What a fabulous day! On Mar. 11, parents and players of Pre-Novice and first year Novice made the trek to Logan Lake and participated in a Fun Day Tournament, which was a thrill for all.
It was hard to believe that many of these kids had first learned to skate in September and what a wobbly sight it had been! Splish, splash and a fair few crashed way back but in just six months, these tiny feet found their wings and were set to soar. The team was made up of boys and girls and, in Logan Lake, they seemed ready to shine!
In the dressing room, the atmosphere was upbeat and fun. The kids giggled and laughed. The coaches made jokes and put any nerves at ease. It really was just for “fun”. The team looked sharp in their crisp blue and white and headed out onto the ice.
The Novice players lent confidence to the team with encouraging words and a few fancy moves. There were six communities in total, each team set to play three games apiece and each game being 45 minutes long. The format was clever, the buzzer rang and five kids clamored for the ice and took their positions. Three minutes later, another wave took their turn. There was some stumbling and a little bit of bumbling but plays were made and the puck was passed down the ice and the first goals were scored.
By game two, they were hitting their stride and set fire to the ice as they skated their hearts out. They cheered when they scored and also when they missed, they slapped each other on the back and high fived just for the heck of it.
The coaches were marvelous. They were kind and supportive and throughout the day, each player had been touched on the shoulder and genuinely complimented on some element of play. The smiles were bewitching, each player beamed as they came off their shift and they were pleased with their efforts and proud of their accomplishments. The team won all its games but that was incidental to the real win, which was playing because they were having so much fun.