Did you know the first hockey puck ever used was a frozen piece of cow poop? Yes, this is one of the more interesting facts about one of my favorite sports: ice hockey. I guess growing up between two athletic brothers in northern Minnesota forced me to fall in love with the aggressive sport. Both Channing and Shea, my older and younger brother, are passionately involved with hockey. Whether it’s the weekly high school hockey games at our home arena, or it’s attending almost all of the University of Minnesota hockey games each season, as a family hockey has always been a part of our lives.
Although I was never a player myself, I have had my fair share of hockey experience. As a child I would travel almost every weekend in the winters to attend my brothers’ tournaments. I enjoyed every second of those long, cold weekends. There is something about the intensity of the sport that grabs my attention. To be a hockey player, one must be completely dedicated. There is absolutely no slacking in hockey. I know this by not only watching my brothers grow up spending all of their time practicing outside on our backyard ice rink, but I managed my high school hockey team for a year. Managing gave me a different perspective of hockey. I had a better understanding, and appreciation, for the chilly sport.
As manager I was expected to appear at all of the practices and games for my team. I took stats and had to keep an eye out for anything that was worthy of writing down. The year I managed our high school hockey team, I probably attended over 10 fast-pace games. As a kid I never really understood hockey the way I did that year. I had a behind the scenes look at what all went into hockey. Not only did they have the purchase of multiple 200 dollar sticks per year, but the pads and equipment were extremely expensive for each of the players. Once they had bought the equipment necessary for the season, the long nights of practices began.
Each practice was filled with drills and workouts making the players reek of B.O. every night. Considering how exhausting the practices looked as a girl on the bleachers, the players never once complained. In fact, they would stay after practice and continue skating with one-another. It showed me their love for the sport. I was convinced. Hockey players are different than any other type of athlete. I understand how hard athletes work to become skilled, and of course they need to be dedicated, but hockey players show a different kind of dedication. During the winter season, the hockey players I was around didn’t have anything close to social lives. Hockey WAS their life. That is a type of dedication that not all sports expect. Maybe I am just biased, but if you believe that skating on ice while checking and passing a small black puck around the arena doesn’t take a great deal of commitment and dedication, then you need to attend a game. Your mind will be changed within the first five minutes of the puck dropping. There’s nothing like it.
Mallory 