A new season starts tomorrow

and I don't mean NFL (at least not in this post).  Tomorrow marks a new beginning in Count Jr's hockey development as he takes the ice for the first time with his new organization.  For the last two seasons, he has played with New Westminster Minor Hockey Association, the organization in the city where we live.  Our rules state you have to play in the city where you live and as we live in New Westminster, he had to play for that organization.  It is a small organization that is not all that successful.

The only way around it (other than moving to a new municipality or I guess lying about a sham separation, getting a new address in another municipality and signing him up there) is to pay the big dollars to sign up with a private club.  Even though he is still only 7, we decided to bite the bullet and sign him up with a private club, Burnaby Winter Club.

It was a hard decision from a social point of view as he had friends on previous teams, goes to school with some of them (even if they aren't in his class)  and had fun the last two years.  However, he also lost a lot and his teams were not very good,  He really loves playing, would be on the ice every day if he could.  A few months ago, we talked to him about perhaps moving to BWC but at the time he wanted to stay in New Wesminster Minor Hockey because he wanted to play with his friends.  He probably didn't think he was good enough to play with BWC.  I saw him play BWC last year and while he team was hammered big time, he did not look out of place and actually was arguably the best player for our team that day (dad's rose coloured glasses fully turned on), and even took the puck off their players on a number of a occasions (many of our boys never even touched the puck).  He had a good spring 3 on 3 season, attended five separate hockey camps/skills development clinics since last season and over that time, his confidence grew to the point he wants to move to BWC.

We looked into it, there was space so we moved him up.   It was a family decision including Contessa, Count's mom, Count's sister, Count and of course Count Jr.  We are very excited regarding the new challenges awaiting Count Jr. but we know he is up for the challenge.  He wants to be the best he can be and now he has every opportunity to do just that.

Only downside, we are a family of Canadiens' fans and BWC often wears Boston Bruin colours.  Ugh.  Could be worse though, he could be wearing Canuck blue and green.