Hockey For Life

Before we start building this thing together I want to let the non-hockey playing folks out there understand my motivation for this project. A brief history on what I call, hockey for life. It all starts back around 1990 as a freshman in high school. I decided to try hockey. I remember the first time I strapped on skates. I was a tag along on one of my sisters’ dates. They took me to the rink in Geneva, NY. I put my skates on and hit the ice with guns a blazing. About 10 minutes later I was in the rink guard medical room because I took a nose dive straight into the ice. It was assessed that I had a concussion. Not hard to figure out since I ended up puking all over all the rink guard jackets and sprayed a rack of skates, my bad. Anyways, even after that traumatic experience, more so for my sister and her date (not sure how he explained to my dad that he left me alone and I ended up busting myself up) I decided to give it another go. We didn’t have a high school team back then so my parents signed me up for the Canandaigua Knights Hockey Club. Our home ice was about 45 minutes away in Geneseo, NY. To make a long story short, no matter how far away the practice, or home games and even the away games which were hours away, my parents never let me miss a minute of it. That was such an important motivator in my life. I never remember my dad saying he was too sick to take me, too tired or too busy. My parent made it work for me and never let me down. They knew I loved the sport but it was much more than the time on the ice that was important. It was the time spent with my dad in the car, the hours of interaction with my friends in the locker room. The commitment to making myself a better player even though I was years behind my peers. I learned work ethic and perseverance that I now live everyday. Hockey was an irreplaceable piece of a puzzle that built character and made me a well rounded individual. This is so important for parents to understand. It’s more than just a game; it’s a way of life. Anyways, after 4 years of hockey I graduated high school and decided to play soccer at a college that didn’t have a hockey team. I had no idea how much I would miss it. The years passed and the hockey slowly slipped away for me and was non-existent until 1998 when I walked into a Play It Again Sports in Blacksburg, VA. I noticed they had a ton of roller hockey gear. I never played roller hockey before but the memories of ice started coming back to me. That is when I noticed a team of guys walking in the store from a back door. I peaked in and saw a rink. The bulb went off and I was hooked again. Right there I bought a bunch of gear. I signed up for a team and called home so my mom could send me some of my old hockey stuff. I was back in but there was still something missing. Either way, I was playing hockey again and I loved it. About 6 months later, I graduated college and moved to Arlington, VA. The first thing I did was look up roller hockey rinks in the area. I found Fairfax Sportsplex. I joined a team but the guys were lame. Bad Mother Puckers…really? Come on. They didn’t have the same love of the game or the team spirit I craved. The conversation was boring and even after the game they all left without hanging out. I was an outsider and they didn’t care to let me in even though I took a puck to the head the first game, went and got stitches and made it back for the double header. So, I looked for another team to take me in. That is where I met Mick. This guy was so into hockey it was sick. After a game, and a few beers, we would go back to his house and play hockey video games. His house was filled with hockey figures, sports memorabilia, jerseys etc. Now I was on the right team. The Goons…perfect. I was playing again and with great guys I could call my friends but something was still missing. After about a year in the city, I realized I hated my job and that a small town boy like me needed a break from all the city stress. So, I moved to Vail, CO and lived in my sisters’ basement, becoming a ski bum for a season. My 6 month getaway turned into about 6 years. I played a little roller hockey out there and had a pretty good team. Life was good. I got married to my college sweetheart. We bought a house and I got a real job. It was time to move closer to her family so we would have support while building our own. So back to VA we go. We came back and I joined yet another roller team. I was pretty pissed I never kept in touch with Mick from the Goons. I missed those guys and their hockey mentality. Low and behold, after joining myspace, Mick shot me an email asking me where I was living. It turns out he has transitioned the Goons to an Ice Hockey team in Fairfax. It was then I realized I hadn’t skated on ice in over 12 years. It didn’t matter; I was giving it a shot. So I called up mom and had her ship me my old skates. I grabbed my gear and I headed out to the rink. The team was filled with a new bunch of guys but Mick did a good job recruiting like minded folks. All of them were good people that loved the team more than the game. I found what I was missing. The camaraderie was intact. I felt good about getting back on the ice after 12 years. Then it happened. I skated onto the freshly cut rink and took in a big breath of air. The smell of the ice moved me. I never realized how much I missed that smell. I don’t know if is because I loved to play hockey or if it reminded me of road trips with my dad and playing as a kid. Either way, every time I get on the ice, I take a second to breathe deep and take it all in. Every time I coach a game, as soon as I hit the ice I tell my kids “it smells like hockey” hoping they remember that feeling for the rest of their lives. I promised myself as long as I can get out of bed, I will play ice hockey. I will coach and I will help others that can’t help themselves find a way to play. I will never lose sight of it again. I will be the oldest player at the rink someday. I will help kids find a way to play in college and maybe even pay for college. I will help adults find the money to pay for league fees and equipment especially if money is the only reason they can’t play!

There are no excuses for not playing hockey if you love the game. I don’t care if you’re in a wheel chair or even if you are paralyzed. I will find a way for you to smell the freshly cut ice. So here is my main point. Hockey is a life long team sport. There are very few sports you can play as an adult in an organized league that has the same spirit as hockey. You spend at least 30 minutes pre game, catching up with the guys. Then you have 60 minutes of organized play where you can get rid of your daily stresses by clearing the crease or dangling a defenseman. Then when it is all said and done, when the game is over, you head back to the locker room and spend time with good friends. We make plans for the weekend together so our kids can play and our wives can talk. The game of hockey extends into my living room. It creates networking opportunities at work. Hopefully, for me, it will even create an opportunity to start my own business. It is more than just a game it’s a way of life.