Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I Want to know Wednesday

On Wednesdays at the DinoMights blog, I've been asking questions about things that I want to know. I want to know your opinions too, so feel free to chime in!

Last week I wanted to know who you were rooting for in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here are the results from those who participated:

Detroit Red Wings: 22%
Vancouver Canucks: 44%
Chicago Blackhawks: 0%
Anaheim Mighty Ducks: 0%
Boston Bruins: 11%
Washington Capitals: 44%
Pittsburgh Penguins: 0%
Carolina Hurricanes: 22%

It looks like people picked up on what I was writing. 44% of the vote went to Willie Mitchell and the Canucks and 0% to the Ducks. However, there was a late surge for the Washington Capitals most likely due to amazing display of skill by Alex Ovechkin. Speaking of Ovechkin that leads to my first question:

1) I want to know to which hockey camp to send the DinoMights so that they will be able to do this:



Seriously, some of our kids are totally bonkers about hockey. One of the PeeWee Girls has over 20 pictures and posters on the Minnesota Wild on her bedroom walls. Another boy watches youtube hockey highlights all the time (I wish he did his homework as much as he watched highlights!) Another kid did a move like this Ovechkin move during a game. It was so unbelievable that we had to show it in slow motion in the highlight film. So we want to send some of these hockey bonkers kids to some camps. If you know of good local camps or if you know about scholarship information let me know.

2) I want to know how to appreciate that once upon a time Alex Ovechkin couldn't skate yet.


He was a kid just like the first graders at Green and Andersen. He was wobbling and struggling to keep his ankles straight. Just like these kids. That really makes my job a privilege. Who knows, but one of these inner city Minneapolis kids might be a big star someday. And who knows, but maybe that kid will be in the semi-finals of the Stanley Cup Championships scoring a hat trick in game 2, and look into the camera and say, "I owe it all to my Learn 2 Skate coach."

3) I want to know how to appreciate that most or maybe none of these kids will actually make it to the NHL, but it is absolutely worth every minute of it anyway.


The reality is that it is really hard to even make the NHL, much less be the biggest star of the NHL. But, it doesn't matter. Our job is to love kids and give them a chance to do something special. Most of them will go pro . . . in something else besides sports.

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