Well…It’s been awhile since the first article and mostly that’s because life can be hectic. Since we last touched base we have played multiple games, had an awesome team building night, a break for the beloved Elmvale Fall Fair and then some more games to build character. But mostly the absence is because it’s easy to write a feel good, look at how awesome we are, we win everything type of article. It’s much harder to find the positive in what feels like a sea of negativity. It’s difficult to be impartial and not to see what we did wrong. We are parents and aren’t parents always the hardest on their kids? Don’t let me lead you astray, this story does have a happy ending!!
We’ve played Collingwood, Highland Storm, South Muskoka and Flesherton. Our sponsor, the Elmvale Lions Club, would be proud of our boys. Our track record hasn’t been the best with 3 losses and 1 win, but our boys showed something very important... and that is a “NO QUIT” attitude. As parents we want to teach our children that you can’t just give up when the time gets tough. We want to prove to them that hard work prevails and that some important lessons come from what they feel is failure in that moment.
As I stood in the stands and screamed “skate” at the top of my lungs… ask around and they will tell you that I am loud…I saw some of the most touching moments on and off the ice. I saw so much passion on the bench. Grown men turned into excitable boys willing that puck onto the sticks of our boys and then into the net. I saw parents, like myself, standing, screaming, clutching their hands in anticipation. Wanting nothing more than to jump onto that ice and do it for their kids.
But mostly the moments that really got to me, was watching our boys. Each shift working harder than the first. No matter the outcome from the last game, charging into the new game with confidence and a healthy bundle of nerves. That moment when you see every player fist pump each other, as a reminder that no one is alone out there. They are a team! But the more I watch them, the more I feel like they are quickly becoming a family. Anyone can see how much these boys know, that the only way that they will succeed is to encourage, defend and work with each other. Whether we just scored a goal or had one scored on us, the boys huddle just the same. As if they are much older and wiser than just the 9 and 10 years old that they are.
As promised there is a happy ending and that came in the game against Flesherton. The first period was a little iffy and us parents had cautious optimism. Knowing what our boys were capable of, but Flesherton came out strong and scored with 8 minutes left in the first. You would think that the boys would get deflated, but it was the opposite. With every shift the boys gained momentum and were finally rewarded with a goal that came from a beautiful pass by Jack Crooker onto to Garrett Oakes stick and it flew to the back of the net.
Our boys pressured Flesherton and showed off some of the fancy passing skills that they have been working on. That passing gained us another goal in the second period. Jamie Tschop McLaren gave a flawless pass to Spencer Galvin and the goalie didn’t stand a chance.
We went into the 3rd period with a 2-1 lead, but Flesherton wasn’t going to give up without a fight and they managed to sneak one in to tie the game. The boys were more determined than before, with strategies being talked about on the bench and on the ice, relentless digging in the corners and behind the net by all. Cooper Anderson managed to dig the puck out and pass it out front and Evan Krikorian flawlessly sent it to the back of the net. As Flesherton began to panic, our boys dominated. Bryson Yardy took the puck end to end with a victorious shot,...the goalie didn’t know what to do. We finished out the game with a spectacular goal by Jack Crooker that was set up by Spencer Galvin’s impressive passing skills.
I’m sure that by now you can see what I was talking about in the beginning. Our win was’t because of one player, or because of one line. Our win was because of each and every child on that ice. It was because of each and every position out there. It was because they BELIEVE in each other and that is pretty incredible if you ask me!!!