Caples: A Mother’s Day story and message

By Michael Caples –

You know, one time at the rink, my mom stuck my bottle in my infant-sized ear instead of my mouth.

But hey, we were at my cousin’s state championship game, so could you really blame her?

It didn’t take long for her to start dragging me to the rink – despite me being less than a year old during that bottle incident, I doubt it wasn’t the first time that I was in the stands at a local hockey arena.

The jury’s still out on whether milk going into my ear caused any long-term problems – my co-workers and friends could certainly make a case that it affected me mentally.

Yet all those trips to the rink certainly helped me more than they hurt.

Thanks, Mom.

Her willingness to take me to the rink – both before and after I could legitimately ask to go there – put me in the place I am today. Had I not been allowed to be a ‘rink rat’, I highly doubt I would be the editor of a hockey magazine and website. I highly doubt a lot of other things would have went my way, either, if I didn’t have a mom watching (and worrying) over my shoulder while I competed in games and tournaments and practices and tryouts.

Like thousands of hockey moms, my mother spent more time around the game than I’m sure she ever expected. She became an expert in the ways of the carpool, the snack shop and the lobby while I took an absurd amount of time getting undressed and ready to leave.

In fact, most years she celebrated her wedding anniversary by sitting in the stands with my dad, her hands freezing while she worked on a slightly stale hot pretzel and a coffee that wouldn’t pass inspection from most gas stations.

Thanks again, Mom.

Without hockey moms, hockey wouldn’t be, well, hockey. We wouldn’t have players excelling through the ranks. We wouldn’t be bragging about the successes we’ve had off the ice, thanks to the lessons we learned on it. And, perhaps most importantly, we wouldn’t have those sweet snacks after games (let’s face it, sometimes that was the best part).

So here’s the deal, hockey players. Thank your mother on Mother’s Day, and not on Mother’s Day. You don’t realize it while it’s going on, but your mom’s far more clutch than your linemates. Without her, you wouldn’t be at the rink in the first place. She might not always understand what you’re going through, she might not always say the right thing, but she’s there for you, which is the most important thing. Whether you make it to the NHL or you have to make it somewhere else in life, she’s one of the main reasons behind your success.

Make sure you thank her for that.

Thanks, Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day.