Saturday, January 25, 1992 @ @ Saturday, January 25, 1992 (Editor’s Note: Dan’! LaRocque is an author, journalist and teach- er with over 30 years experience, including positions with the Cal- gary Herald, The Albertan and the Calgary Sun. The following column first appeared in the now defunct, Calgary-based Amateur’ Sports Monitor during Minor Hockey Week in 1989.) The little guy has a warped sense of humor. Even his mother doesn’t ob- ject when I refer to him as a rotten kid, because he is. - Although I do kind of like him. A lit- le. I guess he didn’t realize what a fa- vor I was really doing him that cold winter morning as I tried to force my fingers to work pulling off his skates. I slipped, I guess. The blade of his skate caught me flush on the chin. But being older and therefore very cool, I pretended not to notice. “Mr. ... that’s disgust- ing!” And then he laughed and la ughed. His blade had sliced my chin to the jawbone and blood was pouring down my jacket. And here was this kid, laughing. ing out of bed at five in the morning, trundling out to start the car, collect- ing the kid and then his equipment, freezing your buns and drinking bad This is the thanks you get for crawl-- coffee with a dozen hang-dog, half- asleep fathers at rink-side. Lord, how I miss it! You have to realize this wasn’t even my kid. In fact, the parents around Huntington Hills Community Center were never really sure who he be- longed to. His father — my friend and neighbor — worked odd shifts, and Rob used to turn up with me, or my wife, or his mother, or his father, or any combination.thereof. Lillian — the power on the throne at my house — was once bluntly asked “which one is your kid?” “None of them,” she replied. “We rent one.” The point is: Robi was never sent to the rink, either to practice or to play agame. He was taken there. By some- body who cared enough to stick around and watch him play. ! A lot of kids, I noticed, weren’t in the same position as Robi. Many’s the frosty morning I ripped my fingers to shreds tightening a half-dozen pairs of skates because mom or dad had head- ed back home for another 40 winks. Now that Rob has moved away and is out of hockey, I understand that atti- tude even less now than I did then. A friend whose son managed to make it to Midget AAA once estimat- ed that keeping the boy in hockey cost him close to $2,000 a season, what with equipment, registration, hockey schools and tournaments. It boggles - Guest Column Dan’lLaROCQUE the mind that someone would spend anything resembling that kind of money, and then just drop the child off at the front door of the arena. ; If it comes to that, why bother hav- ing the kid at all, if he or she is. too much hassle? ; : The message of take, rather than . send, is front and centre during Minor Hockey Week, but far too often seems to be forgotten when the ads stop run- ning. If only some parents would re- alize what it is they're really missing when their son or daughter scores that first goal and they’re not there to see it. It’s heart-wrenching so many times when some Tyke or Atom makes a great play, then searches the crowd for mom or dad... and there’s nobody up there. Over the years, I’ve heard all the excuses. Some of them might even cut Memories can’t be bought" some ice, I suppose — dad has to work, mom has the other kids to keep an eye on; there’s only one car in the family so Joey:has to go with some oth- er boy .... on, and on, and on. Excuses seem easier than the inconvenience of picking up the kid. But what becomes apparent is that it’s a case of convoluted priorities. Might be worth thinking about, that, the next time you watch your kid climbing into his gear while waiting for somebody else’s father to come and pick him up. How much overtime does it take to buy one memory? It has been a few years since I’ve had a lad to take to the rink in the morning — the memories of cars that wouldn’t start right away, and jan- gling alarm clocks and horrid, ma- chine-madé coffee seem to have faded. But there’s a grandson here, just about four. In another year or two, when that alarm clock goes off at five in the morning, I realize I may have to drag out this column to give myself a jolt of reality. Then I'll roll over, shovel his grand- mother in the ribs, and lie there feel- ing guilty . . . until she gets the car tarted. 8 E And then I'll get up — whining and complaining — and I'll go. Because there isn’t enough money in the world to buy those memories. Think about that, the next time you drop your kid off at the rink. Complex has fix for fitness fans with series of courses News Staff CRHL lead stays with Sports Centre For the body, for the mind and for the pocketbook, the Total Training Centre workshops at the Community Complex offer instruction on fitness for the 90s and beyond. The Castlegar Recreation and Aquatic Cen- tre is wrapping up fitness in one, tight little package and offering it to anybody who wants it. The centre is hosting Total Training Centre fitness education and leadership training workshops for the West Kootenay beginning Jan. 31. The series includes a fitness knowledge course, an aerobic instructor course, and both weight training and waterfit to music instruc- tor courses. The 23-hour fitness knowledge course, which is approved by the B.C. Parks and Recreation Association, is designed to teach students about basic bones and muscles and how they function in exercise, how to burn fat, shape and tone muscle and how to gain and endurance. Farther, the course will demonstrate how to design a personal exercise program using the principles of safety in exercise as well as pro- vide basic nutrition and weight management a tones knowledge course instructor is Margaret Hewitt, B:A., B.P-E. , BCRPA Level 3 trainer. It begins at the Community Complex Jan. 31, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and will con- tinue Feb. 1 and Feb. 8, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The weekend-long BCRPA-approved fitness to music instructor provides participants with an overview of the fitness to music industry and a review of anatomy and exercise physiol- ogy applied to all aerobics class components. The course will also