Scott in 1966

Garrett in 1994

Garrett in 2005

Garrett in 2007

It was June 14^th 1994 and my husband Scott handed me a newspaper clipping from 1966.  The caption read ‘ …and Scott Tinkham, who is but six, maneuvers for the puck in front of the net’.  He then said “it’s time for hockey.”   Scott said this with a much too serious look on his face (I later came to know this as his-- hockey face).  As I looked at the yellowed clipping it all started to make sense to me.  That day was our son’s sixth birthday…..roller blades when he was five…..floor hockey in the house, broken lamps.  Comments like ‘don’t worry about his teeth he’s going to lose them anyway’.  I thought he was talking about his baby teeth.

My husband Scott is from upstate New York where similar to Canada, hockey was a way of life for most young boys.  I am a fifth generation Texan and hail from the state where football is king and to this day I don’t see the difference between roughing and fighting.  Scott says football is what boys do during men’s hockey season. Tongue in cheek I hope. In 1988 our son Garrett was born and six years later our youth hockey journey began.                                              

The Mite years were fun. Garrett was so cute. The coaches were great.  The referees were great.  The parents were great.  Everything was perfect in our hockey world.   I was a new hockey mom … ignorance was bliss.  The squirt years didn’t exist because there weren’t enough kids so Garrett became a Peewee for four years and Scott became a coach.  I remember this because it was one of the most embarrassing times of my married life.  During a game my husband was coaching, the referee threw Scott out of the game.  Now, every woman knows that any stupid thing a husband does reflects directly upon her.  I straightened him out in the car on the ride home and to his credit it never happened again (that I know of).  In fact, I’m sure he is the coach he is today because of that long silent ride home.  The Bantam years were where we earned our battle scars and combat pay.   Garrett went from House league to A to the USA Hockey U14 National Festival and on to AA.  The experience was so ‘transforming’ it inspired me to write a book entitled Life Lessons on Ice. 

Since that time our son has gone on to play Midget AAA and then to Juniors with the Eastern Junior Hockey League and the North American Hockey League.  Our hope is that he continues living out his dream through college and professional hockey.

Through our 12 year journey we have had more wins than losses, more rewards than disappointments.  Yet, when I look back it was the losses and the disappointments that we learned from the most.  You see, I believe hockey is the game of life.  You’re not going to like everyone and not everyone is going to like you (teammates).  You’re not always going to like your boss (coach).  You’re not always going to get that promotion and people will try to intimidate you (power play line).  One thing I know for sure, we witnessed a little boy of six grow into a young man of 19 who is prepared, mature and the confident person he is, because of this wonderful game called hockey.

Now, our youth hockey ride is winding down and it is our hope that through this publication we can somehow give back to the hockey community that has provided us with many friendships and many…many life lessons.    Someone once said “hockey doesn’t create character, it reveals it”.  Hockey gives everyone from the players, coaches, officials and fans the ability to reveal their character on and off the ice.  Let’s face it, hockey families are a different breed.  We hope that you will enjoy each issue of Ice Times Magazine and during your hockey years take the time to make great friends, fond memories and your own valuable life lessons on ice.
                                                 
                                                  Game on!