The world of hockey is a small one given that, in Squirt through Midget, you play in age groups consisting of two birth years. You are always either a first-year or second-year—kind of like always being either a freshman or a senior in high school. But you only have to endure one freshman year in high school. And you only get to be a senior in high school once (one hopes). In hockey, however, you go through this cycle four or five times. And people remember from year to year, and team to team, how you handle it.
Second-year players, and even second-year parents, can be cocky. They’re sure they’re going to make the team they want, and they’re not sure those first-year players belong. Or, they’re not happy with the team they did make and don’t want to play with those lowly first years.
Last year, at Squirt tryouts, the first-year players and parents (who had never been through tryouts) were shocked at this dynamic. The second-year players seemed to have no idea that the first-year players could make their team now—and every-other year into the future. As parents of both age groups stood by the glass, commenting on players, they, too, seemed to have no idea that the people surrounding them would be coming and going from their lives over the better part of the next decade.
The reality is, if your child continues to play hockey, you will be spending a lot of time with players and parents either one year older or one year younger. Eventually, most families look forward to rejoining certain players, coaches and parents from year to year, and the two-year age groups become one of the best things about hockey.
Editor’s Note: Thank you to Kelly Anton, executive editor of Grow the Game, for this story.
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