FROM A HOCKEY PARENT:
One of my friends asked “Why do you pay so much money and spend so much time running around for your children to play hockey ?” Well I have a confession to make: I don’t pay for my children’s hockey. Or their equipment and uniforms. Or their turf time, clinics and camps.
So, if I am not paying for hockey, what am I paying for?
– I pay for those moments when my children become so tired and feel like quitting but they don’t
– I pay for the opportunities that my children can have and will have to make life-long friendships.
– I pay for the chance that they may have amazing coaches/ mentors that will teach them that hockey is not just about a game but about life.
– I pay for my children to learn to be disciplined.
– I pay for my children to learn to take care of their bodies.
– I pay for my children to learn to work with others and to be a proud, supportive, kind and respectful team members.
– I pay for my children to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get that goal /save they hoped for, or fall during a breakaway they have practiced a thousand times, but they still get up and are determined to do their BEST next time…
– I pay for my children to learn to make and accomplish goals.
– I pay for my children to learn that it takes hours and hours and hours and hours of hard work and practice to create a champion, and that success does not happen overnight.
– I pay so that my children can be on the field instead of in front of a screen…
I could go on but, to be short, I don’t pay for hockey; I pay for the opportunities that hockey provides my children to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen for many, many years, I think it is a great investment!
