On 4/9/10 9:26 AM, "Nancy" wrote:

On Apr 8, 3:28�pm, Cheryl Isaak wrote:
DS and DH are in Rochester NY for the USA Hockey Nationals (Tier II)

My "little" boy tied for 1st place in the skills competition last night. How
about that?!

C

How wonderful for him....and for you to be able to
brag about.

Nancy

Isn't good that Cheryl can brag on her big little boy - doing so well in
skills after his team didn't have the same stellar start. We're hosting the
Tier II PeeWees (12& under youth) here - so I've gotten to spend a bit of
time with kids on teams who definitely had a rough start - going home
tomorrow.

My little brag - DH is working the USA Hockey National Special Olympics
tourney. Which includes special athletes in all kinds of categories. The
traditional "special" - which has mentally disadvantaged, and autistic kids.
Sled hockey -- youth & adult - which is amputees/paraplegics. The sled
hockey is amazing. He worked special games last night - each team actually
can have coaches on the ice during those games. Tonight - a triple of sled
hockey - which actually in adult is very full check - the sleds have pushers
(on skates) but coaches are not on the ice. In the adult divs they can have
up to 3 able-bodied players (in sleds), youth divs must all have a
disability that qualifies them. It's pretty amazing. Tomorrow - he does 4
of the games. Anyhow - it's a great thing, and of course as part of the
honor of doing the games, the ref fee is donated. So, a little brag.

But, I will say - after working at the PeeWee Tier II Nationals today - saw
some poor goalie from Alabama just totally become dysfunctional in one game-
Lost 9-1 - and it could've been much worse. At one point - I think goal 8
in the 3rd - the puck actually hit the blade of his stick - he made the save
but then flipped/turned it - right into the back of the net - swoosh. The
opposing team from Portland Oregon was very, very nice, and I think honestly
had backed it down after 5-0. The 1 didn't come til mid 3rd period.

Then, woohoo - a real fun game between a team from Huntsville, and a very
strong team from Delaware. Lots of company in the box (I was doing dual
duty overseeing the scorekeepers and doing the visitor box - Delaware). The
ref was from Kansas - and had a hit from behind called in the 2nd period.
There were 4 kids in the home box, and 3 in the away (2 sets of
coincidentals - not at the same time - plus the kid sitting the 2, plus the
kid who had to sit his 2 & the 10 min misconduct). Making things
interesting - some dads above - from the less northern team - who were
loudly trash talking the other parents, yelling at the linesmen, and then
actually picked on some poor kid coming into the box on a pretty routine
kind of thing. Fortunately, one of the USAH supervisors that I know well
came over & I was able to get him to deal with it (as in the parents were
told they would be removed shortly, etc). And the PA lady made a lovely
"good sportsmanship - enjoy the game" announcement when they came back after
the ice cut. The poor girl in the other p-box - she did a great job - (no
parents allowed in any of these positions - she's from the tourney staff) I
had to yell thru the scorers so they could tell her - and she watch my
semaphores - with who went out when. Of course, then a bunch of my fellow
refs came by at times to accuse me of causing trouble - as if.

The kids were all pretty nice kids. Skilled girl skating on the Oregon team
- she did well - made me think of Cheryl's Elise. It's great being at these
games, and so nice that the majority of the kids really do seem to be here
with a great attitude.

Ellice