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Monday 31 March 2014

A Collision Based Sport...

I've just been reading Tiny Sambo at her blog report a recent injury from the last seconds of an inline game.  She says she was hit by the opposite team's biggest skater, dislocated kneecap the result.  Sounds like it really hurt.  Keen on the rehab, she's hoping to back and competing come mid April. 

I don't know much about this type of injury. Hopefully I won't have to research it out of necessity one day.  Whatever the regular recovery times, it sounds like she's fortunate in that a previous car accident has left her knee cap thinner than is the norm, resulting in less damage in the present circumstances (and, presumably, quicker recovery).  Funny thing, fate.

Reading of her woes brought my mind back to the presence of risk and harm in our sport, bodily injury in particular.  It's an intrinsic part of our pursuit.  I read somewhere recently that something like 70% of injuries that prevent NHL players from one or more games are actually 'caused' by the skater themself.  No outside agency required.  That means that, in this model, 30% of moderate to serious injuries are caused by outside agency.  Generally speaking, an opponent.

If for convenience sake we remove 'fighting' from the categories of things an opponent can do to harm us, the next most easily thought of is putting on some form of bodycheck - and intentional hit with the body to the body.  In the bodychecking leagues (bantams (!), A grade and above in Adelaide) there are rules placing certain types of hit off limits (eg. late hits, hits to the head, boarding, cross checking).  Penalties become severe indeed.

In a 'non checking' game like inline hockey or ice hockey league (mine) there's still a lot of checking going on, just no bodychecks.  And all because there are no bodychecks doesn't mean there are no body contacts.  As they by definition can't be 'intentional' (or else they become a bodycheck of some type) they must always be a consequence of a legitimate move (everything from falling over to the battle of strength for the puck along the boards or position in the crease).  And whether racing for the puck or jostling for position, when contacts occur they are often more in the nature of a collision than mere 'contact'.  When I first heard the term 'collision based sport' applied to ice hockey, it rang true.  Methinks, to a lesser degree, inline hockey is also a collision based sport.  Spoken of in this manner, it is obvious that hurt will result.  One just hopes not too much harm.

I think, for example, that the closest I've come to 'harming' was in about my second game of ice hockey.  I was sliding on my arse, feet first, at high speed towards the boards behind the goals.  There were bodies everywhere.  Out of nowhere (actually, sliding in a path perpendicular to mine from behind the goals) a head appeared, inches in front of my upturned skate blade.  Somehow in the impossibly short time frames involved I realised that I was about to plough my blade into someone's face (beneath the visor) and managed to twist my ankle so that no contact occurred and we just crashed in a heap of bodies into the boards and no harm done.  I can't remember the face that I nearly hit as we were both on our feet and fighting for the puck again the next moment.  Perhaps that's a good thing, because it makes it hard to imagine the damage that could have happened had I blinked or closed my eyes.

Or, my second inline game, when I 'lost my edge' near the boards as tried to turn inside my opponent and sent us both crashing to the floor.  We didn't land on each other, but I saw her knee hit the rink from close quarters and it really hurt (she jokes about it now, but I think she can still feel it occasionally).

Accidents aside, there's plenty of push and shove in non body checking collision based sports.  When this happens at any speed, and especially at high speed and/or near the boards, it can take on many of the outward characteristics of a body check. The degree of physicality can be quite high, and as a result one or more of the competitors can find themselves off balance, on the ice, dazed or otherwise disturbed from the task at hand.  One truly hopes, though, no injuries.

Hits on open ice against stationary opponents, however, are not condoned.  Although I've not seen a fight in a game I've played in (except for an opposition player once pounding into one of his own supporters - season suspension), I'm pretty sure that such an act could well cause one.

It just shows how much we all rely on each other to so often get through this gig in one piece!

Sunday 30 March 2014

Sunday Skate - The Day After

For an almost an hour and a half I got to skate with no real objective or agenda other than to skate (except for checking in on the kids, who migrated between small and big ice as their comfort levels allowed).  Basically, it was me and my skates.  Yay!

A bit of a shock, however, awaited me in the realisation that it had been two weeks since I'd last been on the ice, which meant that two weeks of fairly intense inline training had my skating self (body, mind, neural pathways) keyed to a different pitch than 'ice', that I was pretty fragile after yesterday's efforts, and that my skates haven't been sharpened for almost three months (the first month of which they got a lot of use).  In other words, I'd have to be careful, not immediately follow my skating desires.  And, adding to the sense of skating on the edge, was that any falls would probably hurt twice as much as usual due my weakened physical condition.  Lucky I love a challenge.

For the first few laps it was basically just go at a comfortable pace, no tricks.  Even my hockey stop had degraded to a snow plough.  Keep at it, find my edges, feel their limits, don't transgress.  Stance felt natural, no muscle strain, lower than when on the inlines.  Speed, slow to moderate, occasionally at high cruising speed.  Mohawks, remind self to not do the splay foot turn on my present edges, work on getting my transitions going left/right and forward/backward.  Return to the hockey stop.  Drill it hard in the corners. 

Stay in the envelope, but push it.  Expand the bubble of confidence.  Feel the competence return to fill the voids.

Moment of realisation - having deprogramed myself mentally and physically over a fortnight (at least as far as the ice is concerned) had created a 'deep learning' opportunity in that not only had my good habits to some degree dissolved, but so had my bad.  In other words, aspects of my skating that were especially resistant to change before my break (eg the difficulty in planting the outside edge on the hockey stop, with all the consequent limitations to future development of the art that this entailed) were now exposed and malleable.  Thus, in drilling the hockey stops I put emphasis of the two footedness of the stop, the swivel nature of the core, the weighting on the outside edge.  Will be interesting to see how much of it sticks in the next few weeks.

I kept the drills short, had the odd breather on the edge of the rink (used these breathers to check on the kids, give them words of advice and encouragement).  Managed my energy.

At the end of my session I felt great, though tired and, after Tracey had picked up the kids, luxuriated like a lizard lounging in the sun at the bus stop.  How convenient that the bus to the rink also stops just around the corner from my home!

Another great Sunday skate!

Sunday Skate - Kids

I got to the Ice Arena just on 2pm (as agreed) to meet up with the kids for our Sunday Skate.  They weren't there yet, so I put on my skates and was just thinking through the logistics of either waiting for them in the lobby area or going into the main area and the rinks.  B (9) solved the problem by dashing through the entrance to tell me some exciting nine year old news, before telling me who was here.  Turned out I was responsible for him, his sister E (7) and their friend T (10).  Which was fine.

Showed my silver medal from yesterday to my grandsons, B and J (who was with his mum to drop off the others).  They were suitably admiring of it, though B had to first make sure that this was a medal that wasn't given out to everyone who played (ie that it actually was an award).  Which shows me that, for some kids at least, mere baubles don't count, things have to actually mean something.  I think they were both happy for me, and proud.  Awww.

I helped all three kids get their hire skates adjusted.  We must be getting pretty good at it because, an hour and a half later, none of them had any new blisters.  The unspoken lesson?  If there's a problem, it's usually the skater, not the skate.

Having got the kids sorted, they were off to the ice and I got to put all the shoes and jackets and bags in a neat secure pile.  I then headed out to the big rink, was about to get on, when remembered that I better go and let the kids know our 'plan' for the day (especially T, who didn't really know me, and whom of which I didn't know how well she could skate (ie how much I would need to be on hand)).  So, it was do a double take and head to the small ice instead.

I knew B was fine as a skater.  It took about a millisecond to see that E has now graduated to 'self managing' on the ice also.  Was glad to see T seemed to know something about ice skating, albeit she was hanging onto the edge as she worked her way around.  I had a little chat with her, she seemed quite comfortable doing what she was doing, so I let her know that I'd hang around on the small ice awhile to make sure she was okay and then we'd see how we'd work the rest of our time here.  I watched her do a couple laps (in between checking E and B) and then head off the boards and concentrate on keeping upright as she went around.  She was fine.

Relieved, I let the kids know what I was up to and headed out to the big ice.

Thoughts while watching soccer

Eventually getting to sleep last night after My Big Day I managed to sleep seven solid hours, waking up in the all pervading fog of a generalised ache.  Minimising movement as I went about the core of my morning routines, realised that was committed to going for my regular Sunday Skate with B (9) and an unknown number of other children.  That set the timelines, as the bus I'd have to catch to get me there at the agreed time left in three hours.

I spent a goodly time fixing up last night's blog posts and writing the post that precedes this one.  Then it was; get breakfast, rest my brain (all the writing I'd done was almost as taxing on my energy, I discovered, as the physical movement I would have otherwise done if not in front of the computer screen), get dressed, get packed, watch a bit of soccer on the telly, and, go.

Watching the soccer (Adelaide United v Wellington Phoenix) I again noticed some degree of simillitude with ice hockey.  In particular, watching Adelaide's system of reset-strike, I found myself critiquing the culminating moves of a couple attacking plays in the same register which I use when watching NHL games.  The thought sequence ended with the view that Adelaide's passing was pretty poor in the scoring zone, consistently a step behind the pace, and some possible corrective strategies that could be used. 

The realisation of the congruence, at some level at least, of the the two sports in turn led to an internal 'compare and contrast' exercise.  Eventually, this thought sequence dissolved into more practical avenues when, blow me down, the soccer commentator made reference to ice hockey!  In this instance, after there had been a minor fracas in the penalty box after the Adelaide goalie had been knocked to the ground, the commentator justified the juvenile nature of the on-camera dispute by claiming that it was 'natural' for sportsmen to act like spoiled brats, 'afterall, in Ice Hockey if you push the goal keeper you'll get a stick in the face.' 

Pretty ignorant comment, really, but the thought was appreciated.

