Two years ago, if you would have said that Evan would be a sports fan that would be playing hockey, I would have laughed at you. Evan was never interested in sports. Not even a little. He hated going to his big brothers games. He was my shy little guy. He was interested in action figures, animals, and books. Who would have thought that would change overnight.
One day he turned into a hockey fan. I mean totally obsessed, knows all the player and their stats, hockey fan. He begged to play. I wanted to be a hockey player. We thought it was a phase so we would kind of blow it off. Sure someday you can play. We never thought he really wanted to play until he started asking everyday. We decided to give in. We told him he would have to learn how to skate first. He told us to put him in skating lessons asap. We scrambled to keep our work and find skating lessons. We found them and we went. The first lesson was sooo painful. He fell about 1000 times and it took everything that I had to not scoop him up and run. I didn't want my little boy hurt. But then I saw it.... DETERMINATION. Everytime he fell, he got up. He never cried. He was dead set on learning to skate. I have to admit, it made me a little emotional.
The next week I was nervous it would be more of the same. I could not stand to see him fall but to my surprise he could skate. He did really really well. Every lesson he got better and better. Once lessons were over, he wanted to play hockey.
He now plays for the mini mite league for Tonawanda. He loves it. The coach had asked in the beginning of the season to him know if our child wanted to play goalie. We weren't sure if we should tell him Evan wanted to or not. This is his first year and he is still learning to skate... Do we want to put that much pressure on him? Again, he kept asking when his turn would be so my husband finally told the coach that Evan wanted a chance at goalie. So, Evan got his chance on Feb 3rd. He was so excited that he could hardly sleep the night before. He couldn't wait to get on the ice.
Evan had quite a fan base that night. Nani, Grandpa Frank, Grandpa Mike, Uncle Mike, Uncle Joe, Uncle Jay, Uncle John and Aunt Claudia, and our neighbors Jake and Mazz came to cheer Evan on!!!
I was so nervous for my little boy but also so very excited. He has been waiting or this moment. I just didn't want his heart to be broken if he let too many goals in or if they lost. I know that is a part of the game but I was soo afraid for him.
As the game progressed, Evan was making save after save....(Earlier that day, Anthony had Evan in the driveway giving him pointers on how to goal tend. That was pricelss). He looked like a true goaltender.
My heart was beaming with pride for him. We were in the 3rd period and Evan had not let one goal in. His team was playing well and a win was in the bag and now as the clock ticked down, we thought, he just might get a shut out. The crowd was rouring for him.
Evan did get a Shut out that night. The coach was so excited for him, he took our camera and took pictures from where he was standing that night. He even gave us the score sheet to put in Evan's book to remember his first Shut Out. I could not have been more proud of him that night. It was one of those moments that you want to bottle up and never forget. He had worked so hard for this. Other parents from out team and the other team came over to congratulate him. He was on cloud 9. It looks like we might just have a up and coming goalie in the family...
