I thought it was about time for another post about my experiences with my hockey team. As I mentioned before, I joined a women’s hockey team this year; I’ve never played hockey and I haven’t skated since I was a youngster. When I first joined this team I didn’t know what to expect and I was nervous playing for the first time. I find most of the women on our team fairly accepting of a newbie but just as starting a new job or being in a social situation where you don’t know anyone, some aren’t so accepting. Frankly, I’m there to play hockey and whether these women like me or not is of no consequence to me. I’m learning and I’m improving every game, my skating is getting stronger and I’m not afraid to go after the puck – sounds easy, going after the puck, but when a 6’4 woman is on the opposite end of that puck – not so easy. I’ve been run down and shoved around more than a few times. You are absolutely right in what you are thinking – doesn’t sound like a place to get some me time, but for some reason when I’m chasing after that puck and fighting for the puck to stay out of our end – I lose all sense of where I am, I don’t think about anything, work, kids, husband, bills absolutely nothing except getting that bloody puck. I’m somewhat surprised how much I enjoy it and it was my son who put it into perspective for me. Before I joined this team, at dinner one night I was talking to my husband and the boys about why I shouldn’t commit to this hockey team and I was using all the excuses that busy mothers use – I don’t have time, I have housework, dinner to cook, laundry to do and I hardly get any time to myself so maybe I should use the time I would be playing hockey to sit down, relax and have a cup of tea! Brendan (my twelve year old and always philosophical) says “you can do that when you’re eighty!” I have to admit – that hit a nerve with me. I’ve never played any sport and as a child wanted to join something but there were issues with my parents that made playing sports impossible(long story – another blog). I sat there for a minute and thought, “he’s right, why not right now!”
It’s certainly not a glamour world this world of hockey. Let’s just say most of the woman are very natural – no makeup, jewellery, come-as you-are type of woman. If you think that men are the aggressors when it comes to sports think again. A couple of weeks ago we were playing lady sharks (yep – the name of the team – and sharks they can be) a group of extremely aggressive women. Our team consists mostly of beginners with a few more experienced players so I guess you can say we don’t make the cut! We never win and we’re just happy if the score is not 15 – 1. So these lady sharks come along and they play really hard and really aggressive, they hit and whack their way to goals. Not really necessary since we’re not a very good team. It’s nothing personal – it’s hockey. At the game a couple of weeks ago against lady sharks, one lady shark in particular was skating around the ice and hacking our team with her stick on the back of our legs. Back of the legs are exposed as you don’t have any padding there. She hit one woman from our team at least three times – the fourth time lady from our team yells at the lady shark – “excuse me, but what the hell are you doing?” Lady shark says “it was an accident!” “Bullshit” lady from our team says – “an accident happens once not four times, if it was an accident apologize.” Lady shark refuses to apologize, because that’s what lady sharks do, so our little lady shoves lady shark and lady shark shoves back. I thought I was going to witness a full-out fight when all of a sudden our little lady skates to our bench and gets her composure back and in a very calm voice says “sorry about that ladies but that woman made me very mad.” That was the first time I thought of my boys during that game. The boys get into silly fights all the time – you apologize, no you apologize, you did it not me and then they start shoving!
MOMWHEARINGLOSS 