Ice Hockey popular in the desert? It is at my house. My son Christopher LOVES to play hockey. It has been his passion since he was just a mite. 
He started out rollerblading in the cul-de-sac in front of our house from the time he was 3 years old. When he was 12, a new ice rink opened down the street and we took him to try it out.
I was going to show him how to ice skate. Well, the joke was on me. Before I could even lace up my worn, white leather figure skates, he had snapped into his snazzy blue rental skates and was off like a shot. The rest as they say is history.
Starting out as a Squirt, he played a year of House Hockey at Polar Ice, in Chandler, Arizona. Then, he moved up to the Polar Bears Bantam travel team. At, 16 he was called up to the Phoenix Polar Bears Junior Team playing for Coach Harry Mahood, and with them has had the privilege of playing in four National Championship Tournaments. Hockey has taken him to Canada, playing for the Powell River Kings in the BCHL and this August he'll live in New Jersey for his last year of Juniors playing D with the New Jersey Hitmen in the EJHL.
My sweet child is a Hitman!And not just because of his team name. Christopher definitely subscribes to these words attributed to Robert Altman:
"To play it safe is not to play."
Over the years, there have been many conversations that started like:
"Mom – you need more frozen corn – I used the last bag on my knee..."
"The trainer thinks I separated my shoulder – can we go get another MRI."
After a particularly rough game...
"You're not supposed to pee blood are you?"
Or my favorite – while listening to Big Chris talk to him while he was away for a weekend series in Sacramento...
"YOU DON'T THINK SHE'LL NOTICE!!!!"
It turns out Christopher had broken his two front teeth in a game and he had begged my husband "Don't tell Mom!"
So this is my Hockey Mom's Dilemma: As a hockey mom — I love to see my child committed and following his dream.
But, as a Mom, I can't help but worry – just a little.
Thanks for stopping by for a little life story. Stay tuned...
Joan Koerber-Walker
P.S. Thanks to Twitter Friend @FlyingSpatula for sharing Altman's quote and breaking my writer's block today.
