Hockey Bonds - Friends for Life

photo courtesy www.tsn.ca

My son turned 14 last week and his guest list for his birthday dinner made me think. Everyone he invited were former teammates. He didn't want anyone from school, he just wanted his hockey buddies from his former teams. His reasoning was simple - "I see my school friends everyday, I see my current team friends almost everyday, so I want to spend my birthday with the guys I don't see as much as I would like." So I started thinking about the friends made from playing sports. How many of your friends did you grow up with playing hockey or soccer or baseball?

My husband grew up playing hockey. One of his best friends is a former teammate - they met through playing on the same team. For over thirty years they have remained friends. They still on occasion play together in various men's team. They still like playing together. They were defensive partners as kids and when they play together now they like it because they still know where and how each other will play. In life they have each others backs and will always be their for the other.

In part that is what hockey, and all sports teach kids. You need to be there for your team. Give it your best and have you teammates back. In life, you be there for your family and friends - have their back and know that they will have yours.

I also realize that hockey has not only produced some great friends for my kids but also for my husband and myself. There really is such a thing as a hockey family - dysfunctional maybe - but still family. Some of my closest friends I have met through hockey. I would do anything for them and know that they would do the same. We care for each other children and hope for the best for all of them. A lot of my kid's hockey friends jokingly call me mom. When they come over to our house they are treated like my own kids, which means I don't wait on them, they can help themselves to food and drinks and they clean up after themselves. After having my son's friends over for his birthday, I realized I missed these boys as much as my son had. The season is almost over, so maybe we will find some time to get together with all our hockey friends - some place warm maybe.