Exercise in Futility On Ice

Future Matts Zucarello?

 

 After making an effort to revive this blog in 2012, I found myself unable to focus on writing much of anything in 2013.  It was not so much for lack of ideas or things I wanted to write about.  A good deal of it was just not being able to find the time to sit down and turn my thoughts into words.

 

Part of the reason for my lack of time can be found in the picture above.  For the last year and a half or so, I have become a hockey dad.  After trying and not liking soccer, baseball and basketball, my son Andrew decided he wanted to play ice hockey.  Figures it had to be the most expensive sport!  LOL!  Andrew only started learning to ice skate a couple of years ago and in that time he has made tremendous progress.

 

This winter is Andrew's most active season yet for hockey.  He is currently playing in a Sunday league at IceWorks in Syosset, which is also the practice rink for the New York Islanders (which means occasionally one gets to see the Islanders practice, and a couple of their players have children that play in the house league), and playing in the Town of Oyster Bay ice hockey league, which usually has games two weeknights per week.  Then there's a hockey class at IceWorks on Wednesday evenings, plus skating at public sessions at one of the Oyster Bay rinks on Fridays or Saturdays, and a puck shootout session on Saturday nights.

 

Andrew's near term goal is to tryout for and be able to play on a travel hockey team.  His ultimate goal is to be able to play in the NHL, but of course he'll have to take things one step at a time.  I don't know how realistic a goal it is for him, but I am happy that my son has found a passion in life that also gives him a measure of confidence that he previously lacked.  Naturally, I want to encourage him to pursue his dreams as far as they will take him.