This summer my son got himself a try-out at the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, better known as the Notre Dame Hounds. I drove him out there for a scheduled ice time where he was asked to come back again. We left Wilcox that Thursday in early August knowing we’d have to wait a couple weeks to find out how the other try-outs turned out. The following Monday he got the call.
Oh what a wave of emotion. On top of getting everything ready for him to go I found myself counting down the days until he was leaving. As they became fewer and fewer, I became more and more emotional. This was a huge step for a 16 year old kid. A 16 year old kid with a passion to play this game, at all costs. No time for me to be selfish.
My boy does not do photos, as you can tell. He’s never in any of them and we don’t do family photos. But I did tell him, this is huge thing and we have to document it somehow. Two days before he left I took him down to the beach for a couple shots.
Once settled in to their dorms, classes and varsity, the kids started try-outs. We knew that he was projected to play either U17AAA in the CSSHL which would take him as far as B.C., (this made Grandma and Grandpa very happy), or U18AA in the SAAHL.
90 skaters and 15 goalies took to the ice for a week of scrimmages and a spot on the U18AAA Hounds. Once those players were picked, the rest of the boys were placed on other teams. Colton secured himself a spot on the U18AA Hounds (there is also a team called the Argos).
Congrats Colton. You set a goal when COVID ended your 2019/2020 season prematurely and here you are, doing it. While this will be the first season ever that I won’t be there to watch you play, we’ll be cheering you on, as always.
CRUMBLING MEMORIES 