Learn to Play Hockey Demo

Sawyer just recently completed his second Learn to Play Hockey session at Mediacom Ice Park.
At the completion of this last session, they had a special Demonstration Showcase for the players to show friends and family what they learned. This was one of those moments, as a parent, that I was filled with so much joy and pride for my son. He was the youngest, by far, and while he might have not been able to do the majority of the drills the other players did he never gave up and skated and played with such dedication. It was awesome! The head coach Al, even announced him and got the crowd cheering him on (you can sort of hear on the video). He joked he was almost like the little star of the show. When he asked Sawyer what he loves most about hockey, he responded, "I like shooting the puck into the goal." Love it!

getting instructions from the couches before the demo

Let's try to take a group photo....

nice stance

so far so good

starting to lose Sawyer's attention

Yep, there he goes (on the far left)

Coach Austin had to pick him up (he's in the back)

Follows Coach Austin every where!

Sawyer learns to skate

Daddy Sawyer bonding

Sawyer has been a hockey fan (especially the St. Louis Blues) since he was just a few months old. He would sit in his bumbo seat with daddy and watch the games. He went to his first Blues game (vs the Black Hawks) when he was just over one year old. His Grandpa Mike and Great Uncle Scott, and Great Grandpa Lloyd all played & coached hockey so it is just in his blood. He has had a hockey set since his first birthday and can tell you just about everything about the sport including his favorite player (TJ Oshie) and how they clean the ice (The Zamboni). We were able to take him to a Tampa Bay Lightening game when we were in Florida in October. We knew as soon as they would allow him, we would sign him up for skating. This past Saturday, Mediacom Ice Park had a free skate day and they asked me to bring him up to test him on whether he was ready to start classes this upcoming week. The reason? Technically, he is supposed to be 3 years old (he is just two months shy) and in order to start the class, they have to go on the ice with only a coach...no parents. He passed with flying colors. He grabbed the coaches hand and went out on the ice and had an amazing time, skating for about 40 minutes. She even let go a few times and he skated to her. I couldn't stop smiling and he couldn't either. Since he passed, his official classes start this Thursday night. This class is eight weeks and then we will hopefully graduated to the next level and then on to Learn to Play Hockey.

a couple months old watching a Blues game with daddy

First St. Louis Blues Game at 14 months

See already a part of the team!

Learning with Grandpa (a little over one year old)

First time on the ice at a little over one

Tampa Bay Lightening Game - Oct. 2014

Here are some of the pictures of his lessons Saturday, I got from the sidelines. He is a natural!

Coach Grandpa helping lace up his hockey skates

heading out with Coach Laura

walking around like he has been doing it his whole life.

hard to see but she isn't holding on and he is skating to her