Halloween fell on a Thursday this year, which meant it also fell on one of my Adult Learn-to-Play hockey class days:
Glittery fairy wings add a certain something to any hockey player, don’t you think?
When Hockey Meets Halloween
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Category Archives: Hockey
Up, Up Deep Purple!
Tonight, my bottom-of-the-league hockey team, Deep Purple, has a round one playoff game versus the top team, the Red Devils.
Trying to get lower — hockey skating requires single leg strength & stability.
This is my 3rd winter playing in the CHL (Campion Hockey League), and I won’t lie. With our 1-19-1 record, it’s been a character-building year.
We’re an expansion team, made up entirely of folks who’d never played together before. Ever. Some players had only a year or 2 experience as adult beginners before signing up.
There were some ugly losses early on. Ugly.
Keep your head up to read the play & try to anticipate your opponent’s moves.
But, as the season progressed, so did we. Games got much closer as players got more confident and put more pucks on net.
Hockey is a funny game. Sometimes you get a lucky bounce. Hard work can beat talent, if talent doesn’t work hard.
Rushing the net without the puck supports the play and helps generate secondary scoring chances. (Keep your stick on the ice, though.)
Would I bet money on my #8 team tonight? Maybe not.
But I wouldn’t bet against us, either. You just never know. Hockey is a funny game.
Adult Beginner Hockey: Just Do It!
“Do not wait until conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes conditions perfect.” ~Alan Cohen
In case I haven't yet convinced you to take up hockey, I’ve got one more testimonial (below) from my Learn-to-Play classmate, George Lightbody, who started playing hockey at Campion Rink about 5 years ago:
Coach Dick Dodds shares his enthusiasm for hockey with Campion’s Adult Learn-to-Play group.
CCM: What do you love about the Campion Learn-to-Play program with Coach Dodds?
George: “I’m not gifted enough to be able to fully capture Coach Dodds. But I find that he somehow manages to merge talent and humor and drive and compassion together. And to deliver all of those to skaters of all age groups, genders, sizes, and abilities.”
I have never heard anything but respect for him from everyone. Probably because he seems to find ways to respect each and every one of us too.
CCM: What would you say to someone considering starting hockey later in life?
George: “I’d just say ‘start’. Adult-onset hockey hits many at different times. And everyone is terrible in the beginning. Never-even-worn-skates-or-held-a-stick terrible. But it doesn’t matter. Every second you delay is just a second of fun you are missing.”
“We do not quit playing because we grow old. We grow old because we quit playing.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
***The next Learn-to-Skate, Learn-to-Play and Intermediate Hockey sessions at Campion Rink run from January 3 to March 28, 2013. Find out more and sign up online!
Carrie Cahill Mulligan 