This is the Guelph Predators U8 team. This past weekend we were in a tournament in Niagara Falls. Our tournament was just a full day for the kids with 2 games played and cupcakes decorated and consumed!
We played St. Catherines and from the moment we stepped on the ice, it was very evident that they were very much a developmental, young team. Our Head Coach Nicole had a talk with the players on the bench about them being fairly new to the sport.
We encouraged the players to allow St. Catherines to take the ring a few times without checking them. The kids were fantastic at this. Even though they are only 5-7 years old, they all understood how important it was for these St. Catherines players to get the opportunity to skate with the ring.
Our team and goalies even encouraged them when they were skating with the ring and even let them shot and score a few goals.
It is not often in sports that you can hear from your own bench cheers for the other team but you could hear cheers of "Let's go St. Catherines, Let's go" from the Guelph bench. Well done children. You are what sports are all about.
Nicole, Darryl and I are all very proud of these young athletes.
