Hello Rustler Families,

I trust that you had a restful and enjoyable break over the holidays! Now that 2020 is under way, I wanted to touch base as we move into the homestretch of our current minor hockey season.

I recently read an article titled, “The Race to Nowhere in Youth Sports” and it got me thinking about my own family experiences, as well as those of other families we have met over the years in minor sports, or through hockey at RMMHA.  A common theme that I have often heard over the years is, “I can’t wait until next year” or “Next year is a big year for my son or daughter” or “We need to start preparing for next season…” In terms of our hockey experience, that has translated to, “I can’t wait until we move from half ice to full ice” or “I can’t wait to try out for A hockey” or even worse, “I just can’t wait until this season is over…” The sad thing about these comments is that we often lose sight of our current situation when we are too focused on tomorrow.

This in turn, reminded me of an expression that my Mom used to say to us kids, “If you have an eye on tomorrow or an eye on yesterday, you lose sight of today.” That statement has stuck with me and it has struck a chord with me since I began my role in the association. If we continue to focus on tomorrow, we lose sight of the good things that are happening today!

There are a lot of good things happening in our association today! We just completed two highly successful tournaments, many of our teams are competing at the top of their flights, our athletes are being exposed to more ice times on weekly basis, I could go on… But if we keep looking elsewhere, we may miss out on the good.  Furthermore, tomorrow may not come in minor sports for your son or daughter. We are witnessing a decline in participation numbers in organized sports throughout Canada and the United States and if your son or daughter decides they don’t want to play hockey next year, you will no longer have the opportunity to enjoy this experience with your kids.

My hope for you all in 2020 is that you enjoy today and that you focus on the good things that are happening in your child’s hockey experience now. The good can always be found if you look for it! Don’t lose sight of today in your pursuit to the next level, because sometimes the grass isn’t greener in that higher division or worse case, your kids stop playing because their current situation is no longer enjoyable.  My resolution for this year is that I stay in the moment and that I try to focus on all the good things happening in my kid’s hockey experience. I wish the same for you and your family as you move through the homestretch of this hockey season!

Happy New Year to you all!

Sincerely,

Dave Lige

Executive Director