When another hockey season comes to an end, usually I feel ready for a break.
Toward the end of the season, the wheels start to fall off, so to speak. Practices and games become a grind. Players get sick, tired. They prepare to go off into different directions, tend to their families, take some time away from the game. And as much as we all love the game, that’s a good thing – a healthy thing – for everyone.
Everyone starts counting down: two weeks of practice left. One week of practice left. Last practice. Last commute to and from Boston. Last time I’ll have to pack for a road trip. Last team meal. Last time I’ll have to write out the game sheet for the season. Last puck drop. Last post-game beer.
This season has had so many highs and lows. The highs were fun. New faces in the locker room, new friends made, new experiences on the road together. The wins, the laughs. The lows were low of course. The frustration of losing. Long travel weekends. Lots of tears shed from a combination of all those things…and exhaustion.
And as much as I’m ready for a “break” I know it’s not really much of a break either. Yes, I will be able to get much more sleep on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and for that I am very excited. Weekends will now be so much more free. But we’ll still have some more team events and appearances, which are challenging in and of themselves in the off season. We’ll evaluate. A lot. We will look at how things went this season and where we go from here.
But I’m not there yet.
Right now I’m thinking about getting on the bus with my squad, and what this weekend has in store for us, and how we can make the most of our last games as the 2016-2017 Boston Blades.
My body – many of our bodies – are tired. In my head, I am ready for a break. In my heart, I am cherishing every moment.
Cheers to another season. xo
Krista Patronick 