Providence Bruins Game
Game 1 of the Providence Bruins vs. Portland Pirates. It was a great game, to bad we lost. My son and I attended. It's always exciting to have one of those father-son or father-daughter moments. I remember going to watch the old Boston Bruins AHL team or a Boston Red Sox game with my dad. It was great bonding moments. Just one on one like I was the only one that counted.
Going to the game was fun. It's always interesting to observe their reactions during a game. They are always looking for that moment during the game when the gloves come off and the real battle begins. A couple of years ago I took the kids to a game that was sponsored by their school. We all sat in the same section and everyone knew everyone else.
The students were excited that a Providence Bruins player (Mc Intyre- now with the Edmonton Oilers) had visited the school that week and now they had someone on the ice to cheer for.
It was only a matter of time during the game when McIntyre squared off with a player on the other team. The kids started to cheer for him as he popped the guy squarely in the nose and the blood started to flow. The kids went nuts ! I have to admit that I was cheering on the inside, but I tried keeping it to myself as I didn't want to give the wrong impression to the kids and I didn't want them to think that hockey was all about "brawling". They saw right through me. It's unfortunate when your kids are so young and they have you already figured out.
It's rewarding when your child asks you a question in which your answers help shape their understanding, not just of hockey, but also of competition, good sportsmanship and just plain fun.
I find myself constantly in the position of being diplomatic. I want to always give them good honest answers and hope that they come to their own conclusions. That's one of the things that I can offer them. It was a great bonding moment. I was happy that we had that time to spend together. Definitely a Kodak moment. I should have brought a camera !