2008 Hockey Champs

Peewee B

Hockey Mom

Until you are actually a "hockey mom" you have absolutely no idea what it involves. The highs and lows make for an interesting, and sometimes very stressful, life.

Hockey Mom's are tough because when your kid(s) get hurt -- and they do get hurt a lot on the rink, especially when they are older -- we have to be tough about it.  We don't run out on the ice and baby them.  Frankly, sometimes a boy just has to man up.  In a sport where there aren't always a lot of extra players, sacrifices must be made.  Nobody ever said hockey is for sissies. Hockey Mom's do not drop their kids off at practice and then disappear. That's be too easy.  We sit there the entire practice.  Why?  For me, I still want to be there.  I say we are tough, but if my son gets hurt in practice, I want to be there.  All youth sports seem more time-consuming these days, but that is especially true with hockey.  Seasons run from August until April.  Practices can be 2-3 times a week. Last season we didn't get home until 10:30pm from practices. We travel far during tournament time and games.  It is not unusual to play as many as 50 games a season, counting preseason and tournaments.  Games are typically on the weekend and sometimes are scheduled before most of us wake up.

As a young hockey player ages, so does a hockey mom.  But in a different way.  She has to thicken her skin, find ways to suppress that urge to coddle or nurture.  As the boys move up the ranks, the game gets rougher.  And the hockey culture dictates that boys (and their mothers) learn to deal with the potential of getting hurt.