My son played ice hockey from the time he could walk. He wasn’t the biggest, fastest or strongest on the ice. Couldn’t take a slap shot without falling over. Never took more than two penalties a season. Was a very good skater, but not Tier 1.
After a AA game, a coach asked me to bring my son to one of the “get on the radar” camps. I laughed at him and told him my kid would be lucky if he got out of the locker room without being cut. Coach told me my kid plays with his head up, has the best ice awareness he ever seen and passes and catches passes as well as any Tier 1 player he ever coached.
I told him my kid is currently playing single A, he was invited to the tournament only because 5 other kids said no and he is happy where he is. Coach wanted to talk to him and I said ok.
Coach introduced himself and asked my son what his hockey aspirations were. My son said and I quote, “see all these kids who want to play in the NHL? I want to pay their salaries.”
My kid is a business major in college and wants to run an NHL franchise. While these kids were practicing shooting and skating, mine was learning French, spending his summers teaching hockey at clinics throughout North America and reading business books.
I probably have the only kid who worked to buy his XBox so he can use the NHL game to practice being a GM. He had no clue how to play the game.
My 11YO son packs all of 90 lbs on his frame, but he absolutely loves football. He sometimes brings so much passion to the game that he scares his teammates, let alone the other team.
Looking into the future, I could see his potential as a broadcaster. He likes to do play be play while we're watching the HS games, and he's pretty darn good at it.