“He’s just living the dream vicariously through his kids”.  This phrase comes in many variations and is used by a lot of people throughout the hockey community.  It has become a catch phrase of sorts.  I’m willing to bet that most people who use it don’t really know what it means.  They heard it somewhere and thought it sounded cool.  “That guy doesn’t like the coach; he must be living his dream through his kid.” “Don’t like your association’s evaluation system and you complain about it? You must be living your dream through your kid.”  Argue with a ref at a rink?  You get the picture…

So according to the powers that be, any parent or even some coaches who are perceived to be “over the top” about their kid’s hockey, must and I mean MUST, be living their life through their kid.  What a ridiculous notion!

A majority of us hockey parents are the most dedicated, caring people on the planet.  We spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars a year to give our sons and daughters a chance to experience and excel at the world’s greatest game.  When our kids have success at it, we are proud, when our kids are benched or unfairly treated and are hurting, we feel the pain.  That’s called PARENTING. 

Hockey opens many doors for kids, whether it is a University scholarship, a paid career playing in Europe, coaching positions, a junior career or even  (I’m going to say it folks) an NHL career!
The opportunities for women are increasing every year.  Thousands of University scholarships are available along with chances to play on elite level teams and to experience life like most people will never have the opportunity to. 

My son Tyler has a dream; he wants to make the NHL.  My daughter Melanie has a dream too, she wants to play hockey at a University somewhere in Canada or the US and get her education paid for while playing a sport she loves.

This hockey parent has a dream.  That dream is that all four of his children have successful, happy lives.  The fact that two of them are in hockey makes parenting all the more fun. 

Give me the parent who shares in his kid’s wins and losses, high marks and not so good marks in school, successes and failures in day to day life, over the parent who is selfishly happy the hockey season is over so he or she can get to their cottage.
I will continue to cheer every save my son makes and every goal my daughter scores or sets up.

I will applaud their wins and feel the pain of their losses.   I will stand on a podium and talk about the merits of Calgary Girl’s Hockey and the need for more competition and girls playing the game.  I will continue to strive to see improvements made in the refereeing of minor hockey and not be satisfied with the “they are doing their best” answers we so often hear.  Living the dream vicariously through my kids? … no. 

SHARING the DREAM with many other hockey parents AND my kids.

www.offthegoalpost.com