard at something, they will get better.

The first practice Aleah and Sophie stepped onto the ice they pretty much fell over, laid down and did ice angels. But now Sophie can stand up and shuffle all around (yes that is the progress we have accumulated thus far this year) and Aleah can pass the puck and skate pretty darn good. I love watching Aleah start to figure this game out. You can see her brain know where her body needs to go but her legs just aren’t quite up to par with the others. I have seen that competitive look in Aleah’s eye, the look that she wants that puck and gosh darn it she is going to get it.

Here they are for a pre-game pep talk:

This is my first real coaching gig and I would be lying if I told you it wasn’t weird. It is weird to see my girls out on the ice. It is weird not being the one playing the game. I try and have 50% of the things coming out of my mouth to be things I saw the players do well and 50% aspects of they could work on, ie please, please don’t ever EVER pass the puck to our goalie again. Thank you. Good job out there.