From The Stands

January; an Auspicious Month

January can be such a beautiful winter month or
a puzzling one, if you are a hockey parent. The days are 
cold and short, while the nights are hot and tempered if
you are at a rink. This is a time of the year when teams
are participating in tournaments for fun and enjoyment,
ya right!

Tournaments start out being for fun, but then parents get
involved blowing off steam on referees, coaches, and even 
their own players. So much for team bonding when parents
have their own agendas for their kids.

January, now that two thirds of the season is over and a 
lot of teams are gearing up for the playoffs or else a
lot team are already out of the playoff hunt. As a 
hockey parent, I ask myself how this affects my club.
Does he/she still receive a regular shift or does he/she get
overlooked for the betterment of the team?

Hockey is supposed to be fun, ya right.

January also brings on another uncertainty, coaches
and player changes. Players are exposed to the uncertainty
of who their coaches maybe in the oncoming season. Their
expected to put out for their present coaches not knowing
if they will be back to coach next season. Players are
uncertain if they will be asked back, hockey is fun, ya 
right.

January is a month when you see other coaches coming to
watch your games, why? What are kids suppose to expect,
changes, uncertainly or surprises? Teams on the playoff 
hunt start playing as individuals to expose themselves
to these coaches/vultures, sitting in the stands picking
from the carcass.

January should be dedicated to the hockey parents. Allow 
the to enjoy watching their kids enjoy the game they love. 
Hopefully they have developed throughout the year if not, 
to bad. Parents should just sit in the stands and observe 
their kids and encourage them.

Finally, January should be a month just like every other
month, lets face it, bottom line it's only hockey!

P.S. I can't wait for February and the playoffs.

Signed: A Hockey Parent

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