Keeping Sane During the Crazy Busy Hockey Season

    Hockey season is back.  Are you ready to board the crazy train? I just glanced at the family calendar and it's already full. Time to repeat the juggling act and brace myself for some challenging months ahead.  But then I look at hockey parents like Jen Kurzenknabe and suddenly I realize, I 've got it easy.  I am truly in awe of parents like Jen. In addition to having two boys who play for the Palmyra Black Knights, the Hummelstown, PA hockey mom is on the Board, a team manager, in charge of 7 other managers, on the Sled Hockey Committee and in charge of the fundraisers! Whew! My head is spinning just thinking about her balancing act.  So, the question goes begging. Jen, how do you do it all?  

How do you get it all done and still keep your sanity?
   I have to be very organized and set time aside to just focus on my hockey related tasks.

How do you balance hockey, family, school and the extra hockey duties? 
  Again, the key is organization.  I have various binders that organize my hockey tasks, I plan meals out in advance for my family, I stay on top of the boys to make sure they are prepared for school related things (test, big assignments) if they have a late practice or games all weekend, and I have learned to delegate tasks to my fellow hockey parents if I feel that I can't accomplish what I need to do on my own. Being a hockey manager can be challenging, but once you have all of the initial things done for your team (team meetings, paperwork completed, volunteers to help at games, etc...) it is very rewarding to see all of your effort and planning put into action. My suggestion to someone who is a manager for the first time is to get another manager in your club (with some experience) to train you and outline the tasks that you need to do as a manager for your club. The more you know from the start, the easier your job will be.

   The days ahead for us will be full and hopefully fulfilling for our children, as we help nurture their passion for the game.