CHL (Can Hockey Learn)?

Excuse the bad grammar in the title since "Can Hockey Educate" doesn't fit the Canadian Hockey League acronym!  Since January, we have been involved with CHL in preparation for the MC Memorial Cup which is being hosted in our city of Windsor, ON May 19-28, 2017.  Here is a playlist of some of the life lessons we learned from our involvement!

*DON'T STOP BELIEVING
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
~Journey
*By the way, if you're "born and raised in South Detroit" isn't that Windsor, ON?  Check a map.

Many schools across the three school boards in Windsor, drafted a team on Jan 26, 2017.  Two months later,  only a handful of those schools had a vested interest in the CHL as their teams progressed to the playoffs.

Our team, the Regina Pats, won round one 4-0.  Expected.  They had been #1 team in Canada for most of the 2016/17 hockey season.

Round 2 was where the Pats' determination and grit would be tested as Swift Current would, by game 4,  take a 3-1 lead (after multiple OT losses).

One of the kids said the Pats were in good company like the CUBS who pulled it out

*LOSE YOURSELF:
"Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity 
To seize everything you ever wanted.  In one moment
Would you capture it, or just let it slip?"
~Eminem
*We only used the hook, but being Eminem, there are graphic lyrics (which we did not use)

The Pats' playoff journey fueled conversations in our hallways.  We had chosen this song to create a STOMP routine to encourage the Pats through their playoffs.  We admired their ability to play each game as a single "shot" and how well they captured their opportunities.  How inspiring to watch this team soak up the trials, the praise, the fans, the experience.  A real lesson on how to live in the moment.

NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP:
"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down,
Never gonna run around and desert you"
~Rick Astley

Relationships take work.

Our friendship with the Pats began on Jan 26.  We tweeted a shout out; they sent some swag.  We sent our thanks; they invited us to watch them play via a link.
This was the early stages of the relationship.

Fast forward....

Feb 14--Already in our hearts!
Meet a Spitfire and ask if his team is worried about
facing Regina Pats in Memorial Cup

April 28--Still thinking about our Pats as we travel to other places
like Gr 6 day at the middle school.

One student even created a Kahoot to challenge the rest of the class' level of knowledge about the Regina Pats!

GRACE, TOO:
"Armed with will and determination
...
Armed with skill and its frustration
And grace, too"
~The Tragically Hip

We engaged in a friendly rivalry with our former VP, now principal of St Peter, whose school had drafted Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Mr McMahon showed us GRACE, too!

Despite having the will and determination and skill to take themselves to the Memorial Cup, we were sorry that our beloved Regina Pats did not make their way to Windsor this week.  In Game 6 of the WHL finals, Seattle Thunderbirds defeat them.  How your handle defeat says a great deal about character.  This is one classy team!

Bonus Track:

On Wednesday, two days before the MC Memorial Cup opener, we received a phone call that let us know the CHL wanted to donate 84 tickets to our kids for their support and enthusiasm of the Pats throughout their season.  I think they even expected we would be coming to the Cup to meet our Pats.

We attended the Spitfire vs St John SeaDogs game on Friday night.  

Thanks CHL!  For the experience not only last night but throughout the hockey season!

~MissBrooks