Vikings Grand Final - Rockers 5 defeat Wheelers 4

Last night the Wheelers went down valiantly to the Rockers in a 5-4 shootout for the North Vikings Inline Hockey Club's Summer C Grade Grand Final.  Ours was the first of four Grand Final matches from the senior grades to be played that evening at the Gawler Recreation Centre so we had a fair crowd (couple hundred including kids and walk-throughs from the festival event on the neighboring oval, to which there is direct access from the building that houses the rink).  The two most skilled players in competition were playing head to head, one (Jonathan Platton) being awarded GF Most Valued Player on the night, and the other (Dylan Francis) the MVP and Top Scorer awards for the season.  The game featured an early lead, a thrilling come back, an at times brutal (for inline) level of competition, a tied game and a deciding shootout that hung on the last shot.  Despite the loss, a great end to our season and a great curtain raiser to the night of finals hockey that followed.  And, I got a medal!

I'll update this post later, should have written it last night in the immediate aftermath but wanted to catch the Semi Final and Interlude in this blog before they totally faded from memory.  Therefore will suffice to include a few of my impressionistic recollections for later expansion.

Playing a second game of the day against a fresh team = a slow start for us = a 2-0 lead for the Rockers within the first minute!
The pride I have in our team for not being mentally shattered by the opening minute's disaster.
Relatively large number of penalties as the game progressed.
Being hacked and slashed repeatedly, answering back.
Hussling their husslers in their slot, upsetting players who hooked me.
Bodyjams in the corner.
Being the 'victim' for penalties against oppo for a trip and roughing incident.
Being smashed in the visor by another swung stick.
Answering back and escalating against a dirty player's hacking around the face off.
As a result being mutually warned by the referee.
Our temporary coach and the rising mood on our growing bench.
Our comeback and the final scoreless mad minute of regular time.
Being given the opportunity to have the second shot in the shootout.
Taking it.
Shooting.
Not scoring.
The medal.
The trip home.

Actually, looking at the above list, I reckon there's a few posts on the subject!

Great game.  Great season.  Great sport.

And, it's a nice medallion to remember it by!

I had one (?) shot at goal again.  Was on the rink for one of our goals and one of theirs.  My end of rookie season stats, including playoffs, is therefore:
GP 8 G 4 A 1 Pts 5 4-2-1-1 PIM 0 +3

Interlude

I had four hours (probably more like three) between the Semi and Grand Finals.  All of the Wheelers hung around throughout.  We watched a bit of the footy together (Showdown - Port v Adelaide - Port won yay!).  Then went our various ways to do our various things. 

Me, I changed into some dry clothes, went and checked the large community event happening on the oval next door, then went and ate my lunch (of cheese sandwiches,  two hard boiled eggs (plus salt), a handful of nuts and some dried fruit, washed down with a cuppa and a litre of water) in the car park while a pipe and drum band warmed up before their march around the oval.  Then, I went and watched the kilted march and fell under the sway of the pipes of war.

Then it was back into my wet gear and loosen up the muscles for the big game.  Twelve, or even six, months ago, there is no way I could have played two games like I did today with anything like the level of energy that I managed to achieve.  That has come about through learning a lot about my own body and mind over my rookie seasons in ice and inline, and all the supplementary 'skills' have acquired as a result. 

For example, some basic anatomy and biomechanics (stretching before and after a game), energy input and digestive timeframes (having a rice and chicken meal at 10am, the afformentioned 'lunch' to the sound of bagpipes),  hydration and dehydration (the types of food eaten over the last couple days, 4L water yesterday, 6L by the end of the second game today), nervousness management (watch an episode of Leonardo's Demons to take my mind off the game and stop the slow build up of butterflies in the morning), etc.

I had a really nice four hours between games, both with my team and the township of Gawler (on the oval for their fair-like event).


Semi Final - Wheelers (4) d Shufflers (1)

At 2:30pm this arvo we took on the third placed Shufflers for the right to play the Rockers in the Grand Final later on.  Although we'd  have been the favourites, we've had nothing but close physical games against this team, and only managed a tie on the last occasion.  They perhaps missed the aggression of the Rockers, but had a certain seriousness of intent which always makes a team a threat.  And I know that several of them are noticeably improving their skills from week to week.

It was a bonus for me that Jess gave me a lift to Gawler (no car this weekend, would otherwise have had to catch a bus and a train - an hour and a half each way at best) and then stayed around to record the game.  I haven't organised yet to get the film uploaded, when I do I'll separately notify, and add it in here.  It will be interesting to see how my memories compare with the 'objective record.'  Thanks Jess!

The game began with us scoring an early goal, and them replying off a fluke bad bounce off our goalie's stick as he gently swatted at a slowly traveling puck that had been cleared from the opposition's defensive zone.  At half time it was still one all.

The second half started as a close fought affair, perhaps with us having an edge in the skating department and turning this into capital by preventing them exerting their shooting ability on the scoreboard.  Our first line combined to put one in the net about half way through the period.  The tilt was on. Brendan whacked another in two minutes later.

Finally, with a little over two minutes to go, I managed to capitalise on a slightly panicked goalie as he tried to swat the puck behind his net.  I retrieved it ahead of the expected opponent sweeping around the net from the other side, dragged it back to the front corner of the goal net against someone else's stick blade trying to chop it back out.  Push the puck (and, behind it, the goalie's leg) around the corner's apex.  Can hear more bodies approaching behind.  Notice a gap of a few inches between goalie's skates and the goal post.  Puck awkwardly at my feet as I stand in the crease facing the back corner.

Which is when I did the thing that made this a special (milestone) goal for me - I didn't immediately/instinctively swat at the puck in the hope of a goal, but rather 'sensed' what was around me, deliberated, did a very small controling deke to settle the puck on my backhand, and then pushed it through the gap with a controlled snap of the wrists and up into the net.  For a moment it was as though time stopped with me paused and still, puck on the end of my stick.  Finally, a genuine 'garbage goal.'  Justine would be proud (Justine has been the Knights' coach (ice hockey).  Sweet!

*Little punch in the air with right hand holding stick at midpoint*

The Shufflers as always were an enjoyable team to play.  Our games always seem to end in smiles all round and friendly conversations later.  It was enjoyable to be able to point out to one of my fellow trainees that three times I'd seen him go over exactly the same way, and be able to show him exactly what he was doing, or a younger lass who seemed to genuinely think I was a remarkably fast skater (I'm not, despite what she and a few others think, but I have got better acceleration than I had a few months ago - the first three steps are indeed the most important).  Tough opponents on the rink, friends off of it.

This game was probably the best that the Wheelers have played since I joined them.  We resolved amongst ourselves to keep the defence covered, attack the slot, cover the spaces.  And that is pretty well what we did.  It also helped that we had some temporary strangers acting as our coaches, directing traffic for us.  Our newly discovered system, however, was breaking down during the last five minutes.  We got sloppy and started making fewer and poorer decisions.  This coincided with a couple of long shifts.  I was glad to score a goal because it put the game almost in our laps.

The 'lesson' I put into play today was the defensive skill of always keeping both the play and one's opponent in sight.  It entails fairly continual feet movement, which is a bonus.  (I had a list of hockey aphorisms I picked up from the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) online development manual (link missing).

Of note, we had 58 shots on goal.  They had 30.  I think I had about 1, but felt I did contribute with more than my garbage goal.  Sadly, I was also on when they got their lucky goal.

Then it was outside to see Jess back to her car (she had to get home in time for the footy) and, for me, a four hour wait before the Grand Final.

GP 7 G 4 A 1 Pt 5 4-2-1-1 +3

Saturday 29 March 2014

Pre-game - Finals Day

Crunch time.  Tomorrow the Wheelers play in the Semi Final versus the Shufflers at 2:10 pm.  The winner of that game returns at 6:30 pm to play the rested Rockers in the Grand Final.  Tall order and tough ask.  Not, however, impossible.  I've had a win and a draw against the Shufflers, and a win and two losses against the Rockers.

We will have to play hard to beat the Shufflers because they are a team that really wants to win and they have a number of shooters.  We are a better skating team, however, and as long as we keep our heads amidst the blows of the puck gods, and communicate, we should be able to prevail.

Assuming we do, our next task will be a huge ask, taking on the fresh Rockers in the Grand Final while we're still hurting from the earlier game.  Knowing they've beaten us two of the last three games.  Knowing we played poorly against them in the Preliminary Final.  At this point, we just have to build on what we did the game before, and be prepared to 'leave it all on the rink' by game end.  The rest will be up to the puck gods.

For our team,  we need to be very careful that don't get blown (or, until the end of the Grand Final at least).  But we will also have to skate hard.  The answer?  Shift discipline!  We also need to not let them 'get under our skin.'  No chat back, don't feed the trolls, respect the referee's position.

For me, to comply with this I will need to ask about basic approach to shift/line changes, changing on the fly, etc.  Requires definition of 'lines strategy' as a consequence, clarification of roles.  Urge communication.

More specifically for me, I need to start thinking positionally in terms of a 3 on 3 game.  Afterall, even though there is no icing or offside, that isn't a license to continually get caught pinching or playing forward as defence!  I need to look for the pass or for open rink when I have the puck in D or Centre.  I need to look for the shot when in the slot.When I don't have the puck, I need to create the pass on the offence, take out options when on the D.  When playing D, I need to stay between the puck and the goal.  I need to position myself so as to be able to keep an eye on the opponent as well as the play.  I need to talk with my team mates.

