- 7:00 AM practices…need I say more?
- When your hockey buddies come over and raid the pantry…she’s the reason there are groceries to raid.
- There is not a person in the rink experiencing more anxiety during your games than your mother.
- She is not driving an 18.5’ Suburban because it parks easily or has great gas mileage…that is the vehicle most conducive to hauling hockey players, their equipment and teammates.
- Above & beyond laundry efforts…if you’re not the smelly kid in the locker-room, your mother is likely the reason why. (BTW - if you are, go ahead and give her an opportunity to do a quick wash).
- A weekend in and out of a cold ice rink, spending an obscene amount of money on restaurant meals and rooming with you, a teammate and your equipment strewn all over the room, is likely not her idea of a nice weekend away.
- It is in your mother’s DNA to nurture and protect you…it’s not in the coach’s nor in your teammates, and for ninety minutes or so, 40-50 times a year, your mother has to relinquish her child into a physically and emotionally demanding, intense and sometimes violent sport. No player, coach or teammate can ever know that feeling.
Hockey moms are committed to a lifestyle based on a sport you love to play. They make sacrifices. They are strong, noble and caring. A thank you and a hug will go a long way to showing your appreciation for all they do for you. Make it specific, make it frequent and make it genuine.
PS – if you’re a goalie, add three exclamation points to #’s 3, 4 and 7.