AAA Tryouts... How the Good Luck Puck Came to Be.

This was the first year that we were involved in AAA tryouts. Carter (will be U10 next year) has been dreaming about being a Junior Knight since he started playing hockey. For the last 4 years this guy has put in so much extra work in the hopes of it landing him a spot on the AAA team.

It was the night before tryouts, and the list was posted of all the kids that would be attending... 102 kids trying out for 17 spots. My heart sank and questions flooded my brain - What if he can't even get past the first cut? What if he has a bad tryout? How can they decide who to keep when there are so many kids? How is he going to handle if he doesn't make the team? What will that do to his confidence that he has worked so hard to build? Then I realized that none of this was helping... and at this point, nothing I could do would help.

So I decided to take a breath, and do what I love to do - I would create something for him that would be sure to bring a smile to his face before heading for tryouts in the morning. My creativity took over and I made him a Good Luck Puck - with a handwritten engraved note from me on the back. And let me tell you... when I handed that puck over to him the next morning, he gave it a tight squeeze, looked me in the eyes and said "I've got this" and my heart melted. He held onto that puck the whole way to the rink, tossed it in his bag, got ready for his first tryout and jumped onto that ice with confidence. He had a great first tryout - flew around the rink, stood out in the scrimmage - he had done well. After that tryout, once back at home, he looked at me and said "you know mom, I will be so proud of myself if I make it past the first cut" - It was at that time, I knew he would be okay if he didn't make AAA. He recognized the challenge in front of him.

Waiting for the list to be posted after a cut is not easy. My refresh button on my phone was getting a workout. But, cut after cut his name was still on the list. It never got easier for me, the anxiety waiting for the post - I don't think I slept much that week at all!

Finally it was down to the final cut - they had 19 skaters, they were keeping 15. I could see Carter's confidence start to fade as he looked around the dressing room and saw all the top players of all the divisions - so I bent down, looked him in the eyes and said "You are JUST as good as every player in here. You go out and try YOUR best, and thats all you can do. They would be lucky to have you on their team", and with a fist bump and a pat on his bucket, I headed out of the room.

Did he have his best tryout? No. But does that matter? No. I was SO proud of him for going out on that ice and giving his all.

The wait for the final list to be posted was the longest... by midnight nothing had been posted. 2am I woke up and of course I had to check... he did not make it. 💔 My heart sank. How is he going to feel? He tried so hard and came so close. Well, I don't think that I slept any more that night. The morning was tough - tears and sadness as he navigated losing his dream of being on that AAA team.

When I picked him up after school he said "all my friends told me I did such a great job making it that far, and they are right - I'm proud of myself. Now, when to AA tryouts start?" and just like that - he was content. Before each AA tryout he pulled out his Good Luck Puck and held it in his hands, tossing it from one hand to the other - one of my biggest joys is watching them love something I made them so much.

Guess what? He was one of the first to receive an official offer for the AA team. I cannot wait to watch his confidence grow next year. ❤️ "Mom, theres always next year for AAA" - and he's right.

To all the mamas out there navigating try outs - I feel you. But everything will be ok. ❤️

xo Emily