Monday, September 15, 2008

Robbie started hockey at 3


Robbie had his first Learn to Skate practice last Tuesday. He did awesome. They give beginners a folding chair to push around the rink.

It was stressful for me on the whe there. We were trying to get to the rink around 5:10. We got stuck in horrendous traffic and we were going to be late but still before the 5:30 start time. On the whe my head is racing...
"I should have explained more about hockey and what he will be doing" - He knew, and was excited, that he was going to play hockey but he didn't really know what that meant. He saw his cousin play a year ago and Robbie doesn't remember that. He has seen me play floor hockey but that is much different. He tried on all of his equipment....a month ago.
"I should have had him walk in his skates." - Obviously.
"What am I going to do if it's hard for him to get up and he quits?"
"Why the f*^% isn't this traffic moving!"

We got there and the kids were on the ice. It was then that Stacey told me that hockey starts at 5:20 and it was 5:30. We rushed to get his gear on (he was excited at every piece, giggling and jumping and air punching and pumping). Stacey was trying to help but wasn't briefed on the order of the equipment (another thing I should have done). It was then he took his first steps on skates. He was a little wobbly but didn't fall. His skates were size 11. His shoe is 10. His skates should be 9. His grandma went and rented skates that were 8/9 with a buckle instead of laces. Robbie saw them and wanted them instead what he had on. I took them off and put on the rentals. The rentals didn't give enough support at the ankles but he insisted on wearing them.

He walked to the ice, stepped on, and hit the ice.....and sat on the ice......and wiggled his feet........but gave up because he couldn't move. I picked him up and a coach came over and he fell again.

It went better after he got the chair but he came over after 5 minutes, "I have to tell my daddy something." His feet hurt. uh-oh. We changed skates back to his 11s with laces and sent him back out. He got better and had more confidence with the new skates. When he was first out there he was draped over the back of the chair and hanging on with his armpits. The coach kept trying to get him to hold on with his hands but he refused. After the new skates he held on with his hands and really pushed the chair around. He could push the chair back and forth across the ice with a skating motion by the end. He wanted his stick like some of the other kids (who have all skated before yesterday and were buzzing around the ice). We took the chair awhe and he froze. The coach did get him to walk on the ice. We were proud.

A drill they did was to have one kid push another in a chair around the ice behind both goals then switch. Robbie got a ride from the coach. The coach flew around and gave Robbie a crazy, twisty, back and forth ride with a quick snow-spray stop. Robbie looked like he didn't breath through the whole ride. His eyes filled his helmet. But he got off and then pushed the chair around himself to catch up to the kids.

In the locker room we had a conversation while taking the equipment off.
"I was really, really fast daddy!"
"You were just like Lightening McQueen buddy!"
"Vroom! I want you to remember that I was really fast daddy."
"I will Robbie."
"...even when you're dead daddy."
"I will Robbie. Even when I'm dead."

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