Passing, look for options, chip, dump, pass, boards?
Carrying, centralise, puck protection,  deke for control only while look for the pass or shot.
Shooting, shoot from the slot, snaps only unless have lots of time.  Chase rebounds.
Checking, stick on stick, body on body, watch the body not the puck, avoid leaning forward to pinch.  Hard initial acceleration to match their initial change of direction when faking.
Transition, particularly from offence to back check mode as soon as team lose possession, and to crash the net on the breakout for screen or rebound if not carrying the puck.
Backhand, shot, puck pick up, puck protection, carry, pass, etc.  Don't forget the option, especially for speed.  Don't forget the follow-through with stick.
Loose pucks, skate hard, puck support if not fighting for the puck.
Look think communicate.

A big day.

Rough Draft

Following my unsurprising non-selection in the Premier C Draft I had a little bit of soul searching to do.  Not so much about the non-selection (I was expecting that) as the hints and suggestions of 'development' being used as a cipher for a more sinister exculsion criteria (age).  Actually, if I'm honest, it's not so much the generic unfairness of such discrimination as how it would deny me an opportunity.  For if, as is likely, I don't get to where I'm aiming at, I'd like it to be due to combination of relative ability and the physical realities, rather than a predetermining pigeonhole being played.on me.

But, even if I get off my high horse, it needs to be recognised that if I'm to pursue my ambition it will mean a lot of time, money and pain.  I'd hate to use up my efforts chasing a chimera.  Of course, the logical non-moralistic utilitarian choice of 'what to do' would be to wait till all the ruffled feathers from the draft get unruffled again, and then privately ask the organiser (explaining my utilitarian reason why).  And I think, that's what I'll do.

But enough on such outwardly negative.things.

As I said during the immediate aftermath of the Draft, at least it clarified the direction of my activity over the coming year.  After considering this I, perhaps for the first time, put it all in the context of my skating 'career'.  In other words, I set a long term goal and a means by which I might get there.  It goes something like this:

Winter 14 - alternating Wednesdays with inline training and ice 'casual', weekly Saturday inline game, Sunday ice casual, interspersed Academy, shinny and Adrenaline games.  Emphasis on inline, goal to become a high grade inline C grader (won't get much training in over summer and still want to be useful).  Take up Jess on her offer of PT for a few months off ice work?
Summer 14/15 - C grade ice, c grade training, sunday social ice, play enough inline hockey to qualify for finals if team gets there, enough inline recreational skating to retain muscle memory.  Play on the second line, make the playoffs, perhaps win the cup.  Culminates in qualification for Premier C Grade.  If don't succeed in draft, join Old Timers League.
Winter 15 - Premier C Grade training and games, Sunday social ice, occasional Academy.  Inline contact (perhaps fortnightly training and games when the ice schedule allows).
Summer 15/16 - C grade ice, etc.  Concentrate on ice.  Aim to be selected for B Grade Try-outs.  Then, aim to be selected for B Grade.Then, win the cup on my birthday (dream big!).

It's a plan.  Might even stop smoking at some point.

Great works often start with a rough draft!

Friday 28 March 2014

Personal Training - dynamic shots

A must-win Semi Final game for the Wheelers tomorrow, followed by the Grand Final if we succeed (more on that later), both added a certain urgency and bred a certain caution in my evening skate tonight.  About 23'C, 60% humidity, skated home under rosepink clouds.

Rotated the wheels (swap inside/outside edges / left/right foot) before I set out.  I should have done this earlier this week because the inside edges (rear wheel of right skate in particular) were well and truly worn.  Just like a car, one needs to rotate the wheels/tyres to get maximum life and most even wear out of them.  With potentially two games tomorrow and the wheels already in need of rotation I didn't want to risk finding myself needing to do it before/during the second game.  Skates are always a little uncertain until one grinds off the sharpness of the realigned surfaces of the rotated wheels.

Luckily, it served my purpose to be forced to take it a little more carefully tonight.  I certainly didn't want to pick up either injury nor strain, nor to break the muscles down to the point that they'd still be unregenerated by puck drop tomorrow.  Nor so depleted of fluid and energy that am still recovering.  So, the late departure brought about by the wheel change also played into my general scheme (you know you're going with the flow when everything is pulling in the same direction!).

Getting to the court/rink, I had full intention to get straight into shooting with my two surviving pucks (after confirming that the neon orange inline puck truly is a waste of time on the undulating ashphalt as it continually starts rolling on its edge more than sliding on it's flat surface).  Which I proceeded to do.  Found that it was taking significantly longer with only two pucks, that I was very inaccurate, and that my heart wasn't in this one tonight.  Lucky I worked this out early in the gig.

As the overall intention is to have fun at training, I 'changed it up' and started practicing the moves associated with appearing to deke one way but taking off the other (the basic 'fake' that was used so well against us by John Platten of the Rockers two games ago).  I have the basic moves and worked out some of the micro-detail (eg. the necessary rotation of the stick/deke when accelerating off a back hand fake or the inevitability of losing the puck off the blade middway) but doubt very much this will show itself in my game tomorrow directly (in the 'live time' of a game, if one needs to think about a move before doing it, there won't be enough time left after thinking about it to actually do it*).  It might, however, provide a bit more of an edge when faced with an agile puck carrier.

Then, I stepped it up another notch by switching to some dynamic shooting drills.  This time round I left the pucks at the 30' line and skated in from centre.  I gathered puck fore/back hand, deked, and made sure I was gliding in face-on by the 15' circle for a shot.  Cycled through this a couple times.  Then, stepped it up further, this time picking the puck up while moving away from the goal (in all configurations), curling back left/right into a glide and having a shot.  Finally, pushed the evening all the way by doing faking with the deke in the sequence before the glide and making sure I got to the rebound.  Quite tricky, if I can one day master it!

By which time the sun had set and it was time to skate home and call it a night.

* Perhaps the unique (?) property of noradrenaline (both a neurotransmitter and a hormone) is a relevant consideration here, especially when looking at the process of developing 'muscle learning'?!

Thursday 27 March 2014

Personal Training - disintegrating the puck

A shade under one and a half hours, come back in the dusk.  Low 20's. 20% humidity.  Storms coming.  Had my 'rink' to myself.  Only did shooting practice (and incidental maneuvers when recovering pucks) as I knew it was a race against time to get home with some degree at least of safe light.  Therefore, kept to a fairly high tempo (eg. no pause between shots, swift recoveries, short drink breaks, etc).

Sets of 25 at 15': Snap 6 - Wrist 5 - Forward 6 - Backhand 7
50 wrist shots at 30' (7) and 75 at 15' (18)
Sets of 25 at 15': - Snap 9 - Forward 3 - Backhand 3

Managed to finally smash up one of my 'green biscuit' practice pucks.  Must have been the hundreds of high impacts it has had with the concrete curbing (my 'backboard' behind the goal post).  The puck that finally disintegrated to unusableness was the one that originally had some rubber bands around the circumference to lessen the impact of puck on things such as furniture etc.  It was obviously also produced to a lower structural standard than the other two (there were little bits of it breaking off at almost every shot.  I bet the primary school has been wondering where all the lime green slivers of cast iron (?) up one of the netball court are coming from!  I don't think I'll get a replacement of the same type, as the 'passing' and 'shooting' models of puck seem to both be still going well (ie, holding together, the 'shooting' puck doing slightly better of the two).

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Drafted, Not...

Upon publishing the last post, the teams for winter 'premier' C Grade were published.  I didn't make the cut.  It seems, no-one in my cohort (those who have been learning to skate'n'puck for same period as me or less) was picked either, so I guess I can live with it on that basis.  Still, disappointed I must admit.  The nagging question in me is, if I'd been able to make the second try outs, whether it would have been any different (progressing, as I am, from week to week at the moment in my ability to play hockey).

The Knights had four players selected, which is probably a bit below what you'd think their quota should be.  The four chosen were probably the four that I'd have chosen if had to pick.  They were also perhaps four of the five most senior players (measured by years in competition).  Good luck to them.

For me, I'll live with the disappointment.  It does clear the path a bit for winter.  Committed only to inline hockey, I'll probably not get a lot of skating in for the next few months.  Vikings Training on Wednesdays, Saturday game, Sundays a social skate more often than not.  Occasionally, hockey academy or perhaps a shinny.

Working primarily on puck'n'stick, fitness and hockey sense.

See if I can't surprise them next time around.

Foretaste of Ashes

You might remember that a week and a half ago I managed to drag my way through a tryout session with fifty other wannabes on a Sunday Night.  The aim was to try out for a proposed C Grade 'Premium' winter league.  At the end of the evening I put myself somewhere just below the cut-off for those that would be selected, but acknowledged that I have a bit of potential that at least leaves me in the mix.  I thought then that the experience itself was worth it, and I still think so.  The last point is worth repeating, I think the experience was worth it in itself.

I say this because tonight is the night that marks the 'official' status of the proposed league.  I understand there has a been a long political boardroom fight at peak committee level for the sport in the state, and that tonight the numbers came down in favour of having a C Grade winter comp.  The brash persistence of the C Grade Brigade seemed to have won the day (night).

And, going with the energy no doubt culminating (from the Board's perspective) in a vote, the coaches have immediately moved into horse trading conclave mode and apparently there will shortly be announced the team lists.  The first game is scheduled for Sunday.  For those who know already that they will make the cut, very exciting.  For those of us still waiting (with some hope, no matter how distant and small), there is a sense of anticipation mixed with dread.

Or, at least, there should be.

Sadly, when releasing the news that there will be a league and that coaches are meeting and teams are selected and will soon be posted, there was also a semi-apology for the process.  Not strictly a draft as had been originally intended as a selection - a mixture of draft, trade, pass, suggest and discuss, with the aim to make the teams fairly equivalent and the competition a strong feeder to the higher grades.  That's perhaps what was meant, and that's definitely what they should have said.