teach participants how to give verbal cuing for direction, motivation . and safety techniques, exercise ideas for all class components and how to program plan for specialized populations. It will be taught by TTC trainer Gloria Zhukrovsky, B.Ed., B.P.E., of Cranbrook, slat- ed to start Feb. 28, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and continue Feb. 29 and March 1 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Complex. A level one, three-day weight training in- structor course, with Paula Stockdale, B.PE., of Vancouver, is set for the Complex beginning March 6. This course is designed to introduce strength training to participants and teach them how to design weight training programs for themselves and others. The course runs March 6 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and March 7 and 8 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The waterfit to music instructor course — designed to teach participants how to run wa- terfit to music classes in both shallow and deep water — is scheduled to start April 10 from 6 p.m.to 10 p.m., and April 11 and 25 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This course will also be taught by Hewitt. Castlegar Sports Centre barely held on to two leads in the Castlegar Recreational Hockey League Tuesday t. The first lead-was an 8-1 edge they held over Kootenay Computers in a game that they eventually won 10-7 at the Community Complex. “And the second lead was the one they have at the top of the CRHL standings which, had they lost, would have been lost as well. But Grant Pilla and Lorne Anderson scored third-peri- od insurance goals for Sports spot in the five-team league. Dan Walker had a hat trick to lead Sports Centre, while Dwayne Weir had a goal and four assists and Pil- la ended the night with a goal and three assists. Anderson with two, Brent Petrick, Neil Archambault and Niki Hyson also scored for Sports Centre. Computers scored six third-period goals but even that wasn’t enough to get out of the hole they were in. Centre to keep them in top - CASTLEGAR RECREATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE Stats to Jan. 20, 92 WLTP Cast. Sports Centre 13 10 2 28 Cast. Pressure Wash 12.121 25 Banjo's Pub 12 13 125 Koot. Computers 10 11.424 Wood. Park Shell 1112 224 SCORING LEADERS GA Pts 60 45105 38 42 80 37 4178 27 4875 29 4271 34 3670 24 3761 24 3761 Gord Walker, C.P.W. Dave Terhune, Comp. Larry Price, Banjos Benton Hadley, Shell Clay Martini, Banjos Niki Hyson, Sports Chief Mercer, Comp. Wayne Saliken, Banjos Kelly Keraiff, Shell 18 4159 Tom Trubetskoff,C.P.W. __ 24 3357 Computers, which got a goal and three assists from Dave Terhune and Dave MacKinnnon, remains tied with Woodland Park Shell in last place, just three points behind Sports Centre. Gary Sauer scored two goals for Computers, which trailed 3-1 after the first pe- riod, while Gerry Genshorak, Larry Walker and Bob Larsh also scored. Tim Horcoff got the win in net for Computers and Tim Swanson took the loss. MinorHOCKEYWEEK News photo by Ed Mills Anybody who has played the sport knows the feeling of anticipation Brian Watt, Nicholas Baal and Matthew Bragg are experiencing as they wait for the Zamboni to finish cleaning the ice Wednesday at the Community Complex. Game must also move into 90s Allan Matthews BCAHA PRESIDENT The decade of the 90’s has seen hockey and society as a whole reexamine what they want out of the game and life. However, a constant is the fact that the values our youth acquire through their involve- ment in our game reflect the attitudes and modeling of their adult leaders. There has been a move to- ward the adoption of higher ethical standards in society. No longer is the overriding principle one.of doing whatev- er you can get away with. Although fun. Team goals are replacing individual egos being stroked. Players recognize that playing within the rules and to the best of their abilities help the team and all the players enjoy a positive experience while participating in our game. Respect for the rules, re- spect for the officials and re- spect for your fellow players are the three R’s of hockey. Off the ice, it is essential- coaches and executive mem- bers adhere to the rules and regulations adopted by the hockey associations, if for no other reason there will al- ways be a temptation for individuals to bend the rules, ‘Team goals are replacing individual egos being stroked. than staying honest sets the right example for our youth. Individuals more ofus are Players recognize that may disagree struggling with this dilemma and tryingtodothe their abilities helps the by team....” -Allan Matthews them is thro- right thing. As the old maxim indicates, do- ing the right playing within the rules and to the best of we must show with a rule or regulation but example that the way to deal with ugh the demo- thing is not al- ways popular, but then again doing what’s popular is not al- ways the right thing. Those that do not play by the rules are more easily caught today and suffer the disgrace and consequences of their actions. On the ice, more players are making the choices to show- case their skills, sportsman- ship, and leadership. Not only is the game a faster and more exciting event for both players and fans when these attributes are exhibited, but also all involved are hav- cratic process, not by disre- gard for it. We in hockey must do more than pay lip service to the no- tion that we are teaching life skills through our game. The qualities of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship and ethical be- haviour are life skills that are acquired by watching the ac- tions of the adults in our game. Let all volunteers take up the challenge to show through example those positive quali- ties we want our’youth to ac- quire and demonstrate in their lives. What does minor hockey mean to you? Jason Quiding, 11 CastlegarAtom Bruins “It’s fun. I like the skating. And I like going different places, the feeling of winning and getting to meet new friends.” | Mark Perrier, 15 Castlegar Bantam Reps “It’s fun and you meet friends through it. You get to travel to tournaments and you have the memories of winnifig tourna- ments and stuff like that.”