08/25/2026
I was lucky.
When my daughter was learning to play hockey, the dad of an 18-year-old player told me, “Sometimes the practices and travel will feel like a lot, but one day, you’re going to miss it.”
I understand what he meant now.
Hockey gave us some of the happiest years of our lives. We became close friends with other families at the rink as our kids grew up together. We shared rental houses with them at tournaments and cooked big dinners together. As a family, we explored new cities and downtown districts, tried local food, discovered local markets, and spent countless hours talking together in hotels and on drives back home.
Some of my favorite memories are the late-night dinners and conversations with my daughter after games.
We shared so many "firsts" together.
What I wasn’t prepared for were the "lasts."
At some point, I tied my daughter’s skates for her for the last time. I didn’t know it was the last time. I thought she was just giving it a try, but she just didn’t need my help anymore.
She's now approaching 18, and I know a lot more of those lasts are coming.
She started playing when she was 11. My only regret is that we didn’t find travel hockey sooner. I would gladly take a few more years of practices, drives, cold rinks, and weekends on the road if it meant more of all of this with her.
If you’re a parent wondering whether hockey with the Jr Generals is worth the time, the travel, and the commitment, I’ll pass along what another dad told me years ago:
You’re going to miss it. You're *really* going to miss it.
The Jr Generals have programs for players ages 6 and up. If your child has ever wanted to try hockey, start here:
www.LAHA.org
I thought hockey was something my daughter was doing.
Now that she is approaching the twilight of her youth travel hockey years, I finally realize how much of it we were doing together.
-Gary
