say it ain't so...

A modern twist on a coaching/parenting impasse. Here are the facts sans sentiments: Tom was one of our top two forwards in an 10-2 loss in which we played well for half the game. something to build on actually because we were within a goal half way through the game. (that's where our team is now, moral victories in 10-2 losses).

Tom calls me Sunday morning (a non-visitation weekend for me) saying he doesn't want to play because the game conflicts with a family dinner (his Mom's new family). Without getting too deep into Tom's personal life, let's just say that the call came from his heart, not anyone else's prompting.

We, the Devils, really needed him. We lost 2-0 Sunday (the Rockets got an empty netter), and we actually scored in the final minute after pulling our goalie, a seemingly miraculous tying goal) but it was waived off after a referee conference, having been ruled that the puck crossed the goal line after the whistle.

An 11-yr-old kid with an over-crowded schedule pleas for a night off to have some quality family time. Stepping away from my coaching identity, it's a no-brainer.

It was surreal to show up all pumped to coach without my kid who was vital to our success. Two other players were out with th flu, so we really needed him.

I asked Tom what he wanted to say to the team ("tell them I have a family engagement") and had one of his teammates call him with the details while I drove him home.

A hockey-tinted microcosm of modern fractured-family life. Kid made his own choice, with a not-so-great consequence on one end. Probably good preparation for life choices down the road.