Spring Chaos and Spring Training

After five long, at times painful years (be it physical or mental pain), my undergraduate experience at Nipissing University is slowly drawing to a close. Yesterday was my last class, April 8th will be my last exam, and whenever I finish my thesis, I will be officially done.

No matter the year, springtime always brings about inevitable chaos to university students. Assignments, essays, exams, summer jobs, and in my case, figuring out what the hell I'm going to do with myself after I'm finished, it can be a very chaotic time.

During these times, I enjoy hanging out at the rink or spending time on the ball field that much more. During that hour on the ice or out on the field hitting balls I can leave the chaos behind and focus on one thing for a bit.

Spring training commenced yesterday as a few friends and I went to the ball field to engage in the age old baseball tradition of "hitting balls". One guy pitches, one guy hits, everyone else left shags fly balls. As a rec ball player, this is probably as close to spring training as it gets.

I mentioned in a previous entry that I was looking forward to trading my goalie stick and blocker for a baseball bat and first baseman's mitt (although, in light of my previous entry, perhaps I'm slightly less excited about that exchange). When I stood in the batter's box yesterday and later shagged fly balls, I couldn't wait for the season to start. It's almost unfair, especially with the beautiful weather of late, that baseball season is actually almost two months away.

At the same time though, I need to get my baseball muscles going again. No better way than hitting balls.

-matt

New Gear

Goaltenders are a lot like children in many ways.

When things don't go the way we want them to, we sometimes throw tantrums. I distinctly remember several years ago allowing a bad goal in one of the few games I have actually played in front of people. In a fit of rage, I smashed my stick off the far goal post, breaking it clean in half. Oops.

When it comes time for new gear, it is like Christmas. Such was the case today.

As much as I like the CCM Blockades, it was time to put them on the shelf (my catching glove is not far behind). With a very generous income tax cheque in hand, I marched to the hockey shop up the street and came home with these:
One pair of white and blue RBK 8Ks. Beautiful. They will take some getting used to, but I like them already. They will be going on their maiden voyage Wednesday, unfortunately for me the last skate of the season. I lucked out huge, discount price, colours I like (the old Justin Pogge scheme) and the right size.

I think the equipment is part of the allure of the goaltender position. I have to admit that the equipment was part of the reason I was drawn to goaltending. It's unique, it can be flashy and colourful and is yet another way the goaltender is separate from their teammates. The strange fascination goes beyond that for me, I can tell you what kind of pads or gloves almost every NHL goaltender is using. It's a sickness, I know, but I have it in the worst way.

Don't ask me to explain, I don't know how to. Nor can I explain why I feel the need to wear my new pads as I'm typing this. Oh wait, I know, I'm "breaking them in". Nevertheless, typing with these things on is not easy.

-matt

Time to Get Away

One big difference between pro and rec sports is that rec athletes often know the exact day that their season is over. Especially for hockey players such as myself who generally only play shinny a few times a week, our seasons begin and end at almost the exact same time every single season. I knew in September that March 31 would be the last skate of the season. And three weeks from Wednesday, hockey will be done.

In my last blog I mentioned the strange feeling I get when the realization that the season is almost over sets in. This year for some reason, the relief seems to be the dominant feeling.

It’s been a strange season. At times I’ve felt on top of the world and at others I’ve felt like I couldn’t stop a beach ball. I think it’s the inconsistency that has plagued me all season that has left me frustrated more than anything else. Strangely, it seems to coincide with what has been happening to me off the ice.

Hockey is the one time in the week when everything else that is happening is no longer relevant. During that hour, the only thing that matters, the only thing on my mind, is stopping that puck. It isn’t as though I’m thinking of other things while the puck is coming at me, but for whatever reason when things aren’t going so well, that seems to have translated to a degree on the ice.

For that reason, I suppose I’m somewhat relieved that hockey is winding down since it leaves me with one less thing to worry about.

Even someone like me who would, and has, dropped everything just to play needs time away. I feel that time coming just as I do every year, and even though I would be content to play all year every year, I welcome the time away. As hard as it is to believe, I’m not getting any younger and it seems every year I get banged up just a little bit more than the year before and need that month or two before baseball just a little bit more each year.

On top of that, this is my last semester of undergrad which means this will be my last summer in North Bay, at least for a while. I want it to get here soon so I can enjoy it before moving on to whatever life deals me next.

So forgive me when I say that I hope March 31 comes sooner rather than later.

-matt