Every hockey parent knows that it’s not just a child that makes sacrifices in order to play on a team, it’s the parents too! From early morning practices to long drives to games to hours spent in a cold arena cheering on your child, it’s no small job being a hockey parent! But it can be enjoyable too, with proper planning and a focus on teaching children important life lessons.That’s the message that Debbie Bonhomme and Connie Doughty, the mothers of Olympic gold medalists and McDonald’s® atoMc® Hockey Ambassadors Tessa Bonhomme and Drew Doughty, want to share. Check out their tips for being the best hockey parent you can be!
- Teach your child the importance of a balanced life – “Help your child understand the need to schedule time for school work, the sport they love, relaxation and rest. This balance is necessary to complete all that needs to be done. Start young so it becomes a habit and not something that is forced. This can also mean missing out on events that your child might have liked to attend.” – Debbie Bonhomme
- Make the focus of the game their work ethic – “Sport teaches your children so many life lessons. Unfortunately, they aren’t going to win every game, but if they work hard and put in a valiant effort, they should be proud of themselves. Letting them know you’re proud of their work ethic will build their confidence, which in turn will bring on smiles and fun. They cannot control the outcome of the game, but they can control the work they put in; focus on that as opposed to goals, points and winning.” – Debbie Bonhomme
- Get organized and think about meal planning – “I would pick one day a week, usually first thing Saturday morning, and prepare my meal plan for the week. This helps ensure healthy eating, saves on shopping, eliminates guess work, and eases in balancing quick meals for scheduled practices and games.” – Connie Doughty
- Stay warm in cold arenas – “A blanket and a hot cup of McDonald’s coffee will do the trick! Dressing in layers is also key to staying warm.” – Debbie Bonhomme
- Air out the gear after every game and every practice… even on the road – “We made it a routine for Tessa to always bring her gear in and air it out after every game and practice, whether at home or on the road. Gear becomes moldy and smelly when it’s left in a bag for an extended period of time. I also washed it with detergent once a month during the season.” – Debbie Bonhomme
- Make friends with other parents – “Make the most of the new friendships you develop with the other parents. Carpooling and play dates come in handy and will save you time and energy throughout the year!” – Debbie Bonhomme
- Make the most of tournaments away from home – “Have lots of car activities for road trips and make the most of every visit. If it’s a new city for the family, stay for a couple of days and get to know the history. It’s a perfect opportunity for some family time or a quick family vacation.” – Connie Doughty
- If you miss a holiday with family, make it up – “We missed many Easters over the years, but I always ensured that we had a complete family get-together the weekend before or after. Family time should never be taken for granted.” – Connie Doughty
I love the atoMc Hockey Program because it goes beyond a traditional sponsorship program. Building upon the 25-year partnership between McDonald’s Canada and Hockey Canada, the program supports Atom teams across the country (and Bantam teams in Quebec) both by providing teams with a full set of pro-style jerseys and socks and by offering players the opportunity to improve both on-ice game skills and off-ice life skills. Ensuring that children develop skills that have benefits beyond sports is very important to me, so I love that it’s something the atoMc Hockey Program emphasizes.
McDonald’s Canada wants to help make being a hockey parent a little easier for you, so the company is offering one lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader their own Hockey Parent Survival Kit Prize Pack! Containing an atoMc toque, scarf and mittens in a handy fleece bag, McDonald’s coffee, a ceramic McDonald’s to-go coffee mug and a $25 McDonald’s gift card, a $50 total value, it has everything you need to fuel up and stay comfortable while you’re cheering on your kids. To enter to win, just leave a blog comment about your or your child’s favourite sport.
The atoMc Hockey Program is such a great way of supporting youth hockey in Canada and gives some extra support to the hardworking coaches and parents that sacrifice so much to ensure their children can play. Check out the program and the support it provides to learn more about how McDonald’s Canada is contributing to youth hockey across the country!
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MRDISCO says
My fav sport is competitive bacon eating.
Sylvie Morin says
hockey
jennifer capin says
soccer
amber says
summer would be biking, winter would be anything outdoors
Deanna MacDonald says
We love to watch the kids playing hockey!
Darlene Schuller says
Right now my 16 year old likes Rugby, the 7 year old was taking a huge a liking to soccer until the frigid winter hit.
Krista M says
Curling!
Jen C AKA @JusticeSadie says
Everyone is Hockey Crazy
Lee-Ann says
Soccer – always was soccer – =)
wendy andrew says
baseball and soccer
Jennifer A. says
they love swimming 🙂
Angela says
My kids love baseball and soccer in summer, but Daddy builds an ice rink every year and we skate on that!
Mary M says
Hockey!!! If they are not at the rink, they are on the neighbour’s backyard rink, playing ball hockey in the lane way, watching the games on tv or devouring the sports section. And they all bleed the blue and white.
Karen C Hill says
Soccer is my son’s fave
Jeannie says
Hockey is our favourite sport.
Andrea Amy says
hockey hockey hockey hockey. Did I mention hockey? *passionate* about hockey 🙂
Debbie F says
Playing baseball but watching hockey.
Lynda Cook says
for my girls it was soccer and badminton and can’t forget swimming
Joy says
my daughter is in to dance, big time!
judy says
we all love hockey
Melinda L. says
Karate. Trying soccer this summer
judy says
hockey
Juliee Fitze says
Hockey have always liked watching the kids play.
Jamie Bertrand says
My son loves cheerleading!
Charlene says
Swimming more so winter swimming
Moe Bwell says
Soccer and swimming, thanks
michelle tremblett says
My daughter loves soccer and my son is all for basketball 🙂
Pat Drouillard says
hockey
Christina B. says
Hockey and soccer
Barb Campbell says
Swimming
christina s says
soccer
Judy C (Judy Cowan) says
Swimming!
Julie F says
Hockey!
BlessedTA says
Tennis
Joanne Saunders says
Soccer. Always has been.
Lori Jackson says
My son loves Hockey!!!
ivy pluchinsky says
swimming
Christy M says
My son is young and still figuring out what he likes, but he loves to run so right now he’s doing Track and Field and Soccer.
Kelly says
Soccer and hockey 🙂 thanks for the chance
Gizele says
baseball
Patrick Siu says
They like tennis
J says
Hockey is king.
J says
If I’m not mistaken, McDonald’s Canada official twitter is @McD_Canada.
Kathryn says
Sigh! Clearly I did not have nearly enough coffee this morning! Lol Thanks so much! 🙂
J says
You’re welcome! Just happy to have been helpful. 🙂
laura says
Hockey is definitely our favorite <3
Isabelle Simard says
Dance and Karate
Crystal Englot says
My son loves playing Soccer and Basketball.
rose langill says
swimmimg
Kate Niven says
For sure it’s hockey!
margaux retrophiliac says
hockey is the ultimate
diane welburn says
swimming
marla says
Hockey 🙂