Bu they didn't.  No, sadly, went on to explain the sorts of criteria that seem to have driven the process in terms of individuals selected.  Amongst which, buried amongst more rationally defensible criteria, "generally younger players had priority."  Which sounds to me like doublespeak for 'no one wanted you if you were old unless you are really really good.'  Which was kinda disappointing, though the word 'generally' offers some mitigation I guess.

Still, the disappointment takes on the flavour of ashes in anticipation.

Recovery

Tonight was my second night in a row with no skating or hockey training.  That's a first in a long time! Since January, to be precise (trip to Quorn) and, before that, December (when I picked up the inlines).

Last night, it was raining and I was exhausted after a busy day at work.  But I still watched the Habs (Montreal Canadiens) beat the (Boston) Bruins on the telly.  And even listened to a bit of Habs Radio before I watched the game.  Excessive?  Maybe, but that's hockey for ya.

Tonight, I didn't race off to Vikings Training as treasured family were visiting.  It isn't every day your daughter cooks you tea and you get the chance to put the four year old mister to bed.  To that, hockey can take a second seat.  Actually, with young A, Hockey is always good to have to watch instead of cartoons if he's in the mood.  And we have a ball skating and doing a bit of stick and puck work.  He says he's gonna be a hockey player...

And this evening, just when I thought I might be getting the guilts for not going skating at all (not even a tinsy wincy bit) it rained a little.  Nature agreeing with my choice to get exhausted at home rather than on the road.

Which has been great for the minor strain I felt in the groin muscle upon returning home on Monday night.  I don't think I aggravated anything specifically that night, but it became evident (been there just on the edge of feeling for quite a while).  I gave it a bad tear back when I was a teenager and every now and again it flares a little.  Hopefully, by not skating at all for a couple days, it's had a chance to go back to normal.

And, hopefully tomorrow I can go skating!

Monday 24 March 2014

Personal Training - The 300

For one reason or another I was even later leaving home for a bit of shooting practice tonight than I was last night.  I cut a minute or two by skating down my street in a straight line, keeping the stride going all the way to the point of a sharp left turn into the front gate of the primary school.  On the rink (netball court), didn't muck around with my gear etc, and was gloved up within the minute.  Resolved to myself to concentrate almost entirely on my shooting tonight (conscious of where the sun is), and to keep the pace going (ie. no overly deliberated shots, no fancy skating for the fun of it, etc).

300 shots.  Four sets of 25 each from the 15' circle: snap (9), wrist (6), forward facing (3), backhand (1).  Then 50 wristshots from the 30' line (8).  Three or so 'freestyle' skate-in-and-shoot moves from centre for a 'break'.  Then 14/75 wrist shots at 15', followed by final sets of 25 at the same distance: snap (6), forward facing (5) and backhand (5).

Closed off the session by 2 1/2 laps with the backhand puck on the outside (almost full speed after the first lap) and, on the third try, a complete circuit with it on my backhand on the inside (similarly almost full speed, light beginning to disappear).

Skated home in the gloom, driving myself up the home hill with less strides than yesterday at less cost to the constitution.  Total time, just on 1 1/2 hours.  Temp 17'C, humidity in the high 50's.

Sunday 23 March 2014

Personal Training - shooting at dusk

Ater last night's educational Prelim Final loss I was quite happy to take it quiet at home today.  The last six Sundays I've taken at least one youngster to the Ice Arena, always found it reasonably taxing exercise (partly why I do it, indeed), but always a true pleasure to spend time skating with the grandkids and their friends.  This'll be the longest in a long time that I haven't been on the ice.  That's sad.  But what was sadder was breaking the news to B (9).  He took it like the polite young man he can be (and, generally, is) which only made my job the harder.  Sigh.  We'll use the pass sometime during the approaching school holidays.

Getting over all that, it was off to the primary school before dusk for some shooting practice.  I was gone about an hour and a half.  Temperature 16'C and humidity around 50%.  Still a little run down, I again set out with intention of not exhausting myself and getting in some puck practice.  So, no warmups when I got to the netball court.  On with the gloves and into it.  Aimed at three hundred shots tonight.

Achieved it, and then some.  I repeated the shooting repertoire from yesterday but put up the numbers of shots. Twenty five each of 15' snap (6), 15' wrist (2), 15' fwd facing wrist (7), 15' backhand (0).  Not overly discouraged, I had a break and did laps each way with puck on the backhand.  Didn't take more than three attempts to get a lap done with the puck on the outside, did it first time with puck on the inside.  The pace is beginning to pick up.  Then, fifty 30' wrist shots (7).  For a break, dynamic exercises (mainly, pick up puck at 30', deke it to a state of control and then shoot by 15').  Then, to close down the shooting range, seventy five 15' forward facing wrist (23), and twenty five each of 15' snaps (7), 15' wrist (3) and 15' backhands (3).  For the first time I hit post with four shots in a row (final set of snaps) which led to some reflection on 'luck' as I gathered the pucks with the splay-footed-puck-tapping-while-turning drill, and a handful of slapshots.

In addition to the dynamism and 'playtime' element brought to the session by drills that I improvised through my 'breaks, I made the most of the various opportunities provided within the drills themselves for further dynamic exercises.  For example, when in front of the 'goal' I always tried to gather and shoot any rebounds and, when the pucks escaped me (as they eventually always did), I'd gather them back using various combinations of type and direction of turn (and hence, forehand/backhand puck handling).  At one point it dawned on me how much better I have become over the past week at doing this sort of thing.

I skated up the hill to home in the gathering dusk, ten minutes later and I would definitely have not felt comfortable on the road and stuck to the (far less efficient) footpaths.  So, well timed.  My pace up the hill was steady driving straight attack run, not at total effort but enough that it was hurting in the thighs.  Concentrated on the weight transfer in the power stride.  What was interesting with this was that, upon return, after about a minute I had gotten control back of my breathing and, after two, would have been able to do another shift.  Encouraging.

Saturday 22 March 2014

Game Day - 1st Prelim - Rockers d Wheelers (6-1)

Angels don't win hockey games

Earlier this evening the Wheelers got taught a lesson by the Rockers in the First Preliminary Final of the Summer League, to the tune of 6-1.  The consequence is that we have to play and win against the Shufflers next Saturday afternoon in the Semi Final if we are to make the Grand Final against the Rockers in the evening.  That's on top of whatever effect our biggest defeat on the season will have on us.

There was a little uncertainty about the line-up we were facing right up till puck drop.  We fielded a full team, the Rockers got Jai playing with them as a Reserve, helping make up for the absence this week of their gun skate'n'scorer, John Platten.  The Rockers got off to a flying start, with a goal in first few minutes, rapidly followed by another one.  By the time the third went in we realised we had our work cut out for us.  A bit late, this realisation, in retrospect.  Our Dylans combined to put one in for us, quickly answered by another slapshot from the point by Donna (her second).  We went into half time down 4-1.

1st Half Highlights
sideways image corrects itself after a few seconds

The second half was more of the same, though thanks to some nifty saves by our goalie they only (!) managed two more goals.  The Rockers played a strong team game, all members contributing to their emphatic win.

2nd Half Highlights

I played a total of almost exactly 15 min (half the game), divided neatly into two halves of four shifts each.  I had intended to use short shifts, and some of them indeed were short shifts (30s), but it works out to an average of about 2 minutes per shift.  I looked a much stronger skater than I did a month ago, and carried the puck for an appreciable distance a number of times (for the first time ever).  Despite my fumbles and spills, my greatest failing was positional, particularly defensive responsibility.  There's at least three times in the above videos where I see myelf pinching when I should be covering options.  One of these lapses results directly in a goal against.

As a team, we didn't play as one much, which didn't help.  No triangles of support, and them continually getting behind us and leaving our goalie exposed.  And, if we were being slashed (as several were complaining of) we weren't doing much about it.  For myself, I know that I heavily chopped another player's stick a few seconds after they had wrapped my legs with it off play.  From that point I didn't have any slashing going on around me (nor before, mind you).  Be that as it may, during the first half I  at one point blurted out to our team to 'stop whingeing'.  Pretty uncouth of me, I know, but there was at  least no high dudgeon to accompany it.  And, angels don't win hockey games!

We weren't co-ordinating very well, and some of us were either rattled or fatigued by the end - and it's that that bothers me most.  I think some of us were too long on the rink.   Others, letting the opposition get under our skin.  Important lessons for next week to be learned.

I got off only one full shot at goal.  Was on the rink for three of theirs and none of ours.  No points.  GP 6 G 3 A 1 Pt 4 +2

Personal Training - Midday Shoot

Just after midday today I grabbed my pucks'n'stick and casually slalomed down to the primary school for some shooting practice.  I didn't push it hard at all, nor did I spend anytime on preliminary skating when I got there (this was my 'morning skate' before my game with the Wheelers later in the day).

So, it was off with the wrist protectors (street skating) and on with the gloves (hockey) and into it.  I began with almost a lap each way with the puck on my backhand, then moved into one of the previous days' skating drills (splay footed turns, one after the other on alternating feet) but this time with a puck moving up in a straight line and being handled and tapped further on its course during each semicircle I made around it.  I found myself lucky to make two repitions, and always somehow seemed to lose the puck by dropping it off my stick out of reach by the third.  Rather than get too frustrated once I'd worked out where/when the problem was, I switched up and free skated around between scattered pucks, with the emphasis being on protecting the puck (by rotating around it with splayed feet) before doing anything with it.  As a warm up, maybe 10 mins.

I then gathered my pucks and headed upcourt to the site of yesterday's shooting practice.  Today I did four sets of 25 from the 15' mark, a few minutes of freeskate shooting, 50 shots from the 30' line, 2 sets of 25 back at the 15' circle, and finished with maybe another 25 where I started at centre, skated in and pick up the puck at 30', shooting around the 15' line.

