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“Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all others.” – Cicero. I drove to the rink to watch my youngest play to hockey games today with a heart full of gratitude. First of all, the game was at home – a total godsend. Secondly, there’s nothing better than watching your kid play the game they love. No matter how we hockey parents feel, we’re still gonna show up at the rink to watch our kids. It didn’t hurt, of course, that they won both games. Excitedly, the Mayor had the game wining goal in the 2nd game.
Yesterday, during the torrential rains of Tropical Storm Philippe, Goalielocks and I went to Dick’s and PetSmart. While driving to the store, we started talking about the current state of youth sports. For instance, when I was growing up most kids played multiple sports. In contrast, today’s kids are specializing in one sport by age 12. Moreover, the cost to play for today’s kids has become astronomical. In order to stay competitive, many kids play on tournament teams, attend clinics, take private lessons and go to camps. This, however, comes with an extremely colossal price tag that puts youth sports out of reach for many. This was mind blowing to Goalielocks. As we drove home last night, I think Goalielocks understood how lucky he’s been having played travel hockey since 2011.
My heart is full with gratitude for the boys’ opportunity to play hockey. Our boys have been playing travel hockey since 2011. In the year since, we’ve had incredible experiences with their teams. Moreover, the boys had the fantastic opportunity to travel with their teams to Boston, Minnesota, Ottawa, Washington D.C., and Quebec. This season we will be travelling to Chicago, Atlanta and Boston. Needless to say my boys’ are extremely excited for these trips.
There are many things that fill my heart with gratitude, but none more than the incredible people in my life. From my parents and in-laws, to my brothers, my hockey family, my friends and my work squad, I am lucky to be surrounded by incredible people that make my heart sing.
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