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Nice!

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Thanks. Most of the crazy people who take the fun out of hockey are on the B team, so I'm looking forward to a good year. Told today that the coach is fine as long as the kids try hard. I'm good with that.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Miss18.1's team is 7-1 so far. Hellz yeah. Team we lost to has a program like 3x the size of ours & play full year, with mandatory summer camps, so it's not like we should be embarrassed about losing that one. Also registered for a tournament & were told by the hosts that they want us to move up a bracket- they're scared of us. Trying to move us up to the bracket with Tier III teams that try out for national tournaments. We've never had a team at that level before.

And the coach is not nearly as bad as I'd heard. Demanding & calls the kids out if they don't live up to his expectations, but also praises hard work & good plays. I'm liking it.

I know nobody really cares, but with the shitbag Isles having the season they are, I need to vent some hockey-happiness now & then.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

I really am the kiss of death. They were 7-1 when I posted that? They're 7-7-2 now. Sorry hockey Gods, I won't brag again.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Jersey order time. I asked my 5 year old her first 3 choices for #, as per the order form. "16, 17 or 18". And no, she's never seen Slap Shot.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

When Miss18.1 started playing she asked for a tournament sweatshirt. I told her I'd buy her one when they won a tournament. After almost 6 years, many 2nd place finishes, and some 0-3 showings, I finally had to buy her one today. It's amazing to watch some kids who literally couldn't skate a few years ago just totally dominate a game in one of the highest brackets.

Some tournament highlights:
Coming back from 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 vs top seed.
Killing off a 7:30 penalty for hitting from behind and causing head to hit boards. I still can't get an answer where the extra 30 seconds came from after what should have been a minor & a major, but the kids killed it all off to keep that game tied. It was in the third period of their 2nd game that day.
Coming back from 3-1 deficit in finals to win 4-3.
My 6 year old nicknaming the rink manager "Bubbley Bill" after he screamed at a kid on our team for stickhandling in the rink area. Subsequently, me re-nicknaming the guy Bubbles after the Trailer Park Boys character (he was wearing a flannel shirt and glasses, though fairly thin ones), and then finding out I do a pretty good Bubbles impersonation. "Hey Ricky, the Zamboni ran outta gas. I hope Julien still has some he stole outta that cop car."
Me convincing all the kids we have practice tonight and they're going to skate sprints the whole time for not winning by at least 2. I even got a parent with that one.
Player on our team knocking a definite goal off course with a full speed skating swing of his stick, baseball style, prompting me to say it was the play of the year on the bench. The ref added that it was so incredible he was too shocked to whistle the play dead in our zone for playing the puck with a high stick. Bubbles came along and said he'd never seen anything like it in 30+ years at the rink (although he didn't call anyone Ricky or Julien).

In the words of Ice Cube, I could say it was a good day...

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Warning- Severe bragging alert.

I know nobody really cares about this thread but me, but I'll talk to myself if I have to. This one's worth it.

Miss18.1's peewee team are on to the CT state championship tournament! They won their "first round" tournament, which makes them 1 out of 4 teams to go to the states. There are 49 teams in the league. It'll be really tough for an organization as small as ours to get it done, but nobody thought they'd win the first round tournament (except us!). They beat a very tough team with a 12 year old who was 5'9" and had a shot way harder than mine. Parents on another team told us they'd seen him at a rink with a radar gun & his shot was clocked at 86 MPH. Quite a few of our kids sacrificed their bodies to ensure he wouldn't get a shot on net, including Miss18.1. She's lucky she didn't get the worst of it. Another kid blocked one, fully knowing he was going to get hurt. I could see his "ohhhhh shit" face as he skated in front of it. Saved a sure goal with about a minute to go though, and had to be pushed toward the bench on one leg by a team mate, with me picking him up off the ice when he got within arms' reach. Poor kid had a bruise like a softball before he even undressed. No real damage though.

And Miss18.1 is rounding into a damn good player. Gone are the days of her being timid & letting people beat her to loose pucks. She's a really great defensive forward, with the occasional goal. She had a D-man's shot go off her leg in the championship game, but told the ref it didn't- because the d-man was so excited to have scored. That's a real team mate & friend, if I do say so myself.

This is such a major accomplishment. Half these kids literally couldn't skate 3.5 years ago when I had them on our squirt B team. They've grown into an ass-kicking team, who won't ever admit they're out of a game. They've had some huge comebacks, and never cease to amaze me.

10 days to prepare for States.

And, Miss18.2 did her part as well. She & two of her mite teammates shut down the opposing teams' kid cheering sections in definitive fashion! I've never heard 3 kids as loud as them. And Mrs18 did the same to opposing teams' parents, and brought a flair (pun intended) to our goal celebrations: She was looking up boxing/wrestling nicknames & intros recently for a joke thing in which she & friends were to be introduced wrestling style. She thought Rick Flair's "woooooo!" was funny but catchy, and made it our team's celebration. The parents flanked the other teams' parents (not intentionally in the beginning) and would alternate who did it. From the bench the affect was awesome, as it alternated which ear it came into. It may look silly/trivial in print, but at the time, and especially to a bunch of 12 year old kids, it was energizing. They fed off it and kicked even more ass.

In the words of Ice Cube, "I could say it was a good day!"

