From a hockey parent...
This piece was forwarded to me and I thought it provided
an interesting perspective. Apparently, it has been making the rounds on social
media and there are different iterations, but here goes…
One of my friends asked me, "Why do you pay so much money for your kids to play hockey?"
Well, I have a confession to make. I don't pay for my kids to play hockey, and the truth is, I don’t care for hockey. Umm, maybe a little bit.
So, if I’m not paying for hockey, what am I paying for?
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I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired that they want to quit, but they don't.
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I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are "too tired" to go to their practice but they go anyway.
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I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined.
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I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body.
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I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good teammates.
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I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, like when they don't get that goal they'd hoped for, or the C or A on their jersey, or even their favorite jersey number…but still, they work hard anyway.
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I pay for my kids to learn how to set, and accomplish, goals.
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I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours (and hours and hours and hours) of hard work and practice to build a champion, and that success doesn’t happen overnight.
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I pay for the off chance that they may have an amazing coach who will teach them more than just hockey drills, but maybe even a few life skills.
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I pay for the opportunity my kids have, and will have, to make life-long friendships.
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I pay so that my kids can be in the rink instead of in front of a screen.
I could go on, but, to be short, I don't pay for hockey. I pay for the opportunities that hockey provides for my kids, helping to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives. From what I’ve seen so far, I think it’s a great investment!