Back in Black (and White)

In the last few weeks I've restarted the hockey season, and I feel rusty, like a skate that got put in the bag after a long hard game and forgotten for a summer. The rest of my life was in chaos as I moved across the state, started a new day-job and generally spent way too much time and money on life and too little time on a bike or in the gym.

The first thing was to help teach at the local USAH seminar, and meet my new scheduler. As a group the local officials are quite a bunch, the usual old-timers and a smattering of fresh faces (that's me apparently which is amazing as I'm over 30) and a horde of youngsters we hope to hang on to and mold into high quality stripers. One thing I can say for sure, the local association is not friends with USAH HQ - despite proximity - so I have to earn my keep, past ratings and work for other associations are considered suspect.

The second was a lot more fun and rewarding in a different way - working the local post-pro adult league. This is a program run by an older gent who has been around for longer than most goal nets, and its open to Division I college players. Luckily at the bottom end there are just the usual guys that played college club and Midget AAA, the Jr. players are one rung up. I have to say its a ball working games for adults that 'know' hockey - especially when you have a good partner. In this case for my first game with this league I got to work with someone nearly my age who is recovering from his time as a minor-pro and Jr. program fast-track star. Unfortunately for him the body didn't think it so hot, so he's down to working a couple of games a week and letting the body heal.

Finally today I got a 'real' USAH assignment to work. More later after the game.