Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Time to Grow Up
This past winter, I joined a men's recreational ball hockey league, and liked it enough to sign up for the spring/summer session. The league I play for promotes the four "f's": fun, fitness, friendship and fair-play. But, even now, playing in a non-contact league with players aged anywhere from their late 20s to what I would guess would be late 40s, it surprises me just how so many players get so wound up and pull out cheap shots on the opposing players, neglecting that "fair-play" motto the league is trying to enforce.
You see, if you're playing in a recreational non-contact ball league, it's unlikely you played professionally or made any sort of living at it. But there are some players who can't relax and think it's their mission to pull out some hurt when they play. I admit to sometimes getting a little frustrated if things aren't going my team's way, but I never, ever take it out on someone else. We still play in a gym surrounded by concrete walls with minimal equipment, and it doesn't take much to inflict some pain.
There was one game where our team was up by a pair of goals (a rarity...I seem to join teams that have losing records). A teammate was forechecking and made a nice play to steal the ball from a defending player. Well, you would have thought he had just slept with his wife, because he took him in the corner and clocked him with a body check. Remember, concrete...no give. And remember...no contact! He was given a yellow card and he actually complained to the ref about it. It was madness...plays like that happen a little too much. Because I'd like to reiterate it's a non-contact, recreational, ball hockey league. Why do people get so wound up in these games at age 42 when there's absolutely NOTHING on the line?
It also brings to mind an Ottawa Senators alumni game I watched for one period during a United Way event. These guys were probably in their fifties, and even though there was no body checking, these out of shape, past their prime NHLers would still cross check a guy in the back or give a quick slash to the shins during play. The game is for charity, kids are watching, and they still insist on playing this way, like it was 1982 all over again. I just don't get it.
Maybe I just need to learn to be more competitive to understand.
You see, if you're playing in a recreational non-contact ball league, it's unlikely you played professionally or made any sort of living at it. But there are some players who can't relax and think it's their mission to pull out some hurt when they play. I admit to sometimes getting a little frustrated if things aren't going my team's way, but I never, ever take it out on someone else. We still play in a gym surrounded by concrete walls with minimal equipment, and it doesn't take much to inflict some pain.
There was one game where our team was up by a pair of goals (a rarity...I seem to join teams that have losing records). A teammate was forechecking and made a nice play to steal the ball from a defending player. Well, you would have thought he had just slept with his wife, because he took him in the corner and clocked him with a body check. Remember, concrete...no give. And remember...no contact! He was given a yellow card and he actually complained to the ref about it. It was madness...plays like that happen a little too much. Because I'd like to reiterate it's a non-contact, recreational, ball hockey league. Why do people get so wound up in these games at age 42 when there's absolutely NOTHING on the line?
It also brings to mind an Ottawa Senators alumni game I watched for one period during a United Way event. These guys were probably in their fifties, and even though there was no body checking, these out of shape, past their prime NHLers would still cross check a guy in the back or give a quick slash to the shins during play. The game is for charity, kids are watching, and they still insist on playing this way, like it was 1982 all over again. I just don't get it.
Maybe I just need to learn to be more competitive to understand.
# posted by SBP : 10:59 PM
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