Season End aka the Void

Here we go again. 

Last year I wrote a post, and this year is no different. I seem to need to get things off my chest in order to let go. 

Season 2022/23 (which started in May with summer training and technically ended two weekends ago with the last game they played, even though there still were a handful of practice units until the end of March) was the first season in forever with no pandemic measures. 

Some of us even met for dinner after the last practice.

For me it was a very intense season. I am not sure what contributed to it, was it the fact that I had to work more, was it due to how successful the team was - they made the playoffs - or does it have to do with stuff that happened behind the scenes like incidents that resultetd in suspensions. 

There may be one more factor: Colin and his same-aged teammates are outgrowing their age category of U15 = under 15. 

Yes, they will move on to U17, but it won't be the same. There will be less players, less practice, slightly less games and therefore less fun.

Why less players?

For many of his collegues life will fundamentally change this summer. They will graduale and move on, either to an apprenticeship or senior high school, both of which will probably come with longer and harder days and commutes.

His best friend will do a student exchange year. I still don't know whether Colin already knows about it. I promised the friend's mother to keep the secret. Another teammate will change the club because he expects to have a better role there. Another one wants to focus on his handicap, yes, there are golfers among the hockey players!

Without these friends (and their parents), hockey life may not be the same. Also his current coaches were beyond great. If they keep coaching U15, and the current U17 coaches - who are nice guys, but too nice, as in not strict enough - retain their previous role, things (performance, and with that success and fun) may go downhill.

Colin already mentioned that he may have to transfer to Argovia Stars at some point because that's where his new school is located.

I froze inside.

While it makes perfect sense - and would make my daily life much easier - I identify with the teams he is with. Yes, it's a 50 minutes' drive away, but hey, it's our team! A professional organization whose team won the Swiss championship twice in a row. Plus Argovia is sort of the opponent we love to hate.

So we'll see what happens. 

In the meantime I will enjoy spring and what it has to bring.

Like the playoffs of our adult team! They won the Swiss championship twice in a row. Can they do the "three-peat" as our Swedish import forward Carl Klingberg said?