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A Blog about our Life: Family, Renovations, DIY, Crafting, Cooking, Parenting, Gardening, and life in our little world.
PLUS MINUS STAT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE NUMBERS
Using stats from sports is a great way to get some kids interested in math concepts. One stat used in hockey is called Plus Minus. You get a plus if you are on the ice when your team scores a goal, and you get a minus if you are on the ice when your opponent scores on you. This stat is a great example of positive and negative numbers. I've made up a few examples the kids can work through featuring the NHL's top scoring player Alex Ovechkin! We start off simple, he scores a couple of goals and has a positive number.
On the other side, the team that is scored on by Ovechkin, they head into negative numbers.
I throw in a general numerical sense question to reinforce the idea of positive and negative numbers in this situation.
The we do it all again. Starting with a new scenario featuring New Jersey Devils star forward Taylor Hall. Again we start in positive territory.
Then we take a look at the opposite side of the equation - the negative numbers.
Then we put both the positive numbers and negative numbers together and show what happens.
Then I leave the kids with a complex question combining both positive and negative numbers to work out. This time I use the much talked about John Tavares of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Most hockey fans will know of the Plus Minus stat, but, have many actually thought about the actual numbers behind it? I'm hoping this real world example of how positive and negative numbers work will spark some interest in math and number sense.
MAKING MATH AND GEOGRAPHY FUN USING AN NHL HOCKEY THEME
Do you have hockey obsessed kids? We do. So, I took advantage of that interest in all things hockey and made up some 'fun' problems for the kids to do over the summer break. Geography - our middle guy was kind of lost when it came to geography. It was 'boring' to him. But, take a map with NHL logos on it and all of the sudden there is some interest. One way to learn the provinces of Canada is by hockey team right? Math - Math can get tedious, with all the repetition and questions that have no relevance to real-life. Sports can change that! Hockey is full of math; be it stats, probability, jersey numbers...here is a chance to make questions 'fun' and give them life. I tried to add some connection to the questions by creating a story - you've been called up to play with the Toronto Maple Leafs! How far do you travel to play the Winnipeg Jets...and the story (and math questions) continue from there.
My true goal here was to work on geography, so I keep making them refer back to the map...and the math practice is just a bonus.
I made sure to include a few of the children's fav players to keep their interest peaked. And, a small art break (get creative with jersey design!)
I have a soft spot for local heros - my fav player when I was growing up was Doug Gilmour. He's from our town, so I tried to make that connection with the kids. It was a great way to drill down to a more local level in the Geography dept.
Hockey as a theme makes is so easy to incorporate everything from probability, percentages, logic...to FRENCH! Oui! Ils jouent de hockey au Quebéc! So, when you travel to Montreal to play a game get ready to work on some french words.
Calculating time is easy to work in too - you've calculated how far you need to travel, now, how long will it take to get there?
Expanding the map and introducing a few familiar places in the USA is not hard - there are teams in Florida and California. Places they've heard of or been too - Tampa Bay is not far from Disney :)
Then just let the creativity fly, like the puck does when the D-man takes a one-T from the blueline...
UPGRADED GOALIE BLOCKER AND TRAPPER - VAUGHN DELUXE!
Elliott has spent hours (probably days at this point) playing mini sticks, knee hockey, or road hockey clad in his old street goalie equipment. A set that had taken millions of hits with balls, pucks, pinecones, and countless other random things found on the ground that are just the right size to hit with a hockey stick. The old set had done a great job, but, it was starting to fall apart. An upgrade was needed.
Elliott had been saving his money for awhile, planning and debating what to spend it on. His list was pretty short; goalie equipment, rollerblades, lacrosse stick. After mutiple trips to Sports stores, Canadian Tire, Toys R Us (the comparing between stores seemed endless...but, he did a thorough job really narrowing down the best deal and best product he could buy), he finally decided on a new goalie blocker and trapper.
He went with the Vaughn DELUXE Blocker and Trapper. It was big enough, quality built, and on sale 50% off (good shopper bonus!)...and fabric was pretty cool too!
But, how did the new equipment perform?
Great!
Elliott got on the new blockie and trappie and I took a few shots on him. Here is a quick product review video we made.
Baseball has always been one of the underrepresented sports in the Place Under The Pine. Historical records indicate Matty played the '87 season with little success (other than a monster triple on the last game of the season!), there are no recorded stats but heresay says 'that's probably a good thing'.
The 2013 T-ball season was Lolli's one and only year. She posted a 1.000% batting average, but, hung up her glove after that long summer.
The most fun she had was posing for baseball pics
The 2015 T-ball season was Elli's first attempt with the ol' bat and ball. He had some skill, he had a good time, and was very successful. But, his mind seemed to be stuck in winter mode (aka hockey brain) and he also struggled with playing two summer sports (baseball and soccer) and picking a favourite...at that point soccer seemed to be winning the favourite-sport race.
It seemed that maybe baseball would follow the regular Place Under The Pine path and become a 2nd tier sport.
That was, until this year.
What a snag!
2016 has turned things around. The summer of 2016 saw hours and hours and hours of time spent on the baseball diamond (and not on the soccer pitch). The fire for Baseball has been lit in Elli. It seemed to be a mix of things that have brought Baseball to the forefront of Elli's sporting life.
Potential homerun swing
The format of the games changes slightly, from the casual 'everyone wins' to a game where there were actual outs (scores and standings were even kept!). Elli is that kid that thrives on competition. He wants to be the best and tries extra hard to get there.
Yes, another win!
He also had a great team made up of fun loving, spirited kids, who also seemed to be interested in being competitive. He also had a super duper coach who brought out more than the just the basic hitting and catching skills in every kid, but, so much extra. With bubblegum blowing contest, team cheers, and waterfights the kids had so much fun. Extra fun. That kind of fun that made them excited to go to every game, practice, and even head into their backyards just to throw the ball around with ol' Dad. All this fun (and time spent practicing) made the team better and better and better - it was a vicious circle...to a point where they were just slaughtering every team they played.
Waterfight! Perfect timing after a hot midday game.
Their coach went above and beyond setting up a home & home series with Napanee's rep team. It was amazing to see that our team held up pretty well against this all star team.
This year was such a great experience and not only for Elli, but, for the whole gang of the Place Under The Pine. It was so much fun that they are even considering rep baseball for next season. Yes, rep sports, an unprecedented idea in these parts!
Like the socks Elli!
And, with a .933 batting average, and a dedication by Elli to get even better, it would be a real shame to deny him a chance at higher calibre baseball - and most likely a career in the major leagues. Probably with the Blue Jays.
The elders of the PUTP have called this idea 'The Retirement Plan' (no pressure).
OLIVIA AND HER HOOPS - NOT BE CONFUSED WITH HER RAINBOW LOOM HOOