I have been back on the ice coaching mite hockey this fall, and it has been an absolute blast to work with players as young as three. The mite groups are filled with New School students, and it is always fun to watch the kids engage outside of school. There are also multiple sets of New School siblings in the program, and it is great to see them managing a challenging sport, competitiveness, and being good siblings. I will also add that getting two children dressed for hockey is five times harder than getting one child ready.

Let’s face it, hockey is hard, and skating is something that rarely comes naturally to a youngster. Recently, we were working on a changing directions drill when I noticed one NNS student who kept sprinting through the middle of the drill. This student is an excellent skater, and she understands the drills quickly, but every time I looked up she was cutting directly across the ice.

“Come on!!” I yelled, “Stay outside the cones, everyone.” But seconds later she tore through the center of the drill to get to the other side. This was not at all like this young lady, so I skated out of the drill and stood along the boards to watch. About 15 seconds later,  she went straight across the rink at top speed, only to stop quickly next to a player who had fallen, and she gently helped him up. As soon as the struggling player returned to skating, she sprinted back into the drill, but she was constantly looking over her shoulder at the player she had just helped up. And as that skater passed in front of me, I realized that she had been sprinting across the drill to help her brother. I tried to relieve her so that she could focus on her own skating, but even then, she typically got to her brother before me and refused to let me help. I tapped her gently on the head and told her that she was a great sister. 

Later in the practice we were about to break up into two groups to scrimmage and a different set of NNS siblings approached me with a question. “Can you make sure that my brother is on the other team because I am going to crush him.” Through his facemask, I could see the biggest smile I have ever seen on that young man. But before I could explain the importance of being a good sportsman, another NNS student skated past me, pulled off his hockey pants, flopped onto his back, and started to make snow angels. Very quickly I realized that clearly this was more of a coaching issue and less of a player behavioral issue.

Thank you all for returning to our pre-pandemic pick-up routine. I know there is some loss of convenience, but I also know it means just a little bit more face time with your child’s teacher when needed. It also means about 15 minutes of added instructional time, which will give teachers more than a full block per week. The culture of NNS is all about connection and inclusion, and it is clear that what we sacrifice in convenience, we are more than making up for in communication and curriculum. Thanks for your understanding.

Have a peaceful and jolly Stroll weekend.