Exhausting but happy day at the hockey rink. No school today because of MLK day,so there was a sticks and pucks clinic with the Whalers (local NHL feeder team). We've done two of these with Thor this year, but this time was special because both Thor and Hector were doing it.
When we went skating at Christmas, Hector -aged nearly 11- suddenly decided he wanted to learn to play hockey. Now it's really hard to start at that age and this is a kid who always rejects the opportunity to try new sports in case he's crap at them, but he was determined and said he didn't mind if he ended up in a class with kids way younger than him... so we signed him up. He's had two classes so far (the Whaler's players help with the coaching) he's worked really hard and was so excited to be attending the clinic today, so that made us all happy.
Usually the whole Whalers team attends the clinic, but they had a game this afternoon so there were only the half a dozen who were not rostered to play. but it was still a good clinic, Hectore wearing the full hockey gear for only the third time in his life and playing his first ever scrimage.... followed by a pizza party. and then the game. and because there weren't many whalers at the clinic and pizza party (where they normally do an autograph sessions), the kids were given the opportunity to play during the first intemission and then go to the locker room at the end of the game for autographs.
Fucking Awesome Game, Whalers (currenly placed 2nd in their division) won over the Windsor Spitfires (leading the division). Lots of fights, lots of goals. And then after the game the Whalers came back on the ice to skate will all the kids for about 45 minutes -Thor and Hector got their helmets autographed.
I'm bloody knackered now, though. Our seats were about as far as they could be from the locker room the kids were using, so I spent half the time belting up and down stairs and along corridors under the stand to get them in and out of kit in record time
I'm calling that my exercise for today.