Mom Mondays: Namebar Needlework

If you thought hockey is a rough sport, you should try sewing namebars to the back of game jerseys! That is one of the toughest jobs I have as a hockey mom, and is one I struggle with every single season.

Mom Mondays: Giving Thanks for Hockey!

Happy Thanksgiving to all the hockey moms out there! We have so much to be thankful for as hockey moms in Canada. While I definitely put the health and safety of my family and friends above all for which I’m grateful, I do have a few more thanks loading up my plate today!

Mom Mondays: Keep Calm and Party On

“Ok Team, who’s ready for some fun? It’s time for party games! Yay!” The reaction to this question asked by any parent at the team icebreaker will probably be as follows: Novice and Atom kids will immediately begin jumping up and down screaming as if Santa Claus just arrived; Peewee and Bantam kids will feign interest but then take over with their own game that’s like, way better; Midget kids will pretend they didn’t hear you.

Mom Mondays: Party Protocol

It’s late September, your kids’ teams are set, Coach’s welcome email received, and league play is about to get under way. There is still one significant hockey activity that needs to be organized: the team icebreaker party. To me, this event is the real home opener.

Mom Mondays: Sorting Out for Sort-Outs

House league sort-outs are this weekend for us, how about you? Are you ready? Some associations seem to drag out the sort-outs over several weekends. They rebalanced the teams and scrimmage again.

Mom Mondays: The Hockey Mom – She’s a Top Prospect!

If you are a new hockey mom this season, welcome to the team! You’ve probably been wondering what you’ve signed up for but don’t worry; you’ll learn as you go, so just have fun. Of course, you’re also probably thinking about what kind of hockey mom you’re going to be.

Mom Mondays: Hockey Mom New Season Resolutions

I don’t make any New Year’s resolutions in January. What’s the point? All I really want to do in January is curl up under a blanket and wait for the snow – and ice – to melt. 

Mom Mondays: The First Cut is the Deepest

There are a lot of kids in hockey tryouts right now. One of the inevitable realities of competitive hockey is that your child will be cut from a team at some point in their minor hockey career. 

Mom Mondays: To the New Kids on the Block

Right NOW, thousands of hockey moms all across Canada are gearing up for the 2017-18 hockey season. If Hockey Canada’s annual report is any indication, at least 75,000 of those hockey players... 

Mom Mondays: Soon it will be hockey season... and email season

Mom Mondays - The Hockey Logo Breaks the Ice

“How ‘bout them Leafs?”  Have you ever noticed when travelling that a simple hockey t-shirt or ball cap can be a conversation starter? Of course you have! It happens all the time.

Mom Mondays: Locker Room Talk – Size Matters!

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. 

Mom Mondays: A Season in Summary

After 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.

Mom Mondays: Tournaments by the Ages

“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.

Mom Mondays: Happy Hockey Mom’s Day!

By 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.