A wise
award-winning hockey association
convenor once said that tournaments are more than just a pile of hockey
games jammed into a weekend. They can
bring even tight-knit teams closer together, bonding in a way that is much
different from the regular season.
This past weekend, the Howell Transport TCDMHA Midget LL Rebels had the opportunity to travel to Cobourg for the Shane O’Brien Tournament, and players and parents had the chance to spend a few days together – at and away from the rink – getting to know each other better and renewing old friendships.
The team battled some strong opponents, and sometimes the Rebels were the stronger of the two. They gave and got, scored and were scored on, won and lost. Playing good hockey was the central focus, although winning wasn’t the only goal. Bringing their best and stretching themselves beyond their comfort zone was encouraged, and the boys delivered. Working together as a team was the ultimate benefit as the passing, fore-and back-checking, and playmaking amped up as the weekend went on. By the last game, cautious players were taking risks, hardworking players found a new level of intensity, passers tried their hands at rushing the puck, the defence built a virtually impenetrable wall at both bluelines, forwards were running passing clinics, and the goaltender turned himself inside out to make stops that up until now were thought to be humanly impossible.
Off-ice, team meals, bowling with the lights out, and midnight snack runs (with the smallest person calling shotgun!) that ended up being snack walks, are some of the things that brought the boys closer together. The same situation applied to parents as well. We found out that some people who say they aren’t good at bowling actually are, and some who say they aren’t good at bowling really aren’t (just ask their wives). Some mild-mannered grandmas turn out to be fierce when their inner fan is released – it just takes a critical moment to let it out. Oh, and did you know that in some pizza establishments, sausage is considered a vegetable?
Maybe it has something to do with seeing people before they’ve had their morning coffee or when they’re away from the demands of daily life and can let their hair down (or in Talmon’s case – WAY down!) and kick back for a bit. Whatever it is, that wise convenor was right. Something really cool went down at this tournament, and the team is better and closer for it.
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Absent from the tournament line-up was captain Garrett McNabb who could not be with the team this past weekend due to the passing of his grandfather, Harry McGregor. Players and parents express sincere condolences to Garrett and his family.