It's been a few days since my last update. If I'm not right here on my home office computer, then I am OFF the grid for sure. I have my son's iPad, but still haven't figure out its firepower.
I was in Minnesota for Hunter's Hockey Tournament and I will tell everyone this, The Raddison Blu Hotel and the adjoining Mall of America are SICK, as in, Over the top NICE!
We played in five different venues and each was nicer than the last. Minnesota takes its hockey SERIOUSLY.
I asked the head honcho of our program what the intent of the trip was? We knew going there from previous experience that we get our asses kicked.
He told me that while the winning is important, this is a better way to show our kids what the talent pool really looks like. A dose of REALISM never hurts someone when their goals are to play in the NHL.
Our team is a collaboration of hot shot hockey players from and around the Northern California area. A few of them have played together, but for the most part its a hodge podge of talent with no synch.
We did however get to pull out one win this weekend. You would have thought we won the Stanley Cup!
The rink that was the furthest from our hotel was scheduled for the afternoon on Friday! WHAT? Friday afternoon AT 5:00 O' fucking CLOCK? Motherfucking RUSH HOUR????
I was expecting the worse, but rush hour on Friday in "The Twin Cities" means you slow down to 40 MPH and you don't switch lanes.
I was STRESSLESS!
As a matter of fact, while I was torn about playing more hockey and not shutting down for the "Off Season", all in all, this was probably the most efficient and relaxing tourney that we've ever played.
A few key points that I took away;
1. My son is seriously of my DNA. The refs aloud for a bit more contact (i.e. CHECKING) than normal. After Hunter got BLASTED, he got right back up and started to "finish" plays.
He got a few minutes in the Sin Bin, but it was totally worth it, as his team mates saw this and began getting physical in their own ways.
2. Hunter's squat and dead lifts have paid off. As I watched my son lower his hips, I turned to April and said...WATCH THIS! (If I had one, I would have told her to hold my beer too), he had the perfect set up for the big hit. When he got under the shoulder of his opponent, and began his hip extension, all I could think of was...DON'T GET SUSPENDED! Kafreak'nBOOM! Much larger kids where in need of spinal straightening as he crushed them into rumbled up piles of metabolic goo.
3. Hockey Parents EVERYWHERE are the worse! I have learned how to hold my tongue and let Hunter play. I never tell Coaches how to skill coach my son, and I don't argue with our own parents on how they treat their sons, so why would I get into it with parents from opposing teams that I don't know who they are? I don't. I move on.
I hope that one day (sooner than later) that parents will learn to let the boys play! 1% MIGHT make the NHL someday. Extra hockey playing doesn't make for a better hockey player.
Today we parents focus far too much on the team our kids are going to be selected to play. We pressure them to play at the top levels because the OTHER parents are pressuring their son to do the same. We hand pick the coaches we want to teach our kid and spend mucho dinero to give them the "Best of....(whatever)" because GOD FORBID we don't hold their hand and give...GIVE them everything to succeed!
I've had countless conversations with my wife about this and then asked..for what? Are WE living vicariously through him? Does HE want to do this for himself, or is he doing this because he THINKS, we want him to, and that is how he can gratify us?
What are we teaching him to not struggle? Now I am not only saying this about hockey, but think about it...What is the first thing we ask the kid at the end of the day? "How was school?" How was that game? What happened out there? Why didn't you get an "A"? Did you do your homework?
Shit! I would get home and run outside to play before anyone could get the beginning question out so I could play. I didn't go to formal practice until Pee Wee Football and that was only three times per week for an hour and a game on Sunday.
Pick up lacrosse games...7 on 5 and we'll switch ya Billie after 3 point spread.
BB Gun War taught us how to dodge and evade and certainly tax the conditioning and pain systems.
Sand lot football without pads...but full contact! Taught proper tackling and blocking skills without the use of your head. (or sometimes maybe you did use your head)
Baseball pick up games
Basketball of any Something v. Something with a spotted amount of points.
We made it HAPPEN and we adjusted on the fly. We got creative. We surely didn't need mommy and daddy setting us up for the NEXT try out.
Hunter has taken a liking to photography and video editing. I ask him to show me his latest YouTube and laugh out loud at them.
Yea, I like his sports...because I am a jock! But I've seen more than once rather large boys who had a Dad tell me that he was going to start at left tackle for BYU, when I knew better.
Although I would NEVER tell an aspiring athlete this, but the world needs over sized computer programmers too!
I am going on a quest to let kids be kids again. Give them freedom of choice and then encourage them to fuck up. Go for it!
No, I won't let him get too hurt....but a little bit of awful will return a shit ton of AWESOME later on.
Now that I have that off my chest, while we were out of town, We did machines in the hotel. Whatever they had, I used! I did multiple sets of the same thing for five days. It was ok but I missed my gym and my pals.
Today's workout for ME!!! Not what I had everyone else do, because I couldn't squat while at the hotel:
Dynamic Squat: 10x2@55%
Hex Bar Dead Lifts: Work up to a heavy single then do three sets at it.
GHR: 5x10 using a slow tempo and the foot rolls set high
Reverse Hyper: 5x15 with a swing. Airline seats aren't sweet on the lower back. But the movie was good.