I never imagined having a hockey family. I never pictured myself spending hours at arenas, teaching my kids how to skate and cheering them on as they play. Not that there's anything wrong with hockey. It's a great game. It's exciting and fast paced...it's Canadian. Heck I'm from the hometown of the Great One...It's just that I was never the hockey player.
I played football. I love football. Watching it, following it, and playing it (though the opportunities to play it are few and far between now). Tonight I watched the Grey Cup...now I'm watching the Packers vs. Giants game...I'm in my glory tonight. Back in the day, I would have spent most of Grey Cup Sunday focused on football, watching all the pregame and post-game festivities and maybe even finding the time and peeps to play a game.
To tell the truth, I'm not sure I thought much about what my girls would be into. I suppose I thought maybe they would humour my love of football and maybe grow to enjoy watching it with their old man. There's not much opportunity for them to play it...not much to aim for long term and no real role models for them in the world of women's football. Sorry all you LFL players...models you may be, role models...maybe not.
Hockey on the other hand...well maybe one day we'll see "Gideon" on a Team Canada jersey...it could happen. But more importantly they are enjoying the game now, having fun now and being active and healthy. I also like the fact that their coaches are all girls (young women I guess I should say) that they can look up to. Evie thinks it's awesome when the local universities' women's hockey teams come out and help coach. I think it gives her a sense of being a part of something bigger than the ordinary...a community.
This afternoon we spent two hours at the rink skating around. Most of that time I was squatting helping Noli skate around the rink. My thighs, butt and back are toast right now (I'm getting old...or maybe just out of shape). Last winter we were lucky to spend half an hour on the ice. Today was our first family/public skate of the year and the girls didn't want to get off the ice. I know I wrote about Evie and her mad skating skills last week, but I'm still amazed at how she's taking to the skating. She was cruising around today like it was just what she did all the time - and she was lovin' it.
Noli...well today was her first time on single blades (she was bobbin' it last year) and let me tell you, she is a go getter. I shouldn't be surprised; their mother was one heck of a hockey player herself. If today is any indication, then today was just the tip of the ice berg and I can expect to be spending a lot more time on the ice and early mornings in arenas sipping my double-double and watching my girls do their thing. If they take after their mom in other ways, they'll be doing well for themselves.
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