We Won!!!

I want to talk a little bit about how powerful compliments are to a child.

My boy came home with a bronze medal from the Alberta Championships yesterday.  Karson is a very solid and confident hockey player, and a beautiful human being.  He also is only 9 years old and with playing 6 games in a weekend,h giving everything comes exhaustion and self-doubt.  The sincere compliments that came from the most amazing coaches on this team, and the compliments from the other kids on the team, or even by the team manager really lifted him up.  It was amazing to watch.

To have people you’ve just met believe in you in the way they did, turned him right around more than once.  Going in to our final game for Bronze in the huge Olympic arena, with a million fans watching and cheering, my son panicked.  I looked down and didn’t see him on the bench.  He’d left the ice.

Doug and I got called down to the dressing room and he’s just about throwing up and had tears in his eyes.  I gave him one of my natural remedies, looked him in the eye, grabbed him by the shoulders and told him his team and coaches need him big time out there and he’s got to go.  I read him what I had written to you all the day before.  He was surprised I had written about him.  I told him he is one of the best people I know and his team needs him.  I told him there is no option to not play just go out and move your feet and everything will come easy after the first few minutes.  I promised this to him.

He knows I am sincere and that I believe he is an all star.  He went out and scored the first goal.  The game went in to overtime and then a shoot out.  I can’t imagine the nerves of those kids.  We won!

At the end of the game the parents were all called in to the dressing room and the coach thanked us for raising such amazing boys.  This is the first time they’ve seen kids support each other so well who hardly even know each other, cheer each other on, and never give up.  He explained that the heart these kids have will take them places on and off the ice.  He again complimented the parents for being so supportive and for raising such well rounded boys.  It was life changing for both my son and I.

On the three hour drive home, Karson said he just wanted to thank us for everything we do for him so that he can play hockey.  He also asked if we could move to Cranbrook to be closer to our new friends.  I believe that means he was grateful for the push to get back on the ice, win and be apart of the team.