What is a hockey mom?

[HisSelf]

I can't say that I know because whenI was a boy (cue the reverb) we didn't have hockey moms. We had hockey dads.

Hockey dads would show up for every game with parts of the team and referee equipment in the trunks of their cars. If one of them didn't show, weird things would happen. The referee would stand at centre ice instead of following the game. Nobody would clean the ice between periods. It was a lot like a church supper except there was nothing to eat. They would referee games even though we called them names. They would coach games. They would pile us like sardines into their cars and drive us hundreds of miles to play in regional championships. They would be there on the sidelines hollering their lungs out and banging us on the back when we did well. They would show up suddenly with some piece of equipment they thought we needed and they would make us wear it. They had some sort of special influence over the coach: if we didn't wear it, we'd find ourselves missing shifts. And they would pay for it themselves.

We were only twelve years old and we couldn't believe that these guys... these engineers, businessmen, broke hustlers and print setters gave a damn about us. It was the first indication that we had that we belonged in the world and that somebody cared about how well we did. And then we would get back home and in the paper the next day, there would be, in a very small column, on a back page, a recounting of our goals, assists and goals against record.

The first time I saw my name in print for scoring two goals in a town hundreds of miles away was magic.

Edited September 6, 2008 by HisSelf

[capricorn]

In my experience, hockey moms are no different than hockey dads and just as numerous. Except that perhaps she was the one that prepared the coffee or hot chocolate in the thermos to take to the arena for the 6 am or 7 am practice on Saturday and Sunday. The younger the kid, the earlier the practice it seemed. And when kids from other communities came for a tournament, hockey moms looked after the creature comfort needs of the out of town "billets" staying with the family.

In the hockey stands in the arenas I attended there were as many hockey moms as dads. Some were pitbulls, some were wannabe refs or coaches, some cursed and some just looked on. The one common thing is they came to see their sons play and, cheer them and their team on.

Often, hockey moms and dads morph into soccer moms and dads. The schedule is the same but the weather is warmer and the mosquitoes omnipresent.

In my case we had two sons registered for hockey and then soccer followed. Boy, that made for some juggling. We both worked full time and many of our weekends were spent in arenas and on soccer fields. The occasional out of town tournament was a welcome break from the routine and I think parents had more fun than the kids.

It was all worth it in every respect and I'm sure that later on, the kids appreciate the sacrifices made by these hockey/soccer moms and dads.

[August1991]

The first time I saw my name in print for scoring two goals in a town hundreds of miles away was magic.

That's a very good post, HisSelf.

I always thought that it was funny that the Giant league was for the six year olds and the PeeWee league was for the older kids. The youngest got the earliest ice time and would struggle out of bed well before the sun rose on cold Saturday mornings. I can attest to the existence of hockey moms even long ago. I think Gordie Howe's wife described herself as such.

[M.Dancer]

I miss "The Tournement"

[capricorn]

The Republican vice-presidential candidate for the United States of America, she says, was a typical hockey mom. "I'm sure it's the same where you live.

She'd be at the arena at 6 or 7 in the morning in her parka and sweatpants for Track's practices. Hot chocolate in a thermos. She'd be at every game she could make. Even as mayor. Like any hockey mom, she'd get exasperated if Track forgot a piece of his equipment at home.

"Sarah would be in the seats whooping and hollering. Jumping up. Yelling encouragement. She loves hockey. She's enthusiastic about everything she does. In tournaments -- and some were against teams from Canada -- she'd be in the box keeping score and the penalties. She helped out everybody. She'd be at the desk taking donations or at the souvenir table, selling things."

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Columnists/M...694816-sun.html

Yes, typical behaviour of hockey moms as I described in my previous post. Looks like hockey moms are really a force in North America to be reckoned with.

[HisSelf]

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/Columnists/M...694816-sun.html

Yes, typical behaviour of hockey moms as I described in my previous post. Looks like hockey moms are really a force in North America to be reckoned with.

Yep. That's a hockey mom. I'll accept the article even though it is from a right wing paper. I'd trust it more if it were in the Citizen, although even that is not what it used to be.