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When she isn't inhaling Zamboni fumes as a hockey mom of three, Astra is a human resources professional from Ottawa. In her spare time, she writes about motherhood and minor hockey. Her humour memoir, "Offside by a Mile - Confessions of a Hockey Mom" was published by FriesenPress in June 2015. You can read more about her family's antics on her website at www.astragroskaufmanis.com and follow her @mydustbunnies on Twitter. Astra is a weekly contributor to HockeyNow.ca through her always-entertaining Mom Mondays blog.
Most of the lockers rooms in our neck of the woods are quiet this time of the year. The hockey players have wrapped up their seasons and have passed the locker room torch on to lacrosse players for the next few months.
Read MoreAfter the last puck is fired into the net, the final post-game handshake exchanged, one closing locker room speech given by the coach, the game jerseys washed and returned to the association, the hockey equipment sent out for deep-cleaning, and those hockey socks incinerated, there is but one remaining action item on a team’s game plan: the year-end party.
Read More“Why didn’t we go to the Cornwall tournament this year, Mom?” asked my daughter, as she and I prepare for her team’s year-end hockey party.
Read MoreBy the time you read this, Mother’s Day will just have passed. My own Mother’s Days have evolved over the years. My earliest ones were largely planned by my husband – a gift and a card signed as best possible by all the kids.
Read MoreOf all the wonderful things a hockey mom does day in and day out, it’s safe to say that “driving” probably tops the list. I don’t even want to think about the amount of time I have spent in a car driving to or from a hockey arena.
Read MoreEvery year, our friends and neighbours put together a playoff hockey pool. The brackets are distributed as soon as they are made known by the league, we make our picks, and all chip in five bucks to the pot.
Read MoreIt’s been a tough season for hockey nets. As my family and I drove back to Ottawa from the Collingwood area last weekend, we decided to take smaller two-lane highways in an attempt to avoid all the long weekend traffic along the 400 series of highways.
Read MoreAccording to parenting experts, you’re not supposed to bribe your children to get them to do things. It makes them believe there’s no value in doing anything unless they’re rewarded for it.
Read MoreThe minor hockey season is winding down and we are in the throes of preparing for the grand finale – which is of course the year-end team party! Before the year-end party can take place, there are a bucket load of little ‘jobs’ that need to be taken care of.
Read MoreEvery hockey season, my kids would receive a brand new pair of hockey socks from their association. This annual offering generally takes place when game jerseys are distributed for the season, which generally follows the passionate deliberations over who is wearing what number.
Read MoreI was telling my husband the other day that we needed to fix the dents in the wall in the rec room. My frequent declarations about ‘no playing sports in the house!’ have fallen on deaf ears due in large part to any meaningful consequences on my part.
Read MoreIf you’re a new hockey mom, you are this close to the end of your very first year of hockey. Congratulations! It’s been exciting hasn’t it? You’re on the home stretch now and playoffs are underway. It’s a cake walk, right? Not so fast.
Read MoreWhat’s the story with kids and their hockey tape balls anyway? Honestly. I know that I’ve often joked about all the miscellaneous junk lurking at the bottom of a hockey mom’s handbag.
Read MoreAll the speculation and rumours churning about before the 2016-17 NHL trade deadline are now old news. The deadline has passed and the playoff hopefuls and their teams are set. But the player trades are not the only ones worth debating in hockey circles.
Read MoreAre you a hockey mom without a mom or dad yourself? My father passed away several years ago after a very long illness. During my parents’ visits to Ottawa in healthier times, he would occasionally accompany me to my boys’ 6:00AM practices, because who else but a grandparent would go to a 6:00AM practice?
Read More
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About HockeyNow
Established in 1999, HockeyNow is the only magazine delivering the best in news and stories from across the minor, junior, collegiate and female hockey ranks, both in print and through our world-class website at HockeyNow.ca. Print copies of our 43 annual issues are available free in hockey rinks across B.C., Alberta, and Ontario. We are deeply involved and committed to developing and promoting the game of hockey to our readers through unique perspectives and stories they won’t find anywhere else.
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