Once upon each December, the smell of dried sweat and the feel of my numb feet means only one thing to me – the beginning of the hockey season! Today was Nate’s first high school game. They lost 7-1, but who cares. Okay, Nate and his teammates care, but I’m his Mom. I just love seeing him play, even if shortly after the first period my feet lose all consciousness.
By the way, I had no idea who Marcel Dionne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Dionne) was until about 5 minutes ago. I needed something to rhyme with Mom. And, did you know that the only words that rhyme with “Mom” are totally ridiculous? Here are some: bohm, bom, bomb, brahm, brom, bromm, crom, dohm, dom, flom, fraum, fromm, fromme, glomb, grom, guam, and halm.
Why don’t any of these words rhyme with Mom? Caring, understanding, warm, patient, loving, happy, helpful, sacrificing, wonderful, hard-working, imaginative, lovely, sweet, tender, and finally, Superwoman?!? Yes, I do know why these words don’t rhyme from an English major perspective; however, that still doesn’t mean I can’t wonder about it anyway!
Nathan started playing hockey when he was just 4. They didn’t use sticks in the beginning; instead, they just had to get used to being on skates. And, as they skated, they pushed plastic milk crates around the ice. His early games seemed to be nothing more than a bunch of little kids with sticks chasing a puck around the rink. When they finally got their sticks to meet the puck, they’d fiercely whack at it; however, the puck seemed to go everywhere except into the goal!
Here’s Nathan when he was 10.
On the back of the card, his height is listed as 5 feet. He’s now 6’3”. Eeeeek!
Of all the sports Nathan has ever played (lacrosse and soccer included), I have always loved hockey the best. To be honest, in the earlier years (before the normalcy of the high school schedule), I disliked the 7am practices at Lawrence Academy. Well, I disliked 7am practices at any rink.
Lawrence Academy was the worst because the hockey rink had four walls; however, one of the walls was nothing more than a chain link fence with a tarp over it. You can imagine how cold it was there in the Winter months. On those mornings, a hot Styrofoam cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee was my best friend, and some mornings, I didn’t know whether to drink it or pour it down the front of my shirt.
I had the occasional screw up with hockey. A few times, I drove all the way to practice, and I forgot the damn sticks! That’s another thing that makes hockey even more fascinating for me. You have to think about so much when you’re playing. You’ve got the puck, you’re on skates, and then you’ve got to carry this stick around. I like to consider myself a natural athlete, but if someone asked me to do all that and then chew gum, I’d certainly be lost.
I went to a Bruins game once. The tickets were so expensive and the seats were so far away. Later on, I went to a Lowell Devil’s (http://lowelldevilshockey.com/indexb.html) game. And, I have to tell you, it was so much better than the Bruins game. I was a lot closer, and I think the players played better and even tried harder than the Bruins.
I didn’t like the fights though. I don’t like the violence in any sport. Ironically, the thing I liked was how gracefully athletic the players were. They could manage skates, a stick, and following that little puck up and down ice all at once. Their motions were so fluid as they passed the puck back and forth. It’s funny, but I think hockey is one of the most graceful sports, well, when they don’t beat the crap out of each other.
As I watched the game today, I saw a pony tail skate by. I wasn’t sure if it was a girl at first, but I confirmed it later with Nathan. I love it when girls play hockey. It’s a tough sport athletically, but then I think it’s tougher because of the level of physical contact involved. But, that being said, the first year Nathan was allowed to check, I was beside myself with worry.
A few years ago, and of course, it was one of the few games I didn’t go to, he was checked illegally and knocked down. He didn’t have a concussion; however, he did get the wind knocked out of him, so he couldn’t play the rest of the game.
The player who checked him was thrown out of the game, and the coach of the other team sent an email of apology to Nathan’s hockey coach. That was the only day, I doubted hockey. Okay, on the days my feet were numb at Lawrence Academy, I didn’t doubt hockey, I just wished my feet were buried in the warm sands of Cancun instead of in my clogs that were resting on the bleachers in a frigid Massachusetts hockey rink.
Nathan didn’t make the Varsity team this year; he was really disappointed about it. I need to tell him the story about my high school volleyball experience. I never made Varsity volleyball; however, I was on the Varsity team at Brandeis and the captain my senior year. I only played in one game my freshman year, which really disappointed me; however, each year, I got better. I didn’t give up. I loved volleyball, and I just tried to always do my best. In the end, it paid off.
After college, I played with a league where you had to be rated to play, and at one point, I contacted my college coach and asked her if they’d like to scrimmage with us. After playing them, my coach said, “Why didn’t you play like that in college?” Ah, I had just gotten that much better. I guess the important thing is that some of us don't peak in high school and to always keep doing what you love.
After Nate’s game ended, I left the bleachers and I went down to watch him get off the ice. I love it when the players come off the ice. You can see a million and one different emotions in their faces.
When I saw Nathan go by, I didn’t care that he was on JV. I didn’t care that he wasn’t a straight A student, I only thought, “What a good and handsome boy I have. I am so lucky.”
While waiting for him to change, I bumped into his Dad in the entrance to the rink. I said to him, “He’s so handsome, isn’t he?” His Dad tossed his head back and laughed. I didn’t know if he thought I was crazy or if it was too difficult for him to say, “He is.” I think the latter.
When Nate finally came out from the locker room, I told him that I was taking him for lunch at our favorite greasy spoon restaurant; thus, he could drown his 7-1 loss sorrows in his usual two grilled cheese sandwiches with fries and a Sprite.
Indeed, I am lucky that I have such a good man in my life; and I’m even more fortunate that that good man is my son, #16. ♥
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