From 15' circle: 9/25 forehand wrist snaps hit the pole, 16/25 full wrist shots, 8/25 forward facing stance wrist shots, 8/25 Backhands.  From 30' line:14/50 full wrist shots.  From 15' again: 6/25 backhands, 9/25 wrist shots.  Didn't count the 'freeskate' sessions. I got a lot of my structure and 'things to concentrate on' from watching M2.Hockey's playlist on 'shooting' before I'd set out.

I finished the session with a successful rendition of my snaking splay foot turns around the moving puck as I tapped it upcourt.  Happy with this, I closed off by shooting four slapshots to my bag, packed up my gear, skated home.

Had been gone almost an hour and a half!  15'C, 50% hum, scattered cloud, light breeze.  Perfect day.

Friday 21 March 2014

Personal Training - Shoot!

About 50 minutes between leaving and returning this evening, 16'C and 65% humidity.  Back after sunset but before dark.  A strong and cool breeze.  Again, had the schoolyard to myself.

Took my stick and bag of pucks with me tonight.  Got straight into it when I got there, used the trip to the school as my warmup.  Kept it pretty simple, spending maybe ten minutes doing an outside circuit of the netball court with a puck on my backhand at moderate speed.  Trick was to do a whole lap.  Found it hard to get past half way without puck dropping off my stick.  Persisted.  Was able to do two laps each way by the end of the period.  Happy with that.

Then for the main drill session of the evening, shooting practice.  Surprisingly, have never done this before.  So what I did tonight will serve as a benchmark for future work.  Kept it simple, stationary forehand wristshots from the goal circle at my target (the metal pole holding up the goal, a bit less than three inches wide).  100 shots.  22 Dings.  The more technically accurate (open the hips, weight transfer, 'snap' (roll the wrists), follow through), the more accuracy and power.  If I added a bit of stickflex to the equation, the rebounds off the concrete behind became too quick to simply gather back.

Then, skate in with a puck on the backhand wing, cut across and shoot on the forehand a few times.  Or, pick up a puck at the blue line on the way in, deke it into control in the next several metres, shoot at the fifteen foot mark.  Or, backhand wristshots.  None of these more than 10% accuracy.  Plenty to work on for the future.

Finish off my session with some of the open footed tight turns, alternating each way up and back the court, followed by similar route but this time doing outside edge 'C' Cuts.  Leaving just enough time to do a few backwards crossover laps, gather my gear and power up the hill to home.

As always, felt a lot better physically upon my return than when I had set out.

Semifinal game tomorrow.

Thursday 20 March 2014

Personal Training - short and sweet

Tonight, again had to overcome the shadow of 'active procrastination' before I went skating.  Sun sinking towards horizon at 7pm, I get back home a half hour later, around the time of its setting.  A few light clouds high in the sky, 30C and 60% humidity by the home weather station as I depart.  Didn't take puck'n'stick with me, set out with the intention merely to skate.

Skating down the hill of my street (always a pleasant way to start, a mid paced slalom) faced with my next decision - which way to skate.  As I'd left home I'd thought at one level of taking the long river route, vacillating between that and the short version as I close the gate, realising this session will be more about recreation and conditioning than skills (and not having a problem with this) as I wind my way on the street down the hill.

Reflect on the fact that 'at least if I go down the river I get the gentler route up the hill to home' (depending which way one arrives home, there's a great variation in the energy expenditure at the end of the trip as one either comes up the steepish street, or winds up a (longer) gently ambling route on the smoother streets from the river).  Follow the thought to realise that what I probably needed was to do the hill not the river.

So.  I soon found myself skating around the outside perimeter of the nearby school, checking out the construction site that used to be a playground as I do so.  Decide to nip in through an open gate at the front of the school, wind my way through to the netball court (ensconced away near the construction site).  It is, for the moment at least, no longer a 'cut though' for the neighborhood's foot traffic. 

Hadn't actually decided to go to the school until I, almost on impulse, decided to go through the first open gate I saw.  I say 'almost on impulse' because I had been earlier deliberating over river or school, had already a half formed idea that I could run through some of the skating drills from Vikings Training last night combined with some of my own.  This thought itself based upon the reaffirmation of skating as the prime skill in hockey, and therefore to retain some degree of concentration upon its development.

The above process was perhaps at least as instructive and 'training valued' an activity as the twenty minutes I spent on the court.  Did quite a few of the 'openhipped' turns (alternating directions, varied speeds and 'situations' (eg. between one and five steps before execution)), with three straight 'up and back' trips the length of the court with maybe a total of 20-25 rotations each lap.  The same distance (3 lengths, each way) on the outside edges of alternating skates down a line, making exagerated 180' 'C' cuts with no stride in the middle at similar frequency to the preceding turns.

Then 'figure 8s' facing inwards with the new turns (5 each way) and similar amount of the 'old style' figure 8s with transitions, forwards and backwards each way.   A quick lateral movement drill and then, to finish off, some big sweeping backwards crossover runs across the whole court just for the fun of it.  Nothing too intense, in other words, before the big haul up the hill to home.

Tomorrow, weather and time permitting, some puck'n'stick work would be good.

Vikings Training

Tonight, took me an hour and a half of continuous travel to get to training after leaving work.  That's keen!  My 'victim' from Saturday was changing into her gear when I was, we smiled about our collision on Saturday.  She said her knee was still sore, and that she had followed my advice and iced it after the game.  No bad karma.

Got on the rink within a couple minutes of the session starting.  Excellent! First drill was pure skating, designed around puck protection.  Basically, open up the hips (so one's skates are heel to heel, pointing in almost opposite directions) to do a tight turning circle, both ways.  Basic maneuver on the ice, but not apparently on inlines.  Always fun to do.  Then, the main drill of the evening, consisting of passing, defending, shooting.  One skater goes up each wing, one with puck passes off to the other as they curl in across the rink in the 'D'efensive zone.  They then work their way forward through a couple defensive players and shoot.  They then become the defense against the next pair of skaters going up the wings.  At our level, the defence was winning all the time when it was 2 on 2, so coach changed it to only one skater stays on the rink as 'D'.  I played better as D than as offence - mainly because I kept dropping the puck off the end of my stick when I came in towards the goals.  Embarrassing!  We finished with one long line, taking it in turns to have shoot-out shots at the one goalie we had out on the evening.  I think I had four shots, tried to make them all different (straight wrist shot, delayed wrist shot, deke from backhand to forehand wrist, backhand).  The delayed wristshot went through goalie's legs, backhand only just blocked away by him (and I got the rebound in against his attempt to stop in a bit of impromptu 'play'), straight wristshot was blocked by the body, and the deke from backhand to forehand missed the right post.

All good fun, raised quite a sweat, good to hang out with hockey players for an hour.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Tigers, Rebels, Oilers, Canucks, Canadiens - can you tell me which one is different?

Being, as I am, half Canadian but living half a world away from Canada, I guess I've been aware of ice hockey for quite a while.  Even went to a game in Medicine Hat, (Alberta, Canada) as a kid.  Can't remember much hockey as such, the problem of being a kid and seeing a game amongst all those standing adults was as evident there as it was in the terraces at local footy games of the time.  I do remember watching the game a little, (an impression of size, speed and force still lingers as I write this).  My great memory of the night, though, was the great pile up of kids that formed a scrum on top of a puck that had ended up in the crowd.  I can't remember the detail, but I ended up with the puck in my victorious hands and a certain swagger in my step for the rest of the evening.  And the other kids stopped freaking at my aussie accent. I still have the game puck, complete with almost unscratched Tiger logo on it.

It's strange, therefore, that I kinda support the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League.  Maybe because I like their logo or their name, maybe because I stayed there for a few hours on my next trip to Canada (2012 - albeit didn't know they existed at the time).

At a higher level (ie. the National Hockey League) the choices of team(s) I support is simpler to understand.  I'm an Oilers follower because my family are mainly from around the Edmonton area (dim memory of the name 'Gretzky' when I was there as a kid (the year before he went pro)).  This didn't change up to being a supporter/fan when I was there two years ago, despite the fact that I was intrigued by ice hockey being on telly all the time (it seemed) just about everywhere, because no one I spent much time with was too enthused about hockey.  I didn't realise how depressing it was for them all that Edmonton was (is) seemingly stuck to the bottom of the league ladder, and how this dampens hockey conversations.

Spending time in Vancouver, amongst Canucks fans as their team entered the post-season as Conference leaders, watching Johnathan Quick and Cory Schneider battle out a great first game of round 1 playoffs (against the eventual Stanley Cup Champions that season, the Los Angeles Kings), I developed a soft spot for Vancouver.  Which was fine, except that they never seemed to do well after I got to know of them.  So I'm glad that underneath my continuing support for the Canucks I have a bedrock of oil.

While in Vancouver I also met a cousin's spouse who came from Winnipeg originally and was so obviously bursting with pride at the renaissance of the Jets' franchise in its home town, with all the starry eyed romance that goes with a come-back-kid story, that I got sucked in also.  The parting gift to me of the treasured Winnipeg Jets tee-shirt merely guaranteed that I've since taken a fairly keen interest in the Jets.

And my fourth team in the NHL?  The remaining Western Canadian team (Calgary Flames)?  Of course not!  Being an Oilers fan, that would be spiritually impossible, for starters.  And, secondly, I just couldn't do it.  Sigh.  No, but it is still a Canadian team.

