1st Time Playing Ice Hockey

Remember when I said I wanted to learn a new sport this year? Well, I've been ice skating twice in about as many weeks. The first time I just focused on staying on my feet. My feet were sore after just 45 minutes of skating and we called it a night. 

This week decided to try it again. Was supposed to go with some friends Sunday night after church, but that didn't work out. So Monday after work I picked up my sister and we went to the rink. There were a few other people there also playing hockey. My sister brought some sticks and a couple pucks. I messed around with her, trying to pass the puck back and forth. J and M showed up a little later, so I stuck around for longer than I was planning for. They planned a couple games with some other guys on the rink; Nana and I kept passing the puck around. 

M challenged us to a game; he and my sister against me and his brother. My first game ever of Ice Hockey! I've played street hockey and floor hockey, but on ice is a whole different game. I haven't learned how to skate backwards or even stop abruptly, so all three of them pretty much skate circles around me. But I only fell a couple times during that hour and half of skating - that has to count for something, right? 

 I was just thinking about heading home, when I looked up and saw J horizontal on the ice and M standing over him. Thinking it was nothing, I skated over. That's when I saw the blood. Okay, so maybe it was something. 

first thought that something was really wrong

Course head wounds always bleed pretty heavily, so I wasn't overly concerned. I just wanted to be sure that it wasn't actually his eye that was hurt. Didn't look like it. After we took some pictures (at J's request, haha) I went inside with him to clean it up a little. I washed most of the blood off to see how bad of a cut it was and so he didn't look so scary. He split his eyebrow pretty good. 

black eye? how about a red eye? 

He went to the ER and found out he had a concussion, broken nose and gash that required 8 stitches. Amazing what a hockey stick can do to one's face!

Lesson #1 for playing Ice Hockey - wear a helmet!! 

after getting stitched up

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "uh, Barrie, why don't you pick a different sport to learn?" I would, but I LOVE HOCKEY. So guess it's time to invest in a helmet. :)