Alright, guys, let’s talk about this Columbus Day hockey tournament I just went through. It was, uh, quite the experience, let me tell you.
First off, I signed up my kid’s team. It seemed simple enough, filled out the forms, paid the fee, you know, the usual drill. I thought, “Okay, this should be fun, a good weekend of hockey.” Ha! I was in for a surprise.
Getting There and Settling In
Getting there was the first hurdle. You ever tried packing hockey gear for a whole team of kids? It’s like a Tetris game, except everything smells vaguely of… well, hockey gear. We loaded up the cars, hit the road, and finally arrived at the rink. It was chaos. Kids everywhere, parents buzzing around, coaches trying to look like they had everything under control.
We found our assigned locker room, which, let’s just say, was “cozy.” Getting 15 kids and their equipment into that space was a challenge in itself.
The Games Begin
- The first game… oh boy. We started strong, I guess, but then the other team, they were like mini-Gretzkys. We got slammed. Hard.
- Next game, we tried a different strategy. More defense, less… running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It helped. A little. We still lost, but it wasn’t quite as embarrassing.
- Third game, I swear the refs were blind. Or maybe they just hated us. So many calls against us, it was ridiculous. We were yelling, they were shrugging… it was a whole thing. Of course, with so many penaltys, we lost again.
The In-Between Times
Between games, it was all about keeping the kids fed and, somewhat, entertained. Pizza, Gatorade, repeat. Lots of running around, lots of noise. The hotel pool became our second home. My ears were ringing for days. Found a place to order dinner, and thankfully got it delivered.
The Final Stretch
By the last day, everyone was exhausted. Kids were dragging, parents were running on fumes, and the coaches… well, they looked like they needed a vacation. We somehow managed to win one game, which felt like winning the Stanley Cup, given how the rest of the tournament went. We were all happy, just for the winning.
Finally, it was over. We packed up, said our goodbyes, and hit the road again. Getting home and unpacking everything was the final boss battle of the weekend. And let me tell you, that hockey gear smell? It lingered. For days.
All that said and done, managed to get through a good tourney and now know where we stand. Look out for the next round!
