Competitive Hockey Rant

[oggy_3 0]

Alright so i have been playing competitive hockey my entire life, the past 4 years AAA and this year at a prep school. Last weekend i was asked to play in a old timer tournament, my team was comprised of people between the ages of 20-35 those so not really that old. The division we played in was good pace and everything and at the end of the tournament i had realized something. I had the most fun in a long time playing hockey. After the game just sitting around having a few, during the game no one getting mad at your if you screw up, the true way hockey is suppose to play. But for any of you players who are in AAA, travel, junior what ever it is and you realize your not having as much fun as you use to have go out and play in something like that and you will feel awaken again. Now when i go out to games i have fun, do not get mad at other players but i still am competitive.

[gelowitz 0]

I realized it too, I'm going down next year. It's a lot of fun, but you gotta keep your skills up.

[chk hrd 164]

My favorite thing is to watch my son and his team mates play at stick and puck. Everyone of them is as happy as a pig in shit and play without any stress or worries. There have been may nights were I have walked over to the other rink and watched the mites playing and saying to myself that that was when hockey was really fun...but then really laugh because some of them have no idea what thier in for.

I'm at the point in my life where playing is fun again. I play on a team with a bunch of good guys and win or loose it's always fun. Plus there is the rare occasion that I can play hockey with my son during open hockey.

It all boils down to if it's not fun and enjoyable why play. If you wake up in the morning and dread going to prcatice or to play instead of not being able to wait to get on the ice, then it's time to stop...remember it's just a game.

[15yearsofhistory 0]

Hockey was more fun as a kid when you didn't have to worry so much about politics and standing. Mind you, I'm only 15 but I still miss those days. Now I have to worry about making it into the playoffs and rivalries and all that bullshit that didn't exist as a kid.

[gelowitz 0]

Hockey was more fun as a kid when you didn't have to worry so much about politics and standing. Mind you, I'm only 15 but I still miss those days. Now I have to worry about making it into the playoffs and rivalries and all that bullshit that didn't exist as a kid.

The difference is that back then the rivalries were fun because you had friends from your school or on your street on the other team...now it's "f you" and "you're a huge pussy". Not fun anymore.

[oggy_3 0]

Oh i still love going to the rink, warming up, relaxing with the boys. I said to my self the minute i get up and dont want to be there for no apparent reason then i am done. There is always the time you wish you were at a party,dance etc but i mean when instead you could be at home doing nothing.

[Hawes_4 0]

You can't go out there and worry about this and worry about that. Just go out and have fun, even tho it is a competitive league doesn't mean you can't have fun. You go out worrying about making a mistake, you are going to make a mistake. Just go out and play your game, mistake happens, just shrug it off. If the coach is yelling at you, just pay attention to what he is saying and not the tone of his voice. And just agree with it, that is the quickest way to get him/her off your back.

The main reason I stuck to competitive hockey was because of Body Contact.

[brettlynch11 0]

for the last couples years of high school i would play for one of my old coaches that coached a house league team after my high school season was done. i always had way more fun at these tournaments than i did all year playing high school. less pressure = more fun

[JJ Thompson94 0]

Hockey was more fun as a kid when you didn't have to worry so much about politics and standing. Mind you, I'm only 15 but I still miss those days. Now I have to worry about making it into the playoffs and rivalries and all that bullshit that didn't exist as a kid.

Dude, your still a kid. YOUR 15. I'm not much older than you, I'm 21 if I'm still a kid your a baby.

[brettlynch11 0]

Hockey was more fun as a kid when you didn't have to worry so much about politics and standing. Mind you, I'm only 15 but I still miss those days. Now I have to worry about making it into the playoffs and rivalries and all that bullshit that didn't exist as a kid.

thats when rivalries and playoffs were the most fun...enjoy it while it last. im too old to play minor hockey but not good enough to play in college where i am...so im stuck playing drop in and amybe club hockey next year

[ean 0]

The most fun I've ever had in hockey was playing Peewee B with a bad news bears type team. I moved up from squirts halfway through the season despite all my coaches telling me not to and that it was a bad idea (I was a tiny kid too). But I said to hell with it. This team of misfits who were particularly bad ended up being the most fun season I've had to date. The closest we got to winning that season was a tie. We always had fun and it was a great team to be on with everyone looking out for everyone. We even had a chick on our team who was pretty hardcore, she was a horrible skater but she had a mean attitude and was always gettin into it with guys on the other team, pretty awesome.

Sometimes when you're on a team with a lot of great players, the intra-team competition ends up killing everything, from the locker room atmosphere to the in-game performance.

Now that I'm a bit older than before (though still young) and find I'm no longer able to play in competitive leagues, I do miss the feeling, however that 1 season always sticks in my mind as to how much fun you can have when each game isn't on the line.

I think the best advice is to do what your gut tells you.

I'm not sure if you're contemplating playing down, but also keep in mind that you will only have so many years to play competitively. The beer leagues are still made of guys who play "for fun" and have to go to work the next day. So I would stick around in your current league but use this tournament as a reminder to always go out bust your ass, and have fun.

[Slapshot9123 0]

I play AA travel and when I play on my highschool team it is not any better than competitive hockey. There is no middle ground of a relaxed game in IL between the travel and highschool levels. Sure im uptight and stressed thru the travel season but, when I play highschool it is very boring. I give little effort into the games and come out with 2-3 goals a game. The only relaxed "fun" time you can really have arround here is if you find a good drop in time with guys that all share the same experiance as you.

[Doctor Hook 0]

After my last HS hockey game, I hated hockey. Turned my back on it for 4+ years or so. Then decided to try out beer league and I've had the most fun playing hockey since my house league bender days.

Hockey without coach, parent, and snobby kid BS is perhaps the greatest thing ever.

[All Torhs Team 0]

Yea Im going through this kinda thing right now too and alot of people are thinking Im throwing my life away.

Like next year I dont plan on playing in college when Ive been offered a few scholarships. (none to really brag about but still)

I just dont want to play competitive any more because Im tired of the driving/money/time consuming practices.

When your 18/19 I think youve got three choices.

1) dont play at all/play in a shit league

2)play college

3) play juniors

[pat19 0]

I guess I'm different than everyone. I don't like playing low level hockey, and I have much more fun playing competitive.

[djinferno 2]

I guess I'm different than everyone. I don't like playing low level hockey, and I have much more fun playing competitive.

i second that, playing competitive makes the game fun to me, the hitting, the scoring, the sacrifice and the responsibility...

Theres nothing that matches the brotherhood of competitive battles