Happy Monday folks! It is spring break for the kids here in southern Manitoba and I took holidays to hang out with the boys and take them to some post season skates while off from the academy. Cam was supposed to have a junior skate which ended up getting moved so he is off skiing in BC with his girlfriend and her family. Of course this made me a little sad because I miss him but at the same time want him to experience all the amazing things he can in this life so it's just me and Jack for the week instead. Ben is home right now and Grandma flew in from Arizona and we got spend the last 4 days watching Jack play in Director's Cup Prospects in Winnipeg. Here in Manitoba, post season, Hockey Manitoba does some different programs for U13 and U15 players to showcase some of the best players from every region. Rising Stars, Director's Cup and Female Prospects. This weekend was about skills and drills, with a couple games for coaches to evaluate the players and watch them together. There will be practices for the next 6 weeks working on skills to elevate their game followed by a big tournament with all regions to wrap up the program. We are pretty excited that Jack was selected for the program, following his big brother's footsteps who also went through it at that age.
If you haven't checked out coach's corner on the blog yet, you should. Danny Carels the assistant coach for the Pilot Mound Hockey Academy Buffaloes U15 Prep Team wrote an article on measuring success in a season and he nailed it. Watching Jack play this weekend it hit me hard in the feels. First year bantam is a tough age, the majors are used to the hitting. The minors are trying to figure out how to incorporate it into their game while the majors are already dialed in. Jack is 5'8" and a solid 140 lbs with a natural athletic ability, unbelievable hand/eye coordination and a hockey sense few possess. The problem is between his ears, all season we have watched him struggle with it. My older son is a goalie so this is all new to us. It has been frustrating to watch for us a parents and I am sure even more so for the coaches and his teammates.
This season was probably the hardest one Jack has ever had, for the first time he was not the top scorer on the team. The game had always come naturally for him. The whole season he accumulated a total of a hard earned 5 points. The team had a difficult year as well, as their inaugural season did not go they way they had expected going against some the more established programs in the league. Was it disappointing? Yes. Was it rewarding? Yes. Yes it was. Why you might ask? Because watching my son play this weekend I could see how his game has changed. He had to play on a team made up of kids, some of which knew and most of which he did not. He had to play for a new coach which, for Jack, all of this is way out of his comfort zone. Like they say, this is where the growth happens. Of course I don't want him to be a goon but I want to see him play to his size and ability and push past the limitations he has set in his mind. I have asked him so many times over the season if he still loved to play hockey. The answer was always yes. We can't light the fire in him, he has to find it. He has to overcome the shyness himself and play big. I can't make him brave, he has to become brave. So was the season successful? For Jack, I believe it was. He is growing into himself and into the game he loves.
Each age bracket poses a new set of obstacles for kids to overcome. The older they get the faster the game gets. Hockey is an amazing sport in that way, you need to have skills. Skating, stick handling, hand/eye coordination, patience, perseverance, physical ability, positioning and grit just to name a few. Some of these kids are playing 10 to 12 months a year now and the competition is fierce. Consistent training and coaching has helped Jack immensely build the confidence he needs to keep pursuing competitive hockey. This season he was challenged by being placed in an environment he had to level up, where he wasn't the best, where he was uncomfortable and had to struggle. This has only made him a better player and person. His coaches have worked all season instilling confidence in him. Self esteem is so hard when you are young, knowing he has people that love him, support him and believe in him is equally important in his development.
Hockey is a physical game, there is no way around it. As a mom, that is hard to watch. I had written a blog on off ice development but I am just as proud of his on ice development. In 2 games he got 1 assist and 1 penalty but he played big, took some hits and gave some hits too. A pretty good weekend of hockey in my books. Development at every age is critical in this sport, some kids may develop faster than others. There has been times I was so frustrated I wanted to leave the rink, times where my heart hurt so much watching him struggle with his shyness and times that I am so fucking proud I could burst. Growth momma, growth. Not just for the players but also for us as the parents.