The Montreal Canadiens, to be precise.  It's taken awhile, but a combination of my missus getting me a Montreal sweater with Koivu's name on it - being the centennial jersey of the Captain in his tenth season with the club (2009), and therefore feeling obliged to wear it occasionally, a more than passing enjoyment of the playing style when I've seen them on telly, and an appreciation of much of the hockey writing produced from its legion of fans, I've gotten interested in their journey this year.  And with that interest has grown fondness.  And the relief that at least one of 'my' teams will make the playoffs this year so that I'll have a natural team to support!

So, here's my excuse to pose the question of this post's title with a video reference to one of my childhood heroes...

Tuesday 18 March 2014

River Skate - Wince and Wear

Only a short post as I only went for a short skate today, and it's only a few minutes before the Winnipeg Jets game is shown on the tube.

Feeling a little better and less fatigued than yesterday, even though I got home from work a bit late, I put aside my excuses and put on my skates in the evening.  Still with low energy levels, although much improved, and with rapidly shrinking daylight (sun approaching horizon as I left home) I went for the 'short' river skate.  Despite my depleted energy levels and the fact that I pushed through without a break I didn't break a major sweat out and didn't tire any muscles out beyond the point of waking up.  Although partly due to better climate conditions (20'C instead of 40'C, 40% humidity instead of 0%), considering the last 500 or so metres are up hill, not too bad.  My condition has, I believe, improved since I first skated this route.

Getting home, the senses were heightened in the manner a good workout is wont to produce.  And I could get the faint whiff of the hockey smell wafting through from the clothing on the drying rack.  Pity really, as the items concerned weren't initially worn with this possibility in mind.  They were the T shirt and sweatshirt I put on about 20 minutes after tryouts, when I'd cooled down a bit and wiped away the sweat.  I obviously had still been leaking out that peculiar odour associated with sweat produced during hockey games for a significant time afterwards.

It's a subject that deserves more attention, but for the moment I now know I will have to wash two of my favourite items of civilian wear a few more times before I can wear them without wincing!

Monday 17 March 2014

Know Thyself - recovery and the draft process

Today was 'the day after', body felt well used.  Lucky it was raining so that, even had I wanted to, I couldn't break my resolution to have a skate-free day.  I know my body appreciated the break.  With the change in weather (cooler, wetter, with moments of warm humidity between the cool periods) and the tiredness, physical stress (ie training) could easily lead to illness.  It was like this the day after my first late Sunday ice training session (starting at 10pm).  Next time I'll be even more prepared.  Know thyself.

It was a bit funny last night.  Out of fifty skaters plus coaches I might have been the oldest on the ice.  Maybe a third were truly of the next generation to me.  No-one seemed to have an issue with this (including me).  I found myself happily chatting away with my fellows whether 17 year old bantams hanging out to turn 18, twenty something year old apprentices, 30 something year old goalies.  But, on reflection and through the prism of my general lassitude, I can see how there might have been a few differences.

Considering I learned the lesson of COMPETE when 17 (my last game of school footy) and never really lost it from that time once the battle was truly joined (ie I 'engaged'), my style last night (see previous post) might appear a bit hesitant/stand-offish.  Most obvious in the battles, when tended to look for the free ice or the interception point, leave the board to my partner, etc, but evident elsewhere also (eg. not pursue the puck to the bitter end in the full ice pairs, choosing to skate on rather than chase down the errant pass in the triplets, etc).  Especially weird when think that the aim was to display oneself before the coaches and stand out somehow (amongst fifty players!).

At times I was aware of the coaches watching through a viewing window onto the ice, had few doubts that I registered on them by my age, beard and Oilers sweater if not my hockey ability, don't think it affected my on-ice decisions at all.  Maybe I should have let it do so?

The draft is such a challenge.  Not that it was impossible to do (I could at least understand and tolerably perform the various drills albeit not as a star), but the challenge of knowing one might be lacking (and probably so, according to the criteria most likely to be judged by) was not disincentive enough to turn me away.  In this case, fear of failure didn't really stack up against the risk of not having a go.

Even at this point, though, well worth the effort.  From my perspective, I backed myself by putting my body and my ego on the line.  So all my effort is not just puffery.  That's comforting to know.  And, perhaps less egotistically, I got to see the level on display that I will have to aspire towards over the coming year if am to be successful at whatever the next opportunity is that comes my way.

Afterall, at 47 it's not the time to apply the brakes!

Sunday Skate and Tryouts

After last night's encounter in Gawler it was back to the ice today, twice in six hours!  First, I met up with B down there and we had a good hour and a half before the public session closed.  It was great watching him slot himself in to the community of the ice, amongst all the sunday afternoon skaters - 'at home', respectful and enjoying himself as boys should.  Self regulating also, which made my day easier lol!

I just played around with finding my edges again, check the first stride of acceleration, a bit of backwards for the fun of it, make sure can still stop on ice both ways, transitions smoother than before with all the inline time.  Had to pull myself back a couple of times after a fast lap, remind myself that the whole point of this skate today was not to condition myself to the ice (or push the envelope at risk of big black bruises again), but rather to just get my muscles thinking 'ice' prior to the night's tryout session.

Me and B had a great time and I think we both achieved our goals.  Mission success.

A quick hamburger on the way home, a little stuffing around with minor household tasks and being semi-social, then it was get the full body armour out, pack all the gear in its old kit bag, retape the stick and head back to the Ice Arena for C Grade tryouts (premier winter league, if it happens).

Structure was pretty simple, complicated only by the fact that about fifty people turned up.  At least that made the cost only $10 for the 70 mins.  I guess it was also a demonstration of support for the concept of a 'premier c grade (development) league', an idea which I believe is still not approved by the powers that be and is facing scepticism verging on opposition at the board level for Ice Hockey SA.  That's what I hear, anyway.  Good people on both sides, I hope it gets worked out.

On a full ice passing-shoot-backcheck drill in triplets I didn't shine at all, my two runs both times falling foul of some pretty poor passing behind me.  This drill morphed into two on twos, going each way on the ice.  The 'St Louis Drill', or some such.  Disorganisation in the lines disrupted first couple run throughs, but I think my pairing did okay on its final shot/backcheck sections.  Things were beginning to look up, when...

In a two on one passing game (piggy in the middle) I got totally outshone by my two companions.  I certainly got worked out being piggy in the middle more than my share.  One of the main coaches took me aside in the next 1 on 1 drill of 'keepy off', showed me a couple basics of puck protection, and of stealing it.  In the 1 on 1 I then did with the chaps from the previous drill, I actually managed to keep it off them a fair bit, and managed to steal it a couple times.  Though obviously still learning, so must have been improvement.

Then, the battle drills.  The first of which had two teams of two, battling in front of a goal.  A couple very long shifts, but accounted reasonably well for myself (almost even on points on the boards, couple blocked shots, a good screening and a handful of (weak) shots, use of backhand, a couple passes.  And a clash on the boards against a reasonably ferocious opponent bigger and stronger than me.  Who knew what he was doing (I make it up as I go still).  Surprisingly I managed to still prevent him doing what he wanted for long enough that they got no advantage.  I think that pairings I was in were scored against twice, and we got that many goals ourselves.  There were probably that many again of tied 0-0 battles, one of which was a very long shift.  All in all, I think this drill was a 'win' for me.

Finally, a mini-shinny of four on four across the ice.  I don't think I particularly shone, but I was still going reasonably strong and had more shifts left in me.  I definitely acted as a bit of a brake on their breakout a few times, and nullified a couple of their 'point' players.  Never got a chance to carry the puck or do anything significant with it, however.  A 'draw' for this one?

Why do I keep scoring myself in the above account?  It is because the whole session was a tryout, viewed by all the coaching staff in the C Grade coaching group.  We were being assessed and measured while we went through all the above.  They (the coaches/managers) will be horsetrading over the next couple weeks, viewing the prospects and taking their picks until their teams are full.  There were almost enough there tonight to fill the proposed league already.  Scary to think of that many again coming to future sessions, or having been to the B Grade Tryouts and thus already assessed.  I have no idea if I'll make the cut, but I must still be in the zone to make it possible judging by what I saw tonight.

Especially if I don't take the foot out of the skate (off the accelerator) in terms of training and development over the next week or two, in the hope that I can make a promised yet-to-be-scheduled third tryout date (tonight was the first, I can't make the second as it clashes with Vikings finals).

And now, sweet thing, too bed!  It's been a big day.


Sunday 16 March 2014

Game Day: Rockers defeat Wheelers 5-4

A tough final game of the regular season, prelude to the first Semi Final and probably the Grand Final.  Last time we met we won 3-1.  Coming into tonight's game we were sitting 1 and 2 on the table.  Positions remain unchanged at the end, with the Wheelers as minor premiers.

I was on rink about half the game, split into shorter shifts than in past.  Certainly was glad for that at the end of the game as I still had legs.  Although I scored no points I was on for 2 of ours and played a significant role in one of them ('shepherding' our carrier, peeling off and screening the goalie as the puck went by).  I put about three shots on goal.  I was on rink for one of their goals.

There were a lot of 'hits' in the game for a non-checking sport.  I think I ended up on the floor three times, taking out my opponent each time in the process (twice on the forecheck and once on the back).  I came perilously close to being called for hooking, and was slashed a number of times (including by their goalie).  One of my collisions was with a young lass (bigger than me) and we both went down moderately hard.  I was worried about her knee, but after the initial shock I think she was fine.  She promised me she'd ice it tonight if it was stiff when she got home.

The other major collision was near the end of the game against their star player.  He had been cutting us apart for the whole game to that point - relying on his superior ability to stop and turn, deke, and pick up the puck at speed from the boards.  I worked out a few strategies to counter him once I figured out that he outshone our best skater, put them into play on my last couple shifts.  The crunch moment came on the boards when I matched his pace on the inside of the curve as we raced to the puck against the board.  I was able to stop him getting it out by jamming my stick in, followed with my body to stop him flicking it inside.  He slammed into me and I had to let my stick go or risk him going over badly.  As it was, we both went down and he took longer to get up than me.  The next time we met he was a little less cavalier in his approach and that made all the difference.

