Hockey Dad: True Confessions of a (Crazy?) Hockey Parent

by Bob McKenzie

• ISBN13: 9780470675762
• ISBN10: 0470675764
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2009-09-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

A revealing look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the minor hockey culture as seen through the eyes of a Hockey Dad cum Hockey Coach who just happens to be one of the most recognized hockey personalities in North America. This Hockey Dad, Bob McKenzie, is not afraid to look into the mirror and candidly assess and reveal his own strengths and weaknesses. He has anecdotes that will make you laugh, stories that will bring a tear to your eye, and insights into this minor hockey world that can only come from having lived through the highs and the lows and everything in between with two boys who grew up in an environment where minor hockey was their epicenter.Michael is now a 22-year-old entering his junior year playing NCAA hockey on scholarship, one step away from the professional ranks. Shawn, now 19, had his competitive minor hockey life cut drastically short at age 14 because of complications from multiple concussions. While Michael has attempted to, and continues to try to, scale the heights within hockey, Shawn has, at times, had to navigate the depths. Their deeply personal stories, and how their father dealt with them (sometimes well, sometimes not so well), are a compelling look into the world of minor hockey-a major Canadian passion.From hysterically funny anecdotes, to debates on numerous hockey issues, praise and criticism for the system, and personal reflections on the game, this book is an insightful, irreverent, and moving look at a slice of hockey culture that is not so much a recreation as it is a way of life.

Table of Contents

Prologue

It was always in the (Hockey) Cards

Breaking the Ice: It's Never Too Early

Family Expansion and Our Little Nerd

"I hate Larry Marson" and Dissing Mr. Hockey

Big changes and the Grand Deception

"C'mon, Drop the Damn Puck Already"

Crossing the Line; Giving Mike the "Tap"

The Straight Poop on Playing Up

It's Fair to Say We're Not Morning People

Breaking the Golden Rule: "Grab Your Sticks"

So, That's How You Want to Play the Game, Is It?

"I Didn't Realize You Had Only One Son"

Was It Commitment or Should I Have Been Committed?

Talking the Talk, Walking the Walk: A Coach Is Born

Falling into the Trap, in More Ways Than One

Vengeance Is a Dish Best Served Curved

The Best Reward, Bar None, and Hockey Parents From Hell

The Four-Point Plan: Not as Stupid as I Look

Tough Love and Learning Our Lessons the Hard Way

Of Gun-Shy Dogs and a Crisis of Confidence

No Need for a Coin Toss: 'Twas the Best Year Ever

Rejected: The Parents Always Take It Harder Than the Kid

New-And-Improved Shawn Makes A U-Turn for the Better

Teach Your Children Well On the "Balance" Beam

The Draft Year: Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

Discretion Isn't Always The Better Part of Valor

Making the Big Time: Shawn Steps It Up

Turn out the Lights, the Party is Over

Into The Abyss and The Long, Hard Road Back

On the Comeback Trail; This Is No-Contact Hockey?

Major Junior Versus College: Making the Right Call

Bada Bing, Bada Boom: Once a Buzzer, Always a Buzzer

Play Every Game Like It's the Last; It Just Might Be

Crazy Hockey Dad's Magical Mystery Tour

Blowing the Whistle and Doctor, Doctor

You Try Cutting the Grass of a Quality Control Inspector

Epilogue

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