FROM A HOCKEY PARENT


Having my coffee sifting through Facebook getting ready to tackle the summer season planning, I came across a post that made me stop and think. One of those posts that actually stops the scrollbar long enough to click on the “read more” option. It could have been that we were just coming off March madness – one of the best to date. Upsets everywhere and the underdog ending up on top where no one predicted they would be. I love the underdog: the potential messages they can deliver are endless. The upsets remind everyone that what is on paper is only on paper.


I came across this post. It is from a Hockey parent; but


in reality, it is from any parent that gives their time, money and heart to their children’s sport of choice. Any sport. And it describes perfectly what motivates parents to make such a significant investment. Yes, we want our kids to be fit and healthy. We want to keep them busy so they stay out of trouble. But really, at the end of the day this post is the value we see in our investment. As you read along, please replace “hockey” with whatever sport you or your children play. The message is universal.


Anonymous contribution


One of my friends asked “Why do you pay so much money for your kids to play hockey?” Well I have a confession to make, I don’t pay for my kids’ hockey. Personally, I couldn’t care less about hockey. (Kinda)


• I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired they want to quit but don’t.


• I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are “too tired” to go their practice but go anyway.


• I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined.


• I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body.


• I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates.


• I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don’t get that score they’d hoped for, the C or A on their jersey or the # on their back but still have to work hard anyway.


• I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals.


• I pay for my kids 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 for the off chance that they may have an amazing coach that will teach them more than just hockey drills but about life


• I pay for the opportunity my kids have and will have to make life-long friendships.


• I pay so that my kids can be in the rink 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 provide my kids with to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others.


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