Hockey mom

In possibly the biggest unforced error of 2018, we have decided to enroll Beckett in hockey. He's been to a few Cornell hockey games but other than that, he doesn't know anyone else who plays, and has never seen a game on TV or anything. I think the idea of hitting things with a stick and wearing all the gear and falling on the ice appeals to him. After delaying a month or so after he initially said he wanted to play, I got in touch with the director of the local program. I must have missed the initial information about the supplies needed for joining the team, but by the time we were signed up I realized that we needed not a bike helmet and skates (as I had understood), but a full face mask helmet, three or four sets of pads, a hockey stick, and hockey gloves. I panicked and texted a good friend and neighbor, Kelly, to ask where I could buy such items, hopefully used and without bankrupting us. Thankfully, about a half hour later, her husband dropped off a real legit hockey bag with all the pads, gloves, practice jerseys, and even skates that fit Beckett. Jeff went out with Beckett and bought a stick, and we were set.

He's playing on a six and under team because this is his first hockey experience, and there are no games with other squads so no one really cares. So this is his first experience being the biggest kid on the ice, which I think he enjoys. It's clear there are other kids who have been skating and even playing hockey for years, but there aren't a lot of kids who work harder than he does on the ice. Because he's one of the oldest, he listens better than most of the other kids, and follows directions better. He's also shown a lot of interest in goalkeeping. Sunday morning he negotiated for a while with two other kids who had already claimed the net during free skate, and then finally he kind of shoved them out of the way to take the goal. At the start of the scrimmage at the end of the practice, he straight-out raced to the net to play goal for his team. So we may have really created a monster here, not only a hockey player but a goalkeeper too. That being said, he is THRILLED to be playing. And it's really fun to watch him get suited up and play!

Also, having Beckett play hockey makes me a hockey mom, which means I'm getting even closer to emulating my personal heroine Sarah Palin.