My Learning Goal

The Family at the Rink

So, my son has decided that hockey is the best thing since sliced bread.  That is to say, at the age of 5, he eats, breaths and lives hockey.  Well, except for 1 thing...he doesn't play hockey, yet.  We enrolled him in learn to skate this year and this has only deepened his love for the game he has never played, but boy does he want to.  So, now, here is the conundrum.  I am not averse to sports, I actually thoroughly enjoy watching football and volleyball.  I don't mind watching hockey (especially Olympic and World Junior hockey) and I love to play golf, curl and have recently taken up running.

  However, not of the things that I love have given me an understanding of what it means to be a
hockey dad.  So, if my son is going to love hockey (and Oh he seems to love it), then I need to learn about hockey and specifically what is involved with being a hockey dad.  I know that I will learn a lot as I journey with him as a hockey player, but I have decided that I need a good solid background before we start.  I need to understand the game on all the levels that will allow me to be supportive and involved with my son as a hockey player (because golf appears to be a no go).  Anyway, this blog will document my journey as I become a Hockey Dad.

Here is what I think I need to learn...

• The basic rules of game play.  
• This is an area where I have some knowledge in watching the game on occasion, but I am sure I could brush up on my knowledge.
• The equipment
• I know what you need to play hockey and play it safely, what I don't know is how it all works and how you put it on.  I have mastered the basics (skates, helmets and gloves) which people tell me is a great start.
• Strategy
• So, I, like many, can be a great armchair coach, but I feel that yelling vulgarities at my son and his teammates will not be the motivator I think it is for Canada's youth on the World Junior and Olympic stages.  I also feel that other humans will be farm ore critical of my lack of understanding of even basic strategy than my wife and cats (for the record, my wife is not as understanding as the cats).
• How I can help my son be a better player.
• I have spent my whole parental life, working to help my son be a better human being.  I can only hope that some of that will transfer over.  That being said, when your 5 year old can outskate you, you better bring some mad skills in the suggestion department if you want to be taken seriously.

In terms of timelines, I figure that I have from now until October 2018 to get to a place where I can feel comfortable in calling myself a Hockey Dad.  So, I begin my Bachelors of Hockey Daditude an 8 month course (which is likely to be harder than any learning I have done up to this point.  That being said, I have never been more excited to learn something in my entire life.