We were a little unfortunate to lose, the puck at one point spinning on the goal line but refusing to cross it entirely for an eternity that lasted a couple seconds, a bad rebound off the back board catching our goalie's skate and rolling in, and a dodgy penalty awarded against us that could easily have gone the other way (they scored in the ensuing powerplay).

The prime value of this game was psychological and I think we came out slightly ahead, with a suitably small chip on our shoulder due the puck god's frowning upon us.  They certainly had more bruises than we did by the end.  Next week we meet again in the semifinal.  The big factor will be that they won't have their playmaker.  Which, combined with the psychological aspect, probably tips us ahead of them leading into the game.

And it gives me two weeks to work out some counter skating tactics when we likely bump into them again in the grand final.  I need to work on my stop/accelerate moves so I can match the playmaker.  Looking forward to it.

My season stats: 3-1-1 G3 A1 P4 +5

Friday 14 March 2014

Personal Training & 'Trust the Government'

Another mild early autumn evening, another puck'n'stick session at the primary school.

The demolition of half the old playground continues apace, with most but not all of the dismantled equipment and the dissembled shed now gone, the ground all leveled out.  The temporary fenceline has been expanded, now one must 'walk' one's skates around the edge of the well grassed oval to get to the netball court rather than use a pathway.

Mildly to my surprise, I found that tomorrow's South Australian election did not disrupt my ability to skate this evening.  It seems that the election site is on the basketball court (in the centre of all the buildings, (the netball court is on the edge furthest away from the front entrance and staff carpark)).  With little prospect of eager voters approaching the booth from the netball side of the school (due the temporary fence blocking access to gates and road) I had the court to myself again.

I spent almost an hour continuously on the move, only two drinks breaks of about two minutes and two of less.  Almost no 'skating warmup drills' to begin with - contented myself with doing most if not all of the basic moves nice and slowly with stick in hand as I did my routine visual 'sweep' of the court surface for small pebbles, twigs, bark, etc.  I used my stick to sweep what few items there are out of the playing area.  Good low speed agility training in its own right, this process.

I then did five laps each way around the court carrying a puck on my backhand.  Or, I tried to.  I very rarely got past half way before losing the puck, generally by dropping off behind.  Each time, I looped back to collect the puck and set off in the opposite direction.  Try try try again. Out of curiosity I then did a lap each way at speed with puck on my forehand - no issues at all.  Finished this portion of drill by using the more cognitively challenging method of backhand (tuck the top hand under the right armpit rather than leave it on its own side).  Much more controlled.

Second drill (not counting the agility sweep) was random weaving around a 'course' defined by the two centre circles marked on the court and three spare pucks scattered close but not too close.  I spent a few minutes ducking and weaving around with no particular aim in mind except to not repeat myself and keep moving.  Seemed to do reasonably well not losing the puck with my slaloming around and was shifting it between forehand and backhand quite well.

Third period, tried reasonable speed rushes up the length of the court on the wing and then swept across the top of the slot towards the centre, culminating the maneuver with a shot.  Sometimes, a bit of duck and weave with the puck on the rush up the wing, cut across with puck on either forehand or backhand and shoot (all from the same wing though, as I didn't want a rebound to angle off under the temporary fence into the construction site).  Wristshot and snapshot, concentrate upon pressure and flex on stick when the wrist shot is used.  Didn't hit the target at all from the distance of the netball circle or greater.  Progressively more Tings the closer I was when I took my shot.  Hit it with both forehand and backhand.  Chased in for the rebound (much more difficult if had 'snapped' the stick (used the stick's flex to increase power of the strike)).  On one noteable occasion, Tinged the target with two shots in a row!

Finally, cooled off by casually skating randomly backwards while I finished off my water bottle.

Sun set, one of the election organisers entered my domain, surveying the construction site and calculating its effect upon traffic at 'her' booth.  I had a short yarn with her (have a usually brief chat with people more nights than not when I go to the school).  She didn't seem too phased by anything.  My final comment was to the effect that I'd been pleasantly surprised that I could 'play' on my rink the eve before the election, but that I'd have to make 'my sacrifice for democracy' the next day.  She thought about it a moment, gave a half grin as she departed saying, 'I guess so.'

It was only after I sweated up the hill to home that I realised I was wearing perhaps my equal favourite canadian tee shirt.  I bought it in Vancouver just about two years ago.  It is white with a picture profile of a native chieftain and the words, 'Trust the Government'.

Irony on irony, indeed!

Personal Training, evening at school

This evening I spent an hour down the local schoolyard, inline with stick in gloved hand and a few pucks to chase around on the netball court. I freeformed through a range of 'drills' focused on; transitions (skating only); movement while protecting the puck (particularly on the backhand around corners both ways, and at speed on the forehand - retaining the puck on the end of the stick despite all the movement vectors and forces, controlling it by a combination of angles along all three axes at point of contatct, dekes, etc - figure eights with puck on either side, more complex patterns (eg. three locii)); shooting (putting in play the cut-across-then-shoot move I was introduced to last night, both ways, perhaps to conclude the three locii carry of the previous drill); passing (short snaps during skate maneuvers, at various ranges, to hit another of the pucks lying around the court, continue skating to collect another puck, move and 'pass', etc); saucer pass (randomly trying to lift pucks up court with some degree of control (a saucer pass is used to lift the puck off the ice between stick and aiming point.  It need not go higher than the object you are passing over (eg. opponent's stick)).  All up, about an hour if include the skate there and back.

Pleasingly, I hit my nominal targets a lot more than expected in the passing game.  Also, hit the pole holding up the netball goal on several occasions (with a nice, ringing 'ting' sound effect each time) when was using it as the target for my shooting drill.  Of note, the last session I had concentrated on stick/puck was on Saturday when, with many more shots, I don't think I hit the pole once.  Again tonight, I used my backhand to effect.  Getting easier.  Also starting to deke the puck as a means of controlling it's vector relative to mine when cornering at speed.  All good signs.

As always, had raised quite a sweat as I pushed myself up the hill towards home beneath a twilit swirl of rose tint clouds in the darkening sky above.

My session tonight was much more 'freeform' than it has been for a couple of weeks.  Tonight, I de-emphasised the initial skating drills (transitions, inside and outside edge corners, figure eight crossovers, forwards/backwards, transitions on the loop).  I didn't do the acceleration and lateral movement aspects at all, and had finished this 'warm up' in less than half the time I usually would take.  For stick and puck, I was making it up as I went along.  Or so it seemed.

Had a breather when I needed one and/or a bit of water.  Drank almost a litre in the hour.

There was an initial shock upon seeing that the playground which used to adjoin the netball court being prepared for something else.  The trees, gone.  The shed, gone. The pipes and regular play equipment, monkey bars, slippery dips, etc, lies dismantled in piles.  The bark is scraped up into gigantic piles.  A temporary fence surrounds the lot.

Tomorrow, probably won't be able to get into the school due elections occuring on Saturday.  For the same reason, unlikely to be able to on Saturday either (perhaps not a bad thing, as that will only be for a morning skate before the game that night).  So maybe tonight was my last chance to get stick and puck in before the game / tryout.  I know it'll make a difference to my game.  Let's hope it will be enough.

Tomorrow, emphasis will switch to game play and skating again.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Vikings Training and Thanks!

Being a Wednesday, this evening was North Vikings C/B- grades' training session.  An hour coached by a guy called Peter who knows his stuff and plays A Grade (and I think was once serious in ice terms), with a fair degree of puck 'n' stick, tactics and teamwork. About 20 trainees.

First drill, I missed because I got there a bit late (not uncommon).  I think that it was carry a puck up the rink with a lot of turns along the way.  Second drill, basic shooting (announced as being to 'warm up the goalies') from a ring around the goals (just like at the start of a game).  Third drill, basic shoot 'n' scoot - skate down the wing and then cut into and across the goal front with a shot.  Forehand and backhand sides.  Fourth drill, basic skate (skate up the rink around the cones in slalom style - concentrating on the cornering itself) and then do it with a puck.  An 'intermission' style with about three breaks for 'grab a drink' and one of a couple minutes 'free time' (shooter, skater, dekers, and carriers (me) got to do what they want), and, finally, BATTLE (teams of five or so start in opposite corners, skate up the wings and around the goal at other end of rink then race against the opposing team coming from the other end to the puck in the middle, and then try and get a goal).  Pretty tiring, but a great blast to finish off with.  Good pedagogy too.

For some reason I seemed to have a high percentage of backhand shots/carries in what I did tonight, (including a sweet goal in the third drill).  Perhaps a result of the drills I did on my own on Saturday morning?  Interesting, therefore, that the trait didn't manifest itself in the game on Saturday night.  That says something that I have learned the hard way earlier - if it requires thinking about (as is the case when you are learning something) then there just isn't time during a game to do it.  Simple.

Speaking of time and games, another interesting observation: does the proportion of skill time to 'battle' time at pretty well all the training sessions I've been to over the past year (on ice and inline with almost a dozen different trainers) bear any relation to the proportion of non-game time to game time a hockey player must somehow maintain over time? Roughly, 4 or 5 to 1?  I think they kind-of do, but the numbers are far more extreme when you add in all the private practice.  At least, for me!

Then it was the long drive home.  With plenty of time to think about my development as a player (another topic!).  With quite an operative slant, however, because I've decided to try out on Sunday evening (the only one of several dates that I'll be able to make before season starts on 30 March, assuming I make the cut).  But even the experience of making the commitment to try out is an interesting one, as you've probably gathered if you have read the post that proceeds this one.

