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Take The Number 69: Becoming a Beerginner

Welcome to Take the Number 69, a blog by Eric Brook charting his ice hockey journey from being introduced to the sport, volunteering with the Australian men and women’s ice hockey leagues, learning to skate and now playing in the “beer leagues”. Last week we got to know Eric a little better as his journey began. This week, Eric shares his experience of becoming a Beerginner.

 

“Son, do you want to be an Assassin?”

Growing up, I loved playing cricket in summer at grounds where you could see the trains go past.

I was that kid who was the most out of shape but would have to run the most between overs.

I was the kid who was always the last picked, if I was picked at all.

I always tried, though.

While some of the other boys were using the various school carnivals as extra time to work on their dating skills, here I was trying all of the different events because I could.

Ever since I was a small child, I was goal orientated and looked forward to milestones.

One of my childhood goals was to become a train driver and achieving that goal was an interesting journey in itself.

It is, however, a journey which is holding me back from achieving a more recent dream.

Eric Brook

Practice the hockey stance, on and off the ice!

Since starting skating lessons in October 2015, it has been a goal of mine to play in a game with friends.

I know that is a realistic goal.

A goal that I set myself over the 2016-2017 summer period was to learn how to skate backwards.

Grassroots’ own JFK makes it look so easy on the ice and in his backwards skating video for NSA Hockey.

I can assure you that it isn’t easy.

But over the summer, I achieved the initial part of that goal but I still have a long way to go.

I also can stop myself now rather than what one of my coaches describes as not a stop but me decelerating.

I have had some amazing training sessions on the ice both one-on-one and in groups of fellow beginners.

These training sessions will continue because I still have a lot to learn about the game.

But it is my childhood dream that is getting in the way of realising a hockey dream – to play!

I know that I have not been consistent with training but with my schedule the way it is and what is going on around me, I am amazed I’ve achieved anything at all.

Early in May, I saw a Facebook post that was exactly what I was looking for.

I could have been tagged in the post a hundred times by friends and hockey players but I would have made the same comment I always make until reality sets in.

Beerginners – What other entry point would there be for beer league hockey?

“Yes”

Then I remember that playing hockey and promoting the sport doesn’t pay the bills and remember my shift working schedule – probably only second in strangeness to FIFO workers who work for two, three weeks solid then fly home for the rest of the month. But something new was calling my attention.

Beerginners.

Beer. Newly minted hockey players. What could possibly go wrong? I don’t even drink beer!

To be held at Ice Zoo (Sydney) on Tuesday nights at 7pm and 8pm over 10 weeks, one half of my brain was telling me to sign up for Beerginners immediately.

New competitions for beginners like me in Sydney do not come along every day.

The other half of my brain tells me that I should wait until I have organised all 10 Tuesday nights off as I work afternoon shifts and have for many years and then sign up.

Luckily for me, the “sign up immediately” side of my brain won after seeing some Sunday afternoon social hockey at Sydney Ice Arena.

Signing up for one of four teams, I then spent about an hour trying to juggle my roster around to ensure that I could make every Tuesday night from game one on June 20.

Out of the six affected fortnights, only three of them had afternoon shifts.

Out of those three fortnights, I only had one Tuesday off.

I would need some serious roster work done to be able to make the competition work.

Supplied

The jerseys from the Ice Zoo’s Beerginners league

“What number do you want to wear?”

It took nine days for the competition to completely fill up.

It’s very lucky that I didn’t wait to get my roster sorted.

I could spend the time before the competition to train and to sort out my roster.

I’ve now got another goal to aim for and I am so looking forward to it.

 

“Take The Number 69, It’s Hilarious!”

What team will I be on? Who will be my team mates? Will I make it to game 1? Will I be good enough? Will I be able to take the number 69?

Find out more next week.

(Pop quiz: what movie features the quotes so eloquently woven into this blog: “Son, do you want to be an Assassin?”, “What number do you want to wear?” and “Take The Number 69, It’s Hilarious!”)

Eric Brook has had many interesting experiences since seeing his first game of ice hockey in America in early 2014. After discovering Australian hockey, he became an AIHL and team writer. Eric has been a part of the social media team for the Sydney Bears, following the team across the country and providing updates on their AIHL season. He has also commentated games for both the Bears and Sydney Sirens (AWIHL). He created Harbour City Hockey as a one stop hockey resource for players and fans. This year, 2017, is his rookie year as a hockey player.

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