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+---- Thread: RBM 1 A day in the life of a rookie (/showthread.php?tid=101767)
RBM 1 A day in the life of a rookie - JSS331 - 12-06-2019
Game Days
What a week it has been. Signing my first juniors contract with the Detroit Falcons and flying directly there from Ireland. The General Manager told me I would be getting straight in the starting lineup that very day so I had a whirl wind of activity in getting everything ready. Getting fitted for my jersey and new equipment was cool. I got to try out a lot of different sticks and gloves before settling on the curve I am used to. It is nice not having to worry about buying sticks when I break them. My parents spent thousands of dollars a year on them so I know they are happy as well. Once I was fully kitted, I got to sit down with the team and learn a bit about them. We spent most of the afternoon down at the Jet Blue Arena where we play. After a light skate and some minor drills, it was time for a quick workout.
The gym facility that they have is world class in my eyes. I am used to some free weights, a bench press bar and some squat racks. The Falcons put a lot of emphasis on good physical training. They have a strength coach that wanted to do a basic assessment of my strength in some core areas. After that assessment, he scheduled some time with me after the game to go over a comprehensive workout plan that he would put together for me to help develop the strength I will need to compete at this level and the next. They also have a plyometrics coach that is tasked with helping us develop the fast twitch and explosive muscles to make us all quicker. I am especially excited about this as it is an area that I know I can develop to a strength and it will translate into making me a more dangerous point man and defender in the zone.
Most of the other guys on the team like to stay loose by kicking a soccer ball around or playing some wall ball to work on hand eye coordination. Others like to relax and play the latest NHL game on the Xbox they have in the locker room. I mostly milled around introducing myself to the rest of the team. Getting my bearings on where all of the various facilities are within the arena. Anything to keep my mind off of the nervousness that steadily builds before any hockey game. My strength has always been to turn that nervous energy into adrenaline that takes my play to the next level so it is nothing new to me.
About an hour and a half before game time, coach called us for the pre game meeting. We watched some game film of our opponent and keyed in on a few tendencies that the scouting staff had noticed. He established the keys for the game that we were to focus on to be successful. Since our league doesn’t have that many teams in it, I imagine this part of the preparation will become easier and easier as I get used to the forwards and systems that the other teams run.
With about an hour before game time the meeting broke up and we all went back to the locker room to start pregame preparations. Some guys drank pre workout or did some light stretching. I spent most of my time taping sticks and making sure my skates were sharpened how I like them. I have a new set of great Bauer skates that the rep fitted me for today but there is no way I am playing in a brand new pair of skates in my first game. I plan to break them in during practices over the next week or two before using them in the game. I stayed mostly quiet but this was like almost any other locker room before a game that I have ever been in. The jokes, the light hearted banter, the ball busting. It is all part of the life of a hockey player.
Warm ups went in a flash. I was mostly focused on getting crisp passes on the tape in the breakout drills. Making sure my edges are how I want them and loosening my slap shot. The twenty minutes went by in a flash as I said and we were back in the locker room waiting for the zamboni to cut the ice.
The coach came in for a quick pep talk and a reminder of the keys discussed in our film session. Our captain said a few words to rally the team and we were on our way to the bench.
It was great to see some game action. I played a solid 18 minutes a game and finished as a -1. I wasn’t happy about that nor was I happy we lost but I see a ton of potential in this team. We have a solid keeper and forwards. Our defense is thin which is why they sought to bring me in. I look forward to helping to bolster this in the remainder of the season.
After the game, we were all pretty down about the loss. The coach came in and did not yell but he was stern about some of the missed opportunities he saw in the game. All of them are very fixable so we’ll work on this hard in practice.
After getting showered up, I had my meeting with the strength coach to go over the workout plan. It was way more than I expected. They also had a nutritious come in to put a good meal plan in place. They said they could provide meal prep services to help stay on track which was unbelievable.
Once that was over, it was time to get a ride to the hotel the team set me up in. Eventually they said they would find me a place more permanent but for now the hotel would be my home. It was a little lonely and an exhausting day but I am so excited for the chance to play at the next level. We will be ready for the next games and I hope we go all of the way to the championship this season.
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