I spent the weekend at a youth hockey tournament in Oaks, Pennsylvania at the Center Ice Family Skating Center.
The tournament itself was a pay-the-fee / play-the-games affair. This was no state tournament or league championship or even annual gathering of teams playing for bragging rights. Outside the event itself, the whole thing was meaningless. Given that the tournament operator had made zero effort to ensure any kind of balance among the competition, it was fairly clear from the outset which 2 teams would advance to the finals and which team would win there. So what you had were five unequal teams that did not know each other and in all probability would never see each other again, battling for a large plastic trophy.
But kids are kids, and this group seemed particularly intent on the suspension of critical analysis in the pursuit of the illusion of competition. In fact, the pint sized Sean Averys and Daniel Carcillos battled as if it all really mattered. They cheap-shotted their opponents with abandon and complained about the officiating even though there were no controversial calls. And the parents parroted the kids, bellowing with both joy and displeasure from the stands. If you didn't watch what was happening on the ice, or see the scoreboard or understand the meaninglessness of the affair, you would have thought that something very real and very meaningful was on the line.
When it was all over and the trophy was bestowed upon the winners in what was more of a hand-off than a ceremony, a few kids wept and several kissed the trophy as if it was Lord Stanley's Cup. Meanwhile, the parents of the winners rushed to take their digital photos. Then the triumphant set off on what was intended to be a victory lap, savoring their ersatz accomplishment. Unfortunately, the lap was not to be. The Zamboni driver had his orders, repeatedly honked his horn and pulled out onto the ice, blocking the kids and making clear his intention to resurface at any cost. The kids were oblivious, but the coaches got the message and herded their players off the rink.
I want to believe that redemption and renewal can be found among kids who revel in the pure pleasure of the game of hockey. This weekend proved that while that may be so, it is not always so.
Where have all the ponds gone?
