Staying Active

I officially registered for sledge hockey yesterday. It starts in January and it's 2 hours, once a week, for 10 weeks. I am sooo excited! I signed up for the Skills Development Program because clearly I don't know how to play. It's designed to teach the basics and fundamentals of sledge hockey. Things like balance, mobility, stopping and starting, and the rules of the game. I'll also have the opportunity to participate in exhibition games against other skill development teams in the area.

If you're wondering, what exactly is sledge hockey? Let me tell you...
"Athletes sit on a kind of modified snow sled that has two skate blades under it and a light metal frame that allows the puck to pass underneath. Each player has two short sticks with a hockey blade on one end and picks on the other that they use like ski poles to propel themselves forward. The rest is pretty much the same as the traditional game."

It was actually a couple years ago that I first thought it would be fun to try sledge hockey. I didn't have any mobility issues at the time, I was just interested in trying it because it looked pretty cool and was obviously a sport I had never tried. Anyone who has known me for a while knows that I love trying new sports. To date I've played/participated in...

• Basketball*
• Volleyball* (court and beach)
• Soccer*
• Cross Country*
• Track & Field*
• Badminton*
• Bowling*
• Curling*
• Dance* (Hip Hop, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern)
• Rowing*
• Gymnastics
• Skiing & Snowboarding
• Indoor Rock Climbing
• Rollerblading
• Kayaking
• Water Skiing
• White Water Rafting

* at a competitive level / team you had to try-out for

I also...

• Coached gymnastics for 5 years (I'm certified to teach competitive gymnastics and recreational trampoline)
• Was an instructor at a sports camp
• Currently have an administrative position in the athletics department at a university

Maybe I should have gone to school for something sports related, but I didn't.

As much as I wish I could continue to play all of the sports I love, I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to try several new or modified sports. Sledge hockey is just one of a handful I'm hoping to try. Others include trying a sit-ski or using modified/additional skiing equipment, sitting volleyball (although I do hope to play regularly again one day but it'll be a couple years before I can even attempt that), and wheelchair basketball. And I'm sure there will be other sports I come across in the future that I'll want to try as well. Who knows, maybe I'll love sledge hockey or one of the other new sports I end up trying more than any sport I've played in the past.