Pond hockey

My first experience with the greatest game on earth was on the frozen creek that flowed nearby my childhood home in Michigan. The memories of playing pond hockey are some of my happiest ... friends, competition, camaraderie.

The element of pond hockey that makes it so endearing to me is being outdoors. Playing hockey is spiritual, requiring grace, quickness, and concentration to be played well. This is probably why I love the game so much ... I do none of those things well, but I am challenged. Doing those things well on the rough surface of a frozen river or pond adds another piece to the puzzle.

And then there is the sound. Hockey is a sonorous game. Experiencing hockey's nuance of sound on TV is impossible. Being in an arena is better. Nothing compares to the sound of skates grinding across the ice outside. The sound of a pass placed on the tape of a stick echoes outdoors. Misty breath, runny noses, cold hands and toes ... GOD, I LOVE IT!!!

I was given a copy of the documentary, Pond Hockey, by a student. It is an excellent film. Makes me itch to "put the biscuit in the basket."