Between now and Sunday I have probably fine weather.  Which equals a couple evenings to drill at the school or tour down the river, a Saturday morning inline skate before an evening top-of-the-ladder game, a Sunday afternoon session on the ice with the boys, and then a 4 hour hiatus before returning to the Ice Arena for an hour of tryouts.

Which is a fair bit of skating time, but not too much.  If I look after myself in the meantime.  More on that later.

For now, Thanks Nancy, for going along with my drive!  As well as everybody else...

Tuesday 11 March 2014

Dilemma!

There is no try. There is only do and not do.
Yoda.

It's raining (or at least, wet (this is Adelaide!)) so, even though I got home early, I can't go inline skating.  I was just wondering what else I should do instead (anything to avoid all those jobs around the house that need doing) when I learned that it seems there will be a winter 'Premier C Grade' season on the ice.  Fewer teams than summer, membership subject to a draft following tryouts.  Process kicks off in less than a fortnight.

This is great news.  Potentially, ice hockey all year round, and even just competing in the tryouts would be an experience in itself!  I'd have to get into a regime immediately for this as first tryout is less than a fortnight away (though I can't make that particular day due clash with Qualifying Final for the Wheelers).  Assuming that I can  make the alternative tryout day/s (still waiting on the detail), is it something I should do?

There's a few issues to think through (what this post is about).

Firstly, and also to help dispel what I regard as a myth, inline skating is not in itself detrimental to ice skating (nor vice versa).  I say this from my own experience.  As I've learned, one needs to make the effort to keep the ice/inline legs in synch, but that is doable.  I've been doing it since the Knight's last game in summer with the emphasis on the inline.  I could do it the other way.  It's not like we play for sheep stations in the Vikings C Grade comp, I'd hold my own I'm sure.

Tick to the Inline/Ice issue.

I don't want to make a commitment to something that I can't follow through on (and, if by some miracle mixed with dint of hard work) I did make the cut, I'd certainly want to keep my Vikings colours flying (even if it took a second place when ice games clashed).  I'd be willing to forego all other inline commitments to concentrate on the ice.  I suspect I'd still be able to play more inline games than not, and organise beforehand with the Vikings reserve coordinator to cover my team when I wasn't there.  Finals would only be a problem if I made it in both forms of hockey.  If it was a clash of grand finals, I'd deal with that at the time lol (bloody optimist).

So, tick to the Vikings clash (except present season's finals - potential game breaker).

Every Saturday would involve a game of either ice or inline hockey, with at least every other week featuring an ice game on different day/time also.  Do-able.  There'd be an hour at weird day/time training on the small ice every week (I'd do it if it didn't clash with Wheeler's game so as to interfere with Wheeler's season).  If I bought a term's Academy membership that would be 3-10 Tuesday evenings and a skate each week with the boy/s (assuming at least one continues).  These are the minimal requirements timewise to be real.  This equates with a minimum of 3 ice and 1 additional ice or inline session a week.  Add a day of rest.  Add another day for recreational skate / inline training session / injury recovery / kid time / etc.  Add up to 7 more Academy sessions and finals games (if feeling optimistic).  Still do-able.

Tick to the time factor.

Neither sport is cheap, though the ice is a lot more expensive than the inline.  Total Ice fees would be about $700 (Minimum of 10 small ice trainings, 3 academy sessions, 10 public sessions and 12 games over 3-4 months,  (add more academy and playoff games if optimistic)).  The Inline runs at about $120 for the season (14 games, 14 training sessions).  I have all equipment required, but still probably need to spend a few dollars for ice uniform if I get the chance and expendables (sharpening, laces, tape).  I presently have a relatively comfy middle class job.  Stop all junk food purchase and recoup half the cost.  Stop smoking and make a profit.  No excuse here.

Tick to the cost factor.

That leaves two unresolved main issues, logistics (the logistics of a busy one car family in particular, considering all the travel time that is implied as a maximum in the minimal participation outlined above) and the wife factor.  These issues are interrelated, the first factoring in as a derivative of the second on closer reflection.  Of course, there's at least a middling chance that I won't have improved enough from summer to make the cut even if I do try out, so I'll see the lie of the land with the missus and play it from there.

We'll give it a go, anwyays.

Monday 10 March 2014

Learning Ambition


"I thought it was just a sport.  Now I know it's a way of life!"
Dan (Knight #87)

Learning to skate, pass, stick handle, shoot, check.  Zones, rules, positions, lanes.  Team mates, opposing players, drills, systems.  Equipment, transit, logistics, time management.  Conditioning, strength, fitness, speed.  Muscular cardio vascular respiratory chemistry.  Adrenaline, norepinephrine, dopamine, lactic acid.  Diet, hydration, energy, physiology.  Strains, sprains, bruises, tears.  Direction, timing, benchmarks, milestones.  Discipline, honesty, study, practice.  Fun, work, friendship, compete.  The compleat skater will factor it all in, with an overarching sense of politik.

Riverside - High 5's and the sense of Adventure

Today was a public holiday in South Australia, 'Adelaide Cup Day' to be precise.  Hence, a Monday to rest and recuperate from what was a pretty draining week last week.  By late afternoon, the few things that absolutely needed to be done around the house had been, so it was on with the inlines and out onto the road.

Earlier, the missus had enquired about whether I was going ice skating today (something I often do on public holidays) and I, after a moment's hesitation, said 'no'.  Perhaps to her surprise, and mine, I am sticking to my 'plan'.  It would have been easy to also decide to not go for an inline skate (the body's tired, it's humid and warm, I've reached the level in inline hockey I see as the minimum for enjoyment, I can do it tomorrow, etc).  It came down to being stubborn and getting the skates etc on and heading out, regardless of what I felt.

What made it a little easier to do was my decision to go for a skate along linear park (a network of trails following Adelaide's only 'river', the Torrens) rather than down the primary school for drills.  I look at my river skates as being about recreation rather than 'improvement', skating for skating's sake.  Like I used to do with my bike once upon a time.  Good move.  I even put on my fluoro yellow tank top in case I went further than usual and came back in the gloom.

For the first kilometre, even though it's the easiest kilometre, my body was regretting my decision.  My legs ached, mental energy was relatively low, skates required a bit of concentration.  Then I eased up and was soon cruising - just in time to make the decision to take the 'long' route (5-6km) over the short one (2-3km).  And then, when I got to my usual turning point to loop around to come back the other side of the river, I started to wonder where the trail went if I kept following it.  So, follow it I did.

And ended up going through an area I've never been in before along paths and tracks never before travelled by me.  At one point in the mazing network of bike paths, busways, bridges, rivers and parks I was begining to think that I'd absolutely no idea which way to go next to get home when I fortuitously spotted an old faded sign painted on the trackway indicating the way.  It was pointing in a direction that my internal compass would have sworn was wrong, but I followed it anyway and ended up getting home about an hour after departure.  Endorphin high followed.  Mission accomplished.  It will be easier to skate tomorrow (I think back to puck and stick) than it was today.  All good fun.  All good.

The highlight today was just after I decided to go into new and uncharted territory, with the little doubt in the mind about the wisdom of it all.  Coming the other way on the track were four kids, probable ages 7-10.  They had their fishing gear with them (coulda been me a few decades ago).  As I approached in the power stride, the second kid called our "High Five, Mister?", sticking his hand out as he did so.  He gave me enough time to process events, so I slapped as I went by.  The kids behind also had their hands out, so it was a bit like getting a goal!  Especially as I heard their whoops of glee behind me as I powered on into the unknown.

An omen.  Good skate.

Sunday 9 March 2014

Sunday Skate - Exhaustion Reward Development

Today, an abbreviated skate at the Ice Arena with B and A (aged 9 and 4 respectively).  B has been doing his 'learn to skate' classes religiously and not missed the chance for a Sunday skate while A has been pushing hard for a skate for awhile now (vague memories of his first skate at 3).

They both seem keen to play ice hockey (they are quite specific about this lol).  Gotta get A skating on his own first, though :) he's within sight now.  B, meanwhile, is coming ahead leaps and bounds from week to week and looked quite natural with his casual skating today (I watched him a reasonable amount of time while doing laps of the small rink with A in hand).  B will soon be able to do the introduction to ice hockey 'Ice Blast' program at its next showing without embarassing himself or learning how to skate at the same time, and see if he really does enjoy the game as much as he thinks he will.  For what it's worth, I reckon he will.

A's reward for working his way around the edge of the small rink under his own steam was for me to take him for a couple laps of the big ice just before closing time.  To his credit, he did it, and enjoyed his 'ride' on the big ice.   B, on the other hand, was more than happy with recognition, praise, and the occasional demonstration of my hockey stop for him.

For me, I'm assuming the time on ice, limited as it was almost entirely to slow laps with a four year old on the small ice, was sufficient for me to stay in touch with my 'ice feet'. This is becoming doubly important now as I'm about to put in a final push to get inline stick and puck training hours under the belt while daylight savings and the light remain.

I'm starting to put a bit of thought into winter season training regimes in the absence of actual daily skating opportunities.  A weekly skate with one or more of the kids, inline training and a game, upto once a fortnight at ice academy (and it only takes attendance at three sessions and using up all the free public session passes to come out ahead financially, which is important), and now Jess wants me to start a gym program once or twice a week.  Throw in a shinny or two a month and things look pretty busy, now that I think of it.  Maybe I won't need to take up running afterall!

Exhausting, rewarding - that's what introducing kids to the ice is.  Like most things skate'n'puck related, the relationship between the two is directly proportional.

So, maybe I'll do it anyway!