Lebron Gretzky
Myles was only 4
years old when he uttered the words, "Dad can I get some ice skates"?
Ice skates? What in the world would you need ice skates for? As I talked to my
wife Jacqui later that night, I couldn't fathom why he wanted ice skates. She
told me that he had been watching the neighborhood kids out his bedroom window
as they skated around on the frozen pond behind our house. I believe kids in
Minnesota learn to skate before they learn to walk, which is why it’s referred
to as "the State of Hockey". Hockey defines the state of Minnesota;
its not only a part of the culture, it truly is a sense of identity and pride
for people. As the lengthy winter arrives, the many lakes become frozen
playgrounds for the neighborhood kids. Hockey is the sport of choice, and Myles
quickly became hooked.
From 1957 --
when Willie O'Ree became the National Hockey League's first black player -- to
1995, a total of 27 black players played in the league. Since then, almost 50
black players have played in the NHL. Last season alone, 43 players of color,
including 22 black players, secured NHL roster spots. The 2013 NHL
Draft was another watershed moment for the NHL. Two of the top seven players selected were black. Seth
Jones was selected No. 4 by the Nashville Predators. Leading up to the draft
there was speculation that Jones would be the No. 1 pick. While he did slip, he
still made history in being the first African-American as a top-five
choice. Darnell Nurse went No. 7 to the Edmonton Oilers; hockey's
getting a tan.
As Myles began
to grow, I did everything I could to make him fall in love with other sports.
He loved football most in those early years, and soon enough baseball- I was
thrilled. I loved that I could actively participate with Myles in these sports,
coaching and generally spending quality father/son time. Myles was a
terrific athlete from the very beginning that much was evident. My hopes of my
son becoming a little “baller” were soon dashed when I told Myles I
was signing him up for basketball and he said, "I don’t want to play
basketball". Huh? "What do you mean, you love basketball". "Not
Really". "What"???? I was crushed. I found solace in being able to
coach his baseball and football teams. Winning 3 straight league titles and
football, and watching my little athlete win a state championship in baseball
at age 12.
Youth hockey is
like a vice grip that strangles your time and wallet like no other sport. You
will find yourself constantly "shelling out" money for skates, (which
can run $500 and up) ice time, fees, travel, and sticks. OMG the sticks! A
good hockey stick is going to run you close to $200 (a piece) and oh yeah, the
kids break them regularly. All I could think was, damn if I could just get
him to love basketball, I'd have no problem spending $150 on a nice pair of Air
Jordan sneakers. Hell, I could almost buy him a couple pair for what it cost me
to buy one hockey stick.
My neighbor
came knocking on my door after watching Myles skate on the pond with the other
kids, and asked, "do you have Myles signed up for hockey"? Privately I thought HELL NO! Shortly after, Myles burst through the door and
uttered the words that made this father of a black child cringe, "Dad can
I play hockey"? Jacqui and I talked about it that night; we’d both
heard the horror stories about the time and financial commitments of hockey.
But truthfully that was the least of our concerns about our son’s newfound
interest.
During the 2012
NHL playoffs, Washington Capital's player Joel Ward scored the winning goal in
a game that eliminated the Boston Bruins and sparked a racial avalanche on
social media.
Would Myles be
welcomed in the hockey community as a black kid? Racial bias and hatred are
realities every black parent accepts as part of the numerous inequities we have
to prepare our kids for. You just want the opportunity to discuss such an
important lesson with your kids on your terms; to properly prepare them for
what is inevitable. In fact, just two years prior Myles and I were victims of a racial slur while walking through our own neighborhood, when a car full of teens
found it necessary to shout racial epithets at us as we walked home from the
community park; Myles was 3 years old. This hockey thing had Jacqui and me very
nervous.
To be
continued…
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