3 July 2000
Went to my second beginner clinic tonight. It was excellent. I am having *such* a good time with this! The turnout was a bit smaller because of the holiday (only 18 people, including two goalies), which suited me fine. Lots more people at my end of the beginner spectrum, too.

I fell once during the one-legged backwards skating drill, but I really feel like I'm getting comfortable going backwards. Shaun also helped me get the final missing piece in my hockey stops (I was turning the weight-bearing leg when I should have kept it pointing straight), so now I just need a little more practice with the correct technique.

We did a bunch of fun passing drills, including the "horseshoe drill", where you pass the puck to someone coming toward the goal and then take off skating yourself. When you turn around a cone at center ice, the next person passes the puck to you, and you shoot at the goal. I'm still not great at skating around with the puck by myself, but I'm starting to get the hang of passing.

The scrimmage was a bit looser tonight because we didn't have very many people—only one full side and three subs per team—and Shaun didn't bother with the buzzer. We just took turns coming out when we were tired, shouting our position as we exited the ice. I had to come off one time not because I was tired, but rather because I'd gotten a serious case of the giggles. After three really goofy plays in a row (I got my stick jammed straight into my cup, then there was a three-person collision in which everyone went down, followed by a girl shooting the puck straight into another player's gut), I started laughing and couldn't stop. I knew I was supposed to be having fun, but that seemed like a little *too* much fun—it was affecting my concentration, so I took myself out.

I was pretty much all over the place every time I got out on the ice, just trying to keep up with the play and not really paying attention to where I should be. Didn't keep my head up much, either; consequently, I ran into three different people during the game (none of them on my own team this time). Managed to stay on my feet with each collision, though I did go down one time when I got skating too fast and momentarily forgot how to stop. The mouthguard will make a comeback next Monday despite the drool factor; I banged heads with another woman hard enough to rattle my teeth (which are still sore), so I now understand the value of that little rubber nuisance.

Leslie took a few good shots on goal during the game, including one on a pass from me. That was fun. The goalie stopped the puck, but setting up the play gave me a thrill nonetheless. When we got off the ice, John told Leslie she had been playing the Chewbacca defense (a reference to a South Park episode, essentially equivalent to "it makes no sense"). He drew Xs and Os on the rubber floor with her wet stick blade to show how she should have been playing her check. I watched intently and resolved to pay more attention to my position and that of the player I'm guarding when my team's on defense next time.

Oh, and before we started tonight, the other John (the one from WBAH) told me about the Night Owl B League pickup games on Sunday nights. He said I seemed to be doing well and would probably feel comfortable among the B players (they're beginners). Maybe this Sunday I'll work up the nerve to give it a try.