For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for November 24, 2010

Oh, I think hockey is a perfect father/son kind of thing!

ejcapulet, haha yep!

Being a hockey parent was actually very fun. We always went as a family – except when the boys ended up having games in different towns. That was less fun. But from a parenting standpoint it was more fun than the other sports they played.

Interest in sports is healthy for children of any gender!

Week-ends? What are you, American Wimps? This is CANADA, where Hockey is 24/7/ … 280ish.

Get up at “Oh-so-dark” for 1st practice, afternoon practice after school and then scrimmage to work off that supper surplus. Then just wait until you get into peewee league!

Hey, don’t forget hockey camp in the summer.

Let’s not get testy with that “My nation is better than your nation attitude”, shall we? That’s worst than a typical “Soccer Mom”.

That comment should be a warning to all parents that the youth sport is for the kids, not the parents. Leave the bad attitude in the closet.

It ruins the balance of your comments.

Hey jkoskov, I did leave room for school, wasn’t that enough?

ACTUALLY, this was over-the-top on purpose to show what can be the extreme.

Perhaps I should have added a “/sarcasm?” label to it.

I appreciated the Canadia perspective. ;)

But you left out the 10 grand plus (when the dust settles) for gear, league fees, ice time, travel, etc. etc. etc. Ain’t casual youth sports grand. ;)

@Nabuquduriuzhur…. At Micheal’s age, players do wear full face-shields; they’re also mandatory in NCAA hockey. If I recall correctly, visors come into play in Major Junior hockey in Canada.

It’s always all about Elly with Elly and her poor put upon self. The only one who gets it is How, as usual.

If kids and pets came with on/off switches, I wonder how often Elly’s would be ever be on, and how much she would complain about them for doing nothing when she turns them off. Nobody can win with her. No matter what they do or don’t do, she always finds some way to pity her poor self.

“You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred!”

And still she ends up having a 3rd child! (Darn) good thing it was another girl instead of another boy she’d have to suffer yet again with!

She ought to make John do all the hockey chores, since he’s the one who wanted it, but most likely she’ll end up having to do it all, as usual.

My son played soccer at that age, but several of his friends played hockey.

Here, south of the frozen zone, hockey means practicing in the limited number of indoor ice rinks. That meant (like competive swimming) scheduling practices in the wee hours before school, taking off school (and work) for travel games…all things we, as 2 working parents, couldn’t manage.

But participating in an active sport is a great for kids. At 25, our son still plays soccer, in an adult league.