Getting to this pretty late tonight (11:30 to be exact) because we didn't arrive back from the Devil's Bantam AA tryout until 10:45. Kinda late for a 12 year old. Hell, kinda late for her 40+ parents and I'm pretty sure all the other parents at the rink this evening nodded their silent agreement. The young girls on the ice tonight certainly didn't appear to have the same jump in their step on crispness on their passes at they laboured through the last of four sessions. They were most certainly feeling physical and mental fatigue.
Despite a valiant effort and a pretty relentless effort, the Devil was not selected to be part of the AA team. However, before the final news was delivered the coach did an excellent job letting all those who remained until the last tryout know that they should be proud of their efforts. He encouraged them all as they move into tryouts for the next team and hope towards having a shot at making the top team next season.
Shortly after the girls left the ice and dragged their tired bodies out to the lobby. The news was delivered to each player individually in a sealed envelope that each was instructed to open after leaving the premises, so as not to have to announce the result in public, for better or worse. I believe this is a good method that avoids a lot of potential and unnecessary embarrassment. The Devil, for her part, hustled out to our van clutching her envelope in anticipation. I'm pretty sure she/we had a sense this team would be very tough to crack, but we were also all willing to suspend disbelief until the final verdict was rendered. Inside the envelope was a handwritten note from the coach (nice touch I thought) and a form letter, which both indicated what we had suspected. The note reiterated that the Devil should be proud of her accomplishment in having reached the final cut and wished her luck in the next round.
And so the next round of tryouts start tomorrow night and continue for four straight days after that. Very little time for the Devil to stop and reflect on what just happened. Rather, she will need to dig a little deeper, recharge, refocus and show the same effort she just displayed over four AA tryouts to a brand new set of A team evaluators. In what has become a recurring theme, all of this trial, tribulation, physical and mental stress is simply part of another wonderful learning experience.
As for me, I'm here writing and, as will be no surprise, watching an NHL playoff game between Vancouver and Los Angeles. Just now I'm wondering how many different variations each one of the NHL players I'm watching have of the tryout story I've just described. Perhaps their presence at this level means they've had fewer failures, but I'm also sure some of them have had their fair share of disappointment. Indeed their presence at this level is an indication of their ability to persist despite of and in the face of failure.
You would think I'd have had my fill of the game for the day, week, month, year, but my fine Canadian nature seemingly can't get enough. As it's currently 3-3 in the third period I may be watching this game through an overtime or two - which in turn means into the wee hours. I take solace in the fact that I'm fairly confident I'm not the only one.
Did I mention that the Devil's next tryouts begin tomorrow night and the Boy starts his journey into the next season three days from now? Wish them/us luck.
#imahockeydad
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