The New Kid

After last Sunday's administrative fiasco, I actually managed to get back out on the ice and play hockey last night. For those of you playing along at home, you may remember that I bid a wistful farewell to my team of 5+ years in order to play closer to home.

I really felt weird walking into a dressing room where I knew I wasn't going to know anyone. More accurately, it felt weird being in the dressing room first, knowing that strangers would be walking in. (Us goalies take a little longer to don the Tools of Ignorance, ya know?) I mean, I felt it at bit when I played in a different league on Mondays this winter, but I still had that familiar team to go back and play with on Sundays. Of course, I did all the admin, too, so I had a certain stake in the team. I enjoyed the Monday night gig, too. It was good hockey, a nice facility and a good bunch of guys to play with.

This Sunday was another story. I'm just the new guy; virtually anonymous. I'm so used to being known by my players. Whenever a goalie goes to a new team, they're pretty much anonymous. We sit back there in the crease, we stop the pucks (most of the time) but nobody really knows who we are. It feels so...transient...so "of no fixed address"...so....impersonal. I can't say I'm interested in taking on Team admin duties just so I can get to know my players (or is that maybe so my players can know me?) because I did it for 5 yrs and I don't miss not having the responsibility.

And just for fun, I get to repeat this experience on Tuesday evening when I play my first game with the league that the Town runs at the local 6-plex (where The Boy played hockey this year) so we get to see what that's like.

I'm happy to be back playing, but the unease and anonymity kinda take the edge off.

(Oh yeah...final score, 3-0 for the bad guys, but I can't say I was disappointed in how I played, particularly after my 6-week hiatus.)