GHATD - Give Hockey a Try Day (w/the Seattle Women's Hockey Club)

Today was the annual 'Give Hockey a Try Day' hosted by the Seattle Women's Hockey Club. I had participated in the past many times with my previous leagues (both women's and co-ed) and it is such a blast. I love picking out the one who is an absolute beginner, taking them through some basic drills and then talking to them afterwards about getting gear and how to get started in a league.

Today, I was paired up with Sarah who had played some floor hockey but it's been a while since she's been on skates. So, while Adam took the other women through some basic drills, I worked with Sarah 1-1 on some basic skating drills, puck-handling, and just some general habits that every good skater should have when playing hockey (e.g.,keep your knees bent and loose, both hands on the stick, and keep your head up and not looking down at the puck). I was so happy to watch Sarah improve with every drill we worked on and by the end of the session, she had some awesome passes to the tape of my stick and in more control over her skating and stopping.

Afterwards, I was giving her information on where to get a good beginner's package, how much to spend, and what to expect in the upcoming season. She was pretty happy with the session and I was even more excited for her....it was so gratifying for me...the same feeling I got at the end of my ski instructing. I also got some great feedback from my teammates on my instructing which is always nice to hear. The session this morning also brought back fond memories of my early hockey days, the hand-me-down gear I wore, and all the practice sessions I attended. Nice job ladies! Thank you for coming and I hope to see you on the ice!

I haven't decided where I'm going to skate this coming winter. I had a great time skating with the co-ed league this past summer. It was the most fun I've ever had with a co-ed team. The guys on my team were so supportive and fed me so many great passes all season and on the flip-side, were always in the position I expected them to be in. More importantly, they brought great beer to share at the end of the game and always provided 2 hours of great entertainment - especially if Murray was around and killing time in the sin-bin...ha! It's too bad this league doesn't play all year 'round. I was also thinking about taking some time off from the sport but, after my last game as a Fighting Hamster (co-ed) and this GHATD session, it's just too much fun to stop playing. So, we'll see. I have a few weeks to think about it.