Nothing says Canadian summer like shelling out three hundred bucks for hockey camp. It?s August, and I?m headed for a stinking, sweaty change room?to lace up ice skates. Again. When I think of my life these days, I see a size six hockey skate and a nine-year-old foot, propped between my knees, laces waiting.
My son Ollie does not show extraordinary promise as a hockey player. He has a late December birthday which means every second year, he is the youngest player on the ice. He has gone whole seasons without scoring a goal. Yet from September until April every year, hockey takes over our lives, because he has chosen it as his sport. A 2013 article in ESPN estimated the cost of one youth experience in hockey at $48,850 US. That?s a lot of money, and there?s an equally impressive commitment of time and energy, on the parts of both the child and the parents. But I tell myself that summer camp will give Ollie a skills boost. Anyone who has played sports knows that being good is more fun than not. I?m giving him the opportunity to be good. But as I follow Ollie into the change room, I want to stop us both.
Hey Ollie, I nearly say, how about if we grab an ice-cream cone and go to the beach"
I doubt he would object. He loves hockey, yes, but like most nine-year-old boys, he also loves ice cream. It?s summer holidays. Hockey camp is hard work. I wonder if we?ve all become so invested in the idea of organizing our kids? activities, of giving them every opportunity to be their b...