Remember the other day when I was talking about the boy’s hockey teams and how I wished I could combine the two teams to take the talent from Zach’s team and the heart from Lucas’ team? Zach’s team is so blessed with so many talented players but sometimes doesn’t step up to the challenge of the tough games. The boys left last Wednesday for Michigan to compete in International Silver Sticks. They are coming home today after losing three of three guaranteed games. They had to win to stay in. Not only did they not win, they lost ~ decisively! Totally sucks!! (Zach did not go with the team because of his broken arm and we didn’t feel it would be good to miss three days of school for him to go watch his buddies play hockey.)

Hockey Mamas are not like other Mamas. I think we do things a little bigger, a little louder and a little more intensely than Mamas of other sporting kids. And I feel like I am one crazy Hockey Mama. When the boys win there is no bigger champion than I am. When they lose — well, I can go a little nutso, especially when they lose to teams who have no more talent than they do. When they work their butts off and are just out played I get it. But when they play and don’t try it drives me CRAZY! Last year the boys were in the playoffs for league champions and they just stopped playing. They didn’t try, they weren’t skating, they didn’t care. I lost it. I became one of the craziest Mamas ever. It’s a story maybe only another hockey mama would get but I broke my wedding ring banging on the glass trying to get the boys motivated and working…yep, BROKE my wedding ring! Stan’s “pride” was evident as we realized I lost four rubies and collapsed the entire setting. Lesson to me, don’t bang on the glass to get ’em motivated…it doesn’t work.

I feel we spend so much of our lives shuttling these kids from city to city the least they can do is to play the game they came to play and play it to the best of their ability…every time! As Herb Brooks says “You can’t win on talent alone.” That is evident.

Oh, for the love of….our children!