Pizza n Wings

Another week has passed, and with it we get a little closer to the cool winds of autumn. Today 's hockey clinic was wrapped around learning to control the puck once we gain possession either from a pass, or simply picking it up as we move across the ice. Simple stuff that doesn't always seem so simple if we don't do it often. Today we noted that if someone tells you that you won't be able to do something on the ice because they don't have faith in you, then how much faith do you have in yourself if you believe them. On the other hand when people do have faith in you, then maybe you should also believe in yourself. It is amazing what you can do if you believe you can. This of course involves a little work, but when you reach beyond your self set limits you often find that you surprise yourself with success. I saw a few players today who have a lot of potential, but may not yet see it themselves. This is the time of year when coaches try to set the mark for players' abilities, and take note of what needs work, and what just needs a little more refinement. Players have grown over the summer and gotten stronger, and some have a real good start for the season. There are also some players who are new to me, but look like they can develop into some good players – regardless of where they end up playing this season. It wasn't a very intense practice, but it seemed to fit with the abilities of the majority of the players on the ice. Hopefully we can get these players ready for tryouts. One skate a week isn't too bad at this time of year, but some dry land work would be nice. Even hitting public skating will help get the rust off the wheels. I think public skate is a decent way to add mileage under the blades. Mileage – not idle glide time, or just hanging out eating fries often works. I will agree that it is also nice to spend time hanging out sometimes. There's usually a game or a practice going on in the other rink to check out if you get bored going around in a circle. After practice as the rain was starting to move through the area, my wife and I went down to Ruddy's on 7th North just off 81 to pick up a few pizzas and some wings for dinner. Ruddy's pizza is really good, (reminds us of “Art's Jug” in Watertown) plus it's got a nice hockey vibe going on. If you want to go for pizza and talk hockey with other hockey players – then that's the place. The counter decorated with hundreds of hockey sticks adds a nice touch. All in all, not a bad week, I'm really looking forward to that first snow. I know everyone loves summer, but come on – enough’s enough. I really want to try and get some time on an outdoor rink. Last year at the AHL game was pretty cool, but I still like the old time outdoor rinks of years gone by. My boys will probably still shovel off the lake, but it would be nice to find a decent outdoor rink somewhere around here. We have a great rink to skate on at the Fairgrounds, and the practice rink is a bonus. Now I can also hit three Tim Horton’s just on the way to practice. You can't beat that!