May--The Month That Never Rests

My time as a house husband is filled with "stuff". Typically months come and they go. Schedules don't change much in the typical month, but May is not normal. Each week we have hockey development on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Piano is on Wednesday. PSR classes on Tuesday and Church on Sunday. Those don't change much if at all. The craziness comes from the hockey games on Saturday (2) and trying to fit development camp in too. This weekend brings AAA tryouts for Frudoch. AAA hockey is Tier 1 and prepares the serious player for the road to a potential career in hockey. Yes Frudoch is only 11 as on today... Tryouts this weekend are on Saturday and Sunday. Plus I coach both kids 3 on 3 hockey teams. Oh yeah this weekend is Mothers Day and Frudoch turns 12 on Saturday. My wife has her birthday on Sunday too. This past weekend was May 1 and we celebrated a nephews birthday and visited with other family passing thru town. Oh yeah I also coached 2 hockey games including a 21-0 win for my PeeWee team. Wednesday I have to pick up the flowers the kids sold and deliver them as well as get t a race planning meeting. Next week brings an OVR-SCCA Board meeting and I am Chairman so I must be present. We have all the regular stuff too plus 2 more hockey games. The following weekend (May 21-23) has more tryouts in case Fru does not make the AAA team. Not just one set, but 2 sets of tryouts. Friday eve, Saturday morning, Sunday Morning and finally Sunday evening. Of course they can and usually do add one more session to make those final decisions. Usually on the night and time of PSR.... Yeah I still have to coach a couple games in there too. That weekend is also my SCCA regions biggest race of the year at Mid-Ohio and as regional Executive I HAVE to be present. Where I find the time is a guess I will have to make. Nevermind that I would love to race.... So that leaves the last weekend of the month and also my fathers 70th birthday and a big celebration. Plus of course some hockey and a wonderful weekend of racing at Indy, Lime Rock, and Charlotte. Somewhere during the month I need to find time to maintain the house and get the race car ready for the season. I have new tires waiting to go on the CLK since right now the rears are bald as can be. So see May is busy, but I guess I like it like that since I'll have less time to bitch and moan. One more thing.... Stay out of my way. I'm in a hurry.

End of Season

Well here it is. Today ends my first season as summer coach for 3 vs 3 hockey. Its been a fabulous season even though the good guys did not always end up with the most goals. Getting a chance to stand out on the field of battle with your own children is an amazing experience and is something I will always remember. Having complete strangers trust you with their children as well just makes it that much better. Thru 6 games and a couple practices we have held our heads up as we fought better teams and never quit. We experienced wins and losses and pulled goalies and penalty shots. Today we do battle with a travel team that has not won a game this year. On paper they should kill us, but we will go out there and play the game. I'll be the guy smiling on the side.

And so it Begins

Today I stepped out on my own. Today I didn't assist anyone. Today I became the boss. Oh yeah I am now the head coach. It was great. The opportunity to coach one of your kids is something everyone should experience. Today I got to coach both of mine. We loved it. Now the scores did not matter so much to me, but I found they did to the kids. To me its summer 3 on 3 hockey. Its a chance to skate and stay in shape. To the kids its about winning.

We had the unfortunate opportunity to play 2 games today. Back to back. Thats not so cool in the first week of the season. With kids I didn't know. Heck most of the kids I had never met before and I had to learn names and faces. The first game we lost, but thats ok. The team was a group that has played together for 4 years and all are select players. The second game we had a full roster and I was able to put lines together and we dominated. But then again I didn't care about the score. So I'm 1-1 and have now played both the other teams in our league. Next time we will be ready. My kids had a blast. I had a blast. Thats what it's all about.

Memorial Day Weekend Ramblings

Lots going on over the next few days. I heard a pair of F-16's from the ONG ripping around yesterday before doing a flyby for a memorial celebration in downtown Columbus. I never get tired of that ripping sound.

W had our last 3 on 3 game today and avenged the only loss on our schedule with a 7-4 win. We only had 7 players today so 2 lines and a goalie. Of course the other team had 7 as well. Islanders win and Frudoch had a nice goal. Still trying to find players for a summer team...

My dad gave me a Mossberg shotgun today. Its really nice. A classic. 2 boxes of ammo too. Second Amendment rights are important. Our current president does not necessarily agree with that.

I spent last night doing something that I had not done in probably 30 plus years. Trying to hit a ball in a batting cage. Fortunately I bat left handed so my shoulder does not get worked over. I stroked a few and only whiffed 3 times. Felt pretty good too.

Quick Post

So Frudoch has been doing a special camp for travel level players with a really good coach. Twice a week he has been doing power skating and other work. He also has been playing 3 on 3 hockey and wow has his game elevated due to the workouts he has been getting in the development camp. In fact the coach has encouraged him to try out for the AAA Ohio Blue Jackets. I'm not quite ready for that level, but we have decided to let him try out for the Columbus Capitals PeeWee Travel team.

His 3 on 3 season has gone really well and he is leading his team in goals with 8 in 5 games. He has so many assists I've lost count. His unselfish play has made him a really complete player and everybody wants to be on his line. I've enjoyed coaching him and with a 5-1 record it looks like the last game of the season will be for all the marbles. Its there where we face the Hockey Rockers. The one team we lost to this year. Then begins the Summer 3 on 3 season and we will throw Poppy in as well. Hopefully on a team with her older brother.

Frudoch also got the opportunity to do his first checking clinic. I have not had so many laughs at the rink ever....