City Journal: Goal Oriented
Sleep deprived, chilled to the bone, run ragged all over town, the life of a hockey mom isn’t easy.
1. BLADE RUNNING: Team Hentosh organizes its schedule with a color-coded calendar that lets everyone know who needs to be where, and when, and with whom. “Last weekend I took my daughter to her game at 7 a.m., then we met my husband at my son’s game at 8:40,” Hentosh says. “After a quick lunch, my son had practice at 1 and another game at 7 that night. It was a pretty typical Saturday.”
2. A PRIUS WOULD BE A PROBLEM: Having a large trunk is imperative for a hockey family with lots of equipment to lug. Just be careful where you put what. “The water bottles are on the bottom so they don’t leak all over everything, and the sticks have to be on top, so they don’t snap and break,” Hentosh says. “I learned that the hard way.”
3. RINK AROUND THE COLLAR: “I don’t know what it is about hockey, but after a game or practice, everything smells horrendous,” Hentosh says. “Even if it’s being worn by an adorable six-year-old little girl.” The family uses an equipment dummy sitting on the porch to air out the gear, and puts fabric-softener sheets or baby powder in the bags.
4. TEAM SPIRIT: Enduring the dawn-to-dusk schedule together a half dozen times a week leads the parents to bond like boot-camp buddies. “When you’re seeing someone at 5 a.m. before you’ve showered, combed your hair, or even looked at yourself in the mirror,” says Hentosh, “you don’t have a chance not to be yourself.”
5. THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WATCHING: “It’s freezing in the rink, so you’ve got to be prepared,” Hentosh says. Her trusty rink-side getup includes a couple of must-haves: a down coat and some shaggy Ugg boots. “I was always cold until I broke down and bought a pair of Uggs,” she says. “Now I swear by them. They’re amazing. No more cold toes.”