Signed- Dad18, aka Coach18.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Great stuff, Chris! Good luck at the State tourney!

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

That's awesome Chris! Nice how in just over 3 years, you brought them from not skating to a state championship tournament. Awesome feeling I'm sure.




Has J21 been right all these years saying you actually live in CT but pretend to live in NY.

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The local OHL team does the WOOOO! thing after a goal. The kids do love it.

Congrats on the successes and the kids having fun.

Saw the shot count on facebook. Looks like your goaltending improved a bit?

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Thanks Chuck, E.L. and Harmy!

Mostly our suggestions no doubt.

Haha- YEAH! I'd like to take some credit for that but I can't! A) She got contacts! She would let up long goals in the past because she literally couldn't see the shots coming. B) She got a non-hockey related concussion 2 years ago, and sitting out really focused her on getting a lot better. She studied the position, angles, rebound control, etc. Huge credit to her! C) I was just flat out wrong going into the season, pulling my memories from 3 years ago. She was really good last year, but on a different team than us.

I've apologized to her parents a lot this year, saying I barely speak to her because I have nothing to say. She covers up or puts rebounds in the corners. I don't even tell her what she's done well, for fear of making her overthink what she's done right! The other coaches & I pretty much say hi before the game, and "good game" afterwards, and almost nothing else. Her parents have said that's perfect, as she doesn't want anyone telling her what to do. Fine as long as she keeps making 32 saves per game!!!!



Thanks, I'm incredibly proud of them all.

Haha- I still live in NY, but our organization plays in the CT league. The local NY league was run by a real a-hole a few years back (among other things, he embezzled money), so they switched to CT. The travel times suck, but the league is really well run. But, we are looking to move, and western CT is a possibility.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Found out who else is in: #1, #2, #5 and #6. We're #6 (out of 49 teams), and obviously, the underdogs in this tournament.

8 or 9 days to prepare! Starting.... now!

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Well done coach18.

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Bíonn macalla ag an bheatha sa tsíoraíocht. Liverpool FC: 2019 and 6-time Champions of Europe. 2020 and 19 time English Premier League Champions YNWA. JFT 97

I like that you keep shot counts.

Boy, she's growing up so darned fast. She's helping shut down 5'9" 12 year olds now? Awesome!

Just don't let them end the game after two overtimes with a draw.

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Injustice? Cobain died and Eddy Fucking Vedder lived to haunt us with his shitty fucking voice, trite lyrics and his Eddy Vedderness.



- Ancient Chinese Proverb

Some rinks keep shot counts & some don't. Sometimes it's down to the individual score keeper, as 2 of our tournament games didn't include them. I think the count of 36 was a little generous, but we'll take it.

Yeah, being a dad is pretty scary. Especially of a 12 year old daughter!

It's a co-ed (read, 99% boys) league, so no danger of that. Co-champions. How ridiculous was that?

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

It wouldn't be terribly ridiculous if they had said it was possibility beforehand, but it honestly sounds like they just ended that game to get the boys out there on time.

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Injustice? Cobain died and Eddy Fucking Vedder lived to haunt us with his shitty fucking voice, trite lyrics and his Eddy Vedderness.



- Ancient Chinese Proverb

Yep.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

We were halfway through getting whooped in Game 1 when one of the other kids turned to me and said "I guess it's true; a goalie really needs their contacts to see the puck well enough to stop it". Got whooped in Game 1. We'd have probably lost anyway, but ouch.
Game 2- tied, and should have had a chance to win. Our players was taken down on a clear breakaway. Ref called tripping, but no penalty shot. We had a 1 second PP. Their players wisely just dropped onto the puck.
Game 3- needed to win by 9 to advance due to tie-breakers. Lost 2-1. I also lost my mind for 2 seconds on a ref. I don't usually yell at all; we all make mistakes, including me. But Miss18.1 was clearly tripped from behind when she had the puck & hit her head so hard I was checking her helmet for cracks. No call. Next shift she was boarded horribly. Kid looked like a WWE wrestler bringing someone into the turnbuckle. No call, and then the ref had the audacity to come to the bench & say "you know, one of your players bumped her head on the boards, a..." I cut him off & yelled "no shit she 'hit her head'. She was boarded like the kid was Hulk Hogan!" Ref told me he came over to warn me my player may be hurt, not to get any crap from me. I replied that he'll take the crap, since he's been doing a crap job for 42 minutes. Not my best line, but I felt "are you afraid that using your whistle will call your seeing eye dog onto the ice & he'll hurt himself?" takes too long to get out while the ref is already skating away. The one time I got that one out it went over the ref's head for a long time. He told me after the game it was a good one, but he agreed it's too long.
I apologized to the ref after the game (and after seeing my kid was in fact okay, thanks to having inherited my rock-skull). I explained that I don't yell about non-calls that impact the game, but I do about ones that involve player safety, which should be his first priority. That worked as well as it could. He obviously couldn't do anything about it then, but he looked guilty. It probably worked far better than telling him to shove a broomstick up his ass & turn it sideways, like I wanted to do.

Anyway. Season is over. If anyone asked if I wanted to help coach a team that would win 2 tournaments & make it to the first state championship tournament, being one of the Final Four, out of a 49 team league, I'd certainly have signed up.

And now, spring league.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.