To Colin, it was the longest month ever. After having a collarbone broken in late February, he had been forced to the sidelines. At first, he missed the state tournament in early March. Then, he missed a few weeks of the Tampa Bay Metro League season.
The waiting, thankfully, has ended. Sure, he skated for a bit, about three weeks after the injury. He even took part in a Lightning Made Clinic. But, it wasn't until last Sunday, that Colin returned to the ice for a pair of games with his Pinellas P.A.L. Stars squad.
It was easy to tell, too, just how much he missed playing. He hustled on every shift, getting involved and returning to his old form of trying to be the biggest pest on the ice. He even scored a goal, digging away at a rebound, as the Stars ended the day 1-0-1.
To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about his return. I wondered whether he'd shy away from contact or try not to be the first on the puck. Two shifts into the first game of the day, any worries I had evaporated.
I even caught myself smiling a time or two, just watching him play and skate, out there having fun. Considering all the nonsense with the Brandon Jr. Bulls program over the past eight months, the goal for this recreational season, and going back to his P.A.L. Stars roots, was for hockey to become fun again.
Having fun playing hockey is far more important than anything else.
That's just all-around awesome.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear.
Thanks. The kids won again today, 4-2. No points, but he got under the skin of a few opponents and kept the other team's top player off the scoresheet. Pretty solid game, if you ask me.
ReplyDelete