My son is a Mite aged player in the DC area. The first time he saw this great game of Hockey on TV he was absolutely mesmerized. It was almost as if the world faded away and the only thing that mattered to him was this fast paced, hard hitting, awe inspiring game that we all here at the rink love so much. Fast forward 3 years and he has woven this sport into the fabric of his core. When you ask him who he is, his response is "a hockey player". He incorporates hockey into everything he does. He relates hockey to every task requested of him at school. His teachers told us his passion for the game is "infectious" and he has created interest in the sport through out the school. When on the ice, which is never enough, he really wants to learn how to play the game correctly. He wants to understand the game. He wants to improve at all aspects. His dedication is impressive for a child his age. I do not have to push him, he pushes himself.

I did not have the privilege of playing hockey in my youth. I became a fan later in my life. I am getting ready to play in my first adult league, and I owe that all to my son. From what I have heard though, his passion for hockey is not uncommon. I understand that most people who have grown up with this game share this same enthusiasm. Hockey quickly becomes more than a game for most people, it becomes a way of life.

My sons Coach and a friend of mine played the game through out his life and has been coaching at the youth level for many years. He most certainly views Hockey as a lifestyle more so than a hobby. With his passion for the game he has started a Social Network for anyone involved in hockey to join. Coaches, Players, Fans, Families at all levels have a place at Hockey Connect. His initial post is titled "Why Hockey Connect" is:

More than anything hockey is a community.  Even at the professional level, hockey players and coaches are some of the most down-to-earth people you'll meet and willing to interact with the community.  For those of us involved in youth hockey and adult leagues, hockey quickly turns into a lifestyle and not just a hobby. 

Hockey Connect is here to allow us to share our experiences, ask questions of one another and just know that there are others out there with some shared interests.  My first objective is to start sharing hockey drills targeted to youth coaches but I hope for this to be much more very soon.  New content and new connections will be coming quickly and I encourage everyone to participate and share their ideas.

He is looking for anyone who shares his passion for the great game of Hockey to join. He strongly encourages people to contribute including blogs and especially sharing drills with other youth coaches.

I Know there are a lot of folks here at the rink with very high Hockey IQs and I think a lot of you are still involved in the game in some way other than our shared passion for the Caps. I am not writing this as an advertisement of sorts. I actually checked with JP to see if it was cool that I FanPosted this. I am just sharing Coaches idea because I believe in it. The reason I believe in it is because I have watched my son grow leaps in bounds in the game of Hockey under his direction.

I want to thank everyone for checking out my first FanPost, I encourage you to check out the site HockeyConnect. There are a few posts up already and 17 members and counting. We could actually create a JapersRink group on the site if you would like.