The Hockey Mom

You have seen them around the rink. There a few different kinds, the manager mom, the cow-bell mom, the gossiper mom and the fun moms that run in a pack. What distinguishes these moms from other moms is how quickly they can go from sincere smile to Mike Tyson on a plane in 10 seconds.They say "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", scorn a hockey mom and you will see a wrath unleashed no match for the devil himself. I know, I have seen it. A bad call by a ref, getting benched by the coach, watching your child get hurt, hockey is hard on a momma's heart. Hockey moms are not like other moms, they can't be. Spend a season doing it and you will quickly decide if your are in the club or if you want out.

A look into a typical Saturday morning for a hockey mom. Hockey moms will get up in the wee hours of the morning while everyone is sound asleep, they make coffee to go, shower and make themselves presentable, pack some road snacks, check the forecast and put together a healthy breakfast for their child they just woke up. Time to hit the road and make the usually long trek to whatever rink they are playing at that day. Upon arrival, she wishes her player (or goalie) best of luck, telling him to work hard and give it their all. If she is really lucky, she can snipe a quick peck on the cheek before he excitedly exits the vehicle, grabs his gear and joins the team in the locker room. After finding a place to park and walking through the freezing parking lot the warmth of the arena feels good. Canadian winters are tough. The hockey moms then gather in their "groups", chat and sip coffee before the game, double checking the schedules with each other and discussing upcoming tourneys. Game time, the die-hards head out with their rink blankets to sit ice side. The others find a place inside.

I'm the die-hard kind. We come in between periods while the Zamboni is on to warm up and refill on coffee. Hockey parents know where every Tim Horton's is in every town and which rinks have good coffee and which don't. I will drink any coffee, even if it's bad. I don't want to miss a minute. Back out beside the ice, we cheer loud, cringe at the hard hits, sometimes jeer the refs. We are big smiles when we are up and cheer louder when we are down. That is the game, sometimes you are up and sometimes you are down and as long as the kids gave it their all, that is all you can ask for. Watching your child do something they love so much is the reward and makes every single moment one to cherish. That is why I love this game so much.

Post game means waiting for your child to get out of the locker room and if you are a goalie mom and a mom of a child who loves to chat, it means waiting even longer. Next is a post game meal, athletes need to be fueled properly. Sometimes it's a team dinner other times it is Subway and eating in the truck to beat the storm that is closing in. Hockey families are quite accustomed to eating meals in the vehicle. Time to head home for a sleep and to do get ready for tomorrow's game so we can do it all over again. If you have multiple kids, you may have to divide and conquer or drag them both around if the games do not overlap and it's logistically possible.

Friendships are really solidified during hockey tournaments. Us moms need to have fun too, you know. Tournaments is when the moms get to let loose and have some fun. The hotels are usually wild on tournament weekends with children running around at all hours wielding mini sticks like weapons in the hallways. The teenagers have holed themselves up in one room and no one knows what they are up to.  And the parents, well they are gathered together too usually by the pool or in one chosen room which someone has posted on Teamsnap. As the night goes on, the laughing gets louder and the moms text the kids to get to bed for their early morning game. It is our time, we earned it.

Hockey moms are usually hearty with a good sense of humor. They drive through some of the season's worst weather and sometimes exceptionally long distances to get their kids to a rink. Hearty is not an option, it is a necessity. They would never spend $300 on anything for themselves but will easily spend that on a hockey stick without batting an eye. They understand commitment and are there, every game, every practice without fail and never complain about it.They actually plan their family's holidays around hockey. Hockey for most of us is just what we do, it is more than a game, it is our lifestyle.

Hockey is a fast and physical sport, there is no doubt about that. It is also not for everyone. There are dance moms, baseball moms, music moms, karate moms, all sorts of moms but hockey moms are a little bit different.  A dozen years of hockey, I have been blessed by meeting and sharing so many amazing memories with some of the best hockey moms out there. Hockey has brought me a family that I needed and that I love. For these women, I am eternally grateful for their friendship, spirit and the memories they have given me. Hockey moms are kinda like other moms, just way cooler.