Where you figure out what went right, and how to duplicate it. Wins let you strut away, let your ego grow, let you grow complacent in what you find to be awesomeness. Because it’s the strength that truly matters-strength of heart, that develops from the losses. The last thing I want is for you to be that big, that strong, and undefeated. Your dad is big, tall, strong guy, and you will be, too. Choosing how it will change you, or if you’ll even let it. But part of manhood is understanding loss. You’re going to change this world as you grow to a man, I have no doubt. We needed you to find joy in the work, and the payoff, to know that hard work isn’t all pain, but a hefty amount of happiness, too.Ĥ. No, not just the ones on the scoreboard, but the ones measured in the speed you cross the blue line, the perfected pass, the number of assists you have. We wanted you to understand hard work and goals. We also love the years when birthdays align and your teamwork includes your little brother.ģ. Hockey is a weird, abnormally long season that seems to stretch year-round lately. Add to that the nine-months-a-year you spend together and you’ll know why we call our team our hockey family. Yes you have a ton of brothers and a couple sisters, but the camaraderie you develop on a team can’t be duplicated. We wanted you to learn how to work with others- teamwork. One day you’ll leave our house (at least I hope you will) and you’ll need to listen to people in places of responsibility without me there to buffer for you.
We wanted you to learn to listen to someone else besides us. We put you into sports for four simple reasons:ġ. Trust me, showing up to the rink at 5 a.m. We didn’t put you into sports so we could live vicariously through you, either. We didn’t put you into sports so you’d get a college scholarship, or have a chance at going pro. I know it seems commonplace to you, but state championships are rare, and the fact that you’ve won two is something you’ll look back on with a sense of awe that you just can’t comprehend right now. Ready to be stunned? We didn’t put you into sports so you’d win trophies, or championships, though you’ve done both more than a few times. We kept you in because you fell head over heels for a sport that would soon become part of who you are all the way to your toes.
In fact, you glared at me through the glass through your first lesson.īut holy crap, did you show up for the second, with a trademark look of determination on your face. Four when you stepped out on the ice for yourself after a year of begging. You were three the first time you saw your big brothers skate. Second, even though I’m sorry it happened, I’m also glad. You are driven in ways that humble me, that show me it’s not always about some golden touch of talent, but sheer force of will. Your work ethic is something both dad and I are flat-out inspired by. I know you fight, work, and claw for every ounce of skill you’ve developed. This moment, my beautiful boy-this hard, painful, disillusioning moment is why I put you in hockey.įirst, I’m so sorry. Because everything you’d been taught about hard work paying off, about practice making perfect, didn’t give you the trophy like it does in the movies. It was a monumental moment in your life because it didn’t happen. I felt it in your hug after, in the way you held on and didn’t let go. I saw it in your eyes as you looked up from the bench on your way to the locker room, and even as I told you that it was ok, I knew you weren’t even close to okay. It was palpable, the weight of your sadness, your disappointment, your guilt as you skated off the ice. I felt your heart break from the stands where I sat watching…where I always watch. That moment of glory you’ve spent hours practicing for, both on the ice and in the basement, taking thousands of shots at the net, vanished, never coming to fruition. Tournament semi-finals in the balance, with the buzzer only seconds away, and the shot yours to take…you missed. © Copyright 2022 Destination NSW.Tonight, you lost. is the official tourism site for Destination NSW.
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