If you are looking for a fashion, TV post or anything girlie, you will not find it here today. Instead we are going back to the basics and the whole reason I started blogging almost 10 years ago, to document the kids lives. So.... I am talking hockey and how proud I am of my oldest son, Grady.
For those of you who know Grady, you'll know that he is a shy, quiet, and well behaved around those he does not know well. It is another story at home and with family, but for the point of this story we are going to talk about the quiet and shy Grady that really doesn't talk to adults that he doesn't know well.
Grady found his own passion for hockey. James is a soccer player so when Grady turned 5 we put him in indoor soccer. Well, half way through the year he told us he wanted to play hockey. Before committing to a year of hockey and forking over the money, we put him in some hockey development courses to make sure this was really what he wanted to do. Sure enough it was.
Most recently, Grady has enjoyed playing in net. If you recall, he was the first to put his hand up to play in the
Esso Minor Hockey Week final game. My son, the one that doesn't talk to adults, wants to play net? What now.....?
Over the past 18 months, Grady has slowly collected all the goalie gear with the last purchase being the most expensive, the helmet, just last week.
Post to come. I always thought that he wanted to play net for shinny and never really considered that he would actually want to play net full time. There is, after all, worse things he could be spending his money on so I never objected. It was his money to spend as he pleased.
Since he proved himself to be a decent goalie in Esso Minor Hockey Week, he was given the opportunity to play in the final game of our hardest tournament of the year this past weekend. He was thrilled, me, not so much.
Our team played their best 4 games of the season. It was such a joy to see them play as a team, pass the puck, and come out on top, winning their first 3 games of the tournament. That means our team was headed to the A final Sunday evening.
Can I just take a moment to say that I love being a hockey mom. I was so invested in the game. I cheered my little heart out and rung my cowbell like a crazy mom who thinks that Novice hockey beats out the NHL any day. Believe it or
not, I am not the craziest mom on the team. There are a few others that don't need a cow bell because their voices are so loud you can hear them across the arena. We are passionate about our children and their team mates. I am proud to be a supporter of such a great group of boys and parents.
Grady dressed for the game including his new goalie helmet and headed on the ice. Within the first 2 minutes the other team popped the puck in the net from the side. Grady didn't even have time to react. I watched him, knowing that he would be dissapointed and hoping for another shut out. The other team was dominating us during the first period. The play stayed in our zone the whole time. I hoppped out of my chair and rang my bell for each save that Grady made. Finally we got a goal and tied up the game before the end of the first.
The rest of the game stayed tied right until the last 10 minutes. A power play goal for the other team broke the tie. Another penalty and another power play goal and we lost 3-1. Grady played such a good game. I didn't know that it was possible to be so proud of your child, even when their team lost.
Despite letting in 3 goals, he saved so many. According to him he took 88 shots during the game. Maybe a slight exageration but he understood that the more shots you take the more you will let in. So despite letting in 3 goals, he saved way more. The glove shots were my favorites.
I was also reminded of the sense of community that comes with playing on a team. We had parents cheering for Grady and yelling words of encouragement. When Grady caught the puck in his glove the parents were asking if he was playing baseball this spring. Not only did I think that he played a great game, but so did everyone else.
Those parents not only told me how well Grady played, but they also told Grady, to which he quietly and politely said thank you. He didn't beat himself up about the loss like I thought he may, he focused on the saves he
did made.
He is talking more and more about playing in net next year, but I think it is just a phase. He is running on a high of making saves and having good games. He has to remember that he would only play every second game as goalie and will never score another goal. I think that once he gets back on the ice this coming weekend as a player that he will remember how it feels to score a goal instead of save one. Maybe I am naive in thinking that he will outgrow this, but I really would like him to remain a player for his hockey years.
To end off, I just wish I could bottle up this feeling of pride that I have for my son at this exact moment. Proud of him for volunteering to be in net, proud of him for doing his best, proud of him for taking the loss in stride. Win or loss, in my heart he is the best little goalie out there and I love seeing him do something he loves.
