How have you changed?

[a1puck]

Time passes so fast. I remember starting out, 3 kids playing...one time I had 3 kids traveling. Down to one now.

I had the chance to sit in on a squirt parent meeting last fall, I realized this must have been the 7th time, 6 times for my own kids, now this one.

You could look around the room and pick out the 1st year squirt parents...on the edge of their seats...full of questions...ideas...

Then there were the folks that had been through this a bunch, maybe they had 3 or 4 kids in the program, the eldest off to college, the youngest just hitting squirts... These folks you had to wake up.

[Air Force 1]

I agree 100%!

It was a lot more fun for our family the second time through Squirts.

[PuckTime]

Ya, I'm one of the ones you have to nudge to wake up at the meetings.

Still love it just as much as when I was a kid, but now have three in the program - 2 in high school programs and 1 in squirts - and have been there, done that.
The after high school thing should bring some new challenges and questions though....if we get that far.

[a1puck]

It is always a guy on his first time through that want to know why we are playing A...shouldn't we have played B and C, or B1 and B2...or maybe B1 and B1.5? OR... how is the coach going to play it... equal lines, stacked lines? What kind of forecheck? How about the goalies... equal time or do you have to earn it...damn it.

Many refs will tell you squirt games are the worst... parents have not had the proper amount of time to temper.

[pigdog]

When I walk into the rink I can tell who's practicing by what I see in the stands: MiniMites- stands are full of parents with video cameras. Mites- half full stands a few hanging over the glass coaching. Squirts- A few parents shivering in the stands with sore fingers from tying skates. Peewees- A couple parents impatiently waiting in the lobby. Bantams- empty.

[DMom]

I've already apologized to my first born for his squirt seasons. I told him that the benefit to being the oldest was that he always gets new hockey gear, but the downside is that his parents embarassed him A LOT more than his younger sibs.

No squirt this year, can't say I'll miss it at all, although I think the mite parents are getting just as bad.

I'll skip as much of the hitting at the peewee and bantam's games as I can, or I watch from the lobbies where I can't hear the hits. I'm glad they aren't as wimpy as their mother.

[greybeard58]

My children have been done for many years, and I have been able to enjoy watching the whole game and enjoying the beauty.

[MGHockey12]

We were one of only two first year squirts the first year my son played travelling hockey. During the parent meeting, the subject of dues came up, I raised my hand with a look of disbelief and asked "Is that per month?" ....the laughter from the other 15 sets of parents was my answer...but reminded me how much there is to learn about the sport.