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He was skating toward the puck full speed at center, didn’t see the other kid coming…BOOM, full on collision. Got right back up and played the puck. A couple minutes later, he’s going after the puck and plows through some kid on the boards. Almost scored on a rebound, too. Keeping in mind that he’s playing with mostly 9 and 10 year olds, he’s really holding his own and making his Daddy proud! Lol, wish I had tape on that hit….
This last development is going to be troubling. Used to be we could just close the door to a room we were in and she was stuck in there with us. Now she’s got access to the whole house and we’re going to have to worry about keeping her more safe cause she can’t just be corralled by a closed door. Oh well, like I said, it’s really fun watching her learn to do things.
I’m glad Michael is playing with the older kids, it will really give him a chance to see what skating and playing are all about. David gets to play with kids his age and since this is his first hockey experience, it’s really well suited for him. And David LOVES his coach. I’ve worked with Coach Kyle quite a few times at the rink helping out with the Saturday programs and he’s got a great demeanor for teaching the kids the game and really tries to get involved with the kids on a personal level. I’m coaching Michael’s team. We’ve got 11 kids on the team and they all seem to be really nice kids. There’s a couple kids who think they’re already playing as well as Alex Ovechkin and don’t need teammates. They’ll start ‘getting it’ as the season wears on. I’ve got the kids learning a pro-style offense that demands the kids spread out and utilize the pass. They’re picking it up surprisingly quickly and are trying to apply it as best they can during the games. Michael started playing tackle football this fall. He is starting at center and is really getting the hang of snapping, blocking, tackling and all the other stuff that goes into being a good football player. He took his first huge hit during the practice the other night. He was playing with the scout team returning kicks, the ball came right to him, and as he went to take his first step with the ball he absolutely got nailed. He cried for a little bit, took a couple plays off, then came back in and four straight plays in a row went after the guy who’d laid him out. I was very impressed with the way he handled the whole thing. Of all the ways he could have reacted after taking a huge hit like that, I’m absolutely shocked, amazed, and proud that he did what he did. It could not have been more perfect for him. That’s the kind of aggression that will really help him become a good player in the future.
Michael turned into a really talented hitter. He’s a left-handed hitter, thanks mostly to his comfort level of using a left-curved stick in hockey. There were a few times when he hit it to the fence. I was really happy with how he improved as a fielder and with his throwing technique. Be sure to check out the Videos page for more videos of him playing: |
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It’s so fun watching little Emma learning new things. She’s now able to walk/run(albeit very stiff-legged), she points to things she wants or places she wants to go, and as of this morning she can use doorknobs.
Michael and David are both playing hockey this season. Unfortunately, they’re not able to play on the same team. Michael is playing in the 10 & Under age group, David is playing in the 6 & Under age group.
Michael had a really fun season playing baseball this spring. I had a lot of fun as the head coach of his team. We had a really fun group of kids and parents, too, which made things really nice.