how to tie your skates

U13 hockey coaching

These were precovid days.

It wasn’t unusual to have two parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins to fill our tiny piss stained sweat boxes of dressing rooms after a game. People huddling to be warm. Family members wanting to be part of the team.

By week three we had a rule.

No parents in the dressing room.

But what about the tough to pull over jerseys?

They’ll help each other. They’ll get to know and trust each other that way.

What about the skates?

I’ve got those -

But Sparky is really picky…

Well, Sparky will have to deal, until January. In January he ties his own.

They looked like they were shot.

Sparky’s parents.

He ties his own?

He ties his own.

The colour draining from their faces should have been my first warning.

Things went fine. I tied the skates and the kids became great friends.

In January I reminded them they were responsible for tying their skates again.

It was a practice. I told them they would practice in their skates tied as they were. If they were loose, too loose? They’d learn to…