Being a Hockey Parent

[E.J.]

AWESOME, Mike! Congrats to M!

[Ahbroody]

We almost bailed after game one drama. Its irritating when people and kids expect your kid to be a savior. He had a mental breakdown in the first game resulting in the game losing goal. He was pissed as a couple of useless kids and a parent said something. Nevermind the kids were crap who had no impact on game or that in a 4-3 loss M had a goal and the only assist on the second goal. He came home basically in tears. That combined with other drama had me remember why we don't pay roller much anymore.

They went in as the second seed. M played D in championship game and they won 3-1. He completely shut down the other teams top line and tormented their sniper.

NARCH Facebook photo

[E.J.]

So cool.... Great pic!

[Mr B]

Youth equipment for sale

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/spo/4307355005.html

[E.J.]

This CCM Promo is pretty cool.... It's about HS Hockey in Minnesota. https://www.facebook.com/CCMHockey/app_432387213452269

A few pics from the last week of so....




This is after the first playoff game of the season. The Boys crushed(as expected) and wanted a photo with the fans. The picture doesn't do the crowd justice, as it is well after handshakes, thank you to the crowd ect. These are just some of the kids that stuck around. Place was standing room only during the game. It is REALLY neat the amount of support they get from the community. It is unlike any other program in the State. I overheard on of the travel kids that plays with my son, who was there watching, saying how unreal the crowd/noise was during the game.

[Ahbroody]

She loves her cellys.

M got asked to play on a spring tournament team which is going to Vancouver. I can't believe I did it, but I said yes. The main reason is we are hopefully going to start playing for junior sharks next year and this will be most of the kids who are likely to make the team as well as the likely coach. Fully expect to get pounded but the boy is excited to go.

[E.J.]

^^^ Mike, I cannot wait to hear the stories and see pics! Going to be a great experience!

[E.J.]

GREAT last week.... Relative, won some, lost some....but both kids have played REALLY WELL. Not even scoring(which they have done), but just playing hockey!







Little One, middle top....pretty happy about her brother putting the good guys in the lead....

[E.J.]

Little One scores with the boys for the 1st time this season. Scores a TON with the girls, but playing D with the boys, just hasn't lit the lamp....







Think she's happy....

[Ahbroody]

Good stuff as always.

M is playing baseball this year first time since tball 2 years ago. Goes to first practice and decides he wants to be the catcher FML. Thankfully they have another kid who also wants to catch so it looks like he will split time. His coach seems to really like him and is having him play 1st base also. Was hoping he woukd be a second baseman like dad.

[E.J.]

Originally Posted by Ahbroody

Good stuff as always.

M is playing baseball this year first time since tball 2 years ago. Goes to first practice and decides he wants to be the catcher FML. Thankfully they have another kid who also wants to catch so it looks like he will split time. His coach seems to really like him and is having him play 1st base also. Was hoping he woukd be a second baseman like dad.

Baseball, nice! I'm not a player, but have always loved going to games. I am sure he is going to crush! Don't let the catcher thing get in his head and want to get between the pipes....



We're done.... Been a hell of a ride the past 4 years with the M on his chest..

[E.J.]

Heading to Telluride for a girls hockey tournament. Will be the first time ever that the Terrorist will skate in a game with only girls on the ice. I am really looking forward to seeing how it shakes out. 3rd year Mite(U8) playing in a Pee Wee(U12) tourney, I think she'll crush!

[E.J.]

CHAMPIONS!

[E.J.]

Bought the Little One some Reebok Ribcor 28K's.

Though marketed as a lower volume boot as opposed to the regular Reebok's in the past, to me, it doesn't appear to be so. The Little One has a wide foot(like her brother and dad). I was not aware, until after, that they were supposedly lower volume, so went with D width, as opposed to EE(what she has wore with her Bauer Vapors & brother wears with his Bauer Supremes). I wear D width in my Reeboks.

Anyway, fit is great. Early returns in skating was better than I expected on her 1st skate with them. Little foot pain early, by the end of the practice(1.25 hours), she said they felt great. Didn't seem to notice the extra height(4mm) with the SpeedBlade 4.0 holders or new steel.

The boot is not as stiff as her previous Bauer Vapor X5.0's, which surprised me, assumed they would be about equal.



Also picked her up the Reebok 20K bag, which she thinks is pretty neat. She had bag envy of all the kids with the Grit bags in the lockerroom.

[Ahbroody]

Nice grab. My understanding is that only the actual ribcor model not the 28k or 30k had the different fit. This created some confusion. That said I wonder if it holds true on jrs. As far as stiffness thats what I was wondering about as I debated these. These are 16k replacements. Im guessing the 30k will be stiffer more like Micahs current 18ks. I bought him the new Graf 5035s but they were huge for. He tried on his buddys CCM CLs in the same size and they were considerably smaller. Now im left with a skate dilema.

next week heading to Vancouver for a tournament. Should be fun. Then LA for memorial day with a different team.

[E.J.]

Originally Posted by Ahbroody

next week heading to Vancouver for a tournament. Should be fun. Then LA for memorial day with a different team.

I am really excited to hear how Vancouver goes.... Don't forget the camera!

GOOD LUCK, M, KILL IT!

[E.J.]

The Little One had new mitts and a new helmet delivered in the past week.... Guess when we're not spending money on travel fees, it's replacing old equipment. Out go TO's and an 8K, in come APX2's and an 11K.

[Ahbroody]

Nice gear. M loves Vapor gloves as do most kids.

Vancouver was kind of a bust. The boys went 1-2-1 for fourth out of 8 teams. The first game the went down 5-0 in first period then played that team which won the title to a 2-2 game. It sucked as they just had no jump and had never played together and it took them a bit to gel. The 2nd game they won 7-2.

The 3rd game was the real *****. They tied 5-5 but I and the coaching staff who had a former NHL player on it openly stated we got jobbed. We had so many kids get basically tackled on breakaways or tripped by the last defenseman back it was insane. I had 2 separate parents from the other team say we got screwed. They even gave them a phantom penalty call with 1:50 left of a 5-5 tie game after a brutal non call on a trip where the kid literally stuck his leg out and our kid went airborne. It was so bad we started laughing. As a result of the tie we were not able to play our first opponent again.

The fourth game for 3rd place was against the most heavily penalized team in the tournament. Amazingly in our game against them I think we took more penalties and even had to kill of 1:40 of a 5 on 3. We were the least penalized team in the tournament playing the most penalized team. We had a kid get horse collared in that game get called for interference. With 20 left our best defenceman who never said a word or raised his hands was crossed checked in the head comming in as their goalie froze the puck. He was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to offset the other teams penalty. Our coaches damn nearlost their minds. It was a 3-2 game and it looked like we were going to tie it up. After that they just didnt get it done.

As a whole I was very proud of our boys. It seemed like going up there was just an effort in frustration. Wjile many parents were nice I felt the officiating was less then balanced. We didnt ice the best possible team as a few of our best players couldnt go so we ended up with 3 house kids basically. Unfortunately ifwe had the missing 3 kids I dont think the oofficiating would have been a factor. I dont think I would bother going again unless we can ice a true team.

Micah had 3 goals and 2 assists and drew probably 70-75% of the teams power plays. The boy was chopped tackled, tripped and crosschecked so many times driving the net. In the fourth game he was on the ice for the last 4 minutes and busted his a$s trying to get the tie. In the very first game after going down 5-0 he had a beautiful open ice hip check where he flipped the kid and skated straight to the box as the whistle blew. Trying to find video. It was one of those mouth open moments followed by some laughing once the other kid popped back up. One of his coaches in the locker room said it was a great hit and gave the kids a spark.

[Ahbroody]

At the end of the month we are doing the Carmen Starr tournament in Los Angeles with a different team. This team has two other kids from the Vancouver team on it. The team is more balanced, but I dont know that its better. I am thinking this was kind of a waste as M is not a regular with this group and the coaches will only see him for 2 practices before the tournament. As such I am guessing he will get stuck on the 3rd line unless he goes off in the first 2 games of the tourney

[E.J.]

Hate that, Mike! All the adversity, still a solid showing! Tell M keep working, kid is a monster, I've told you! I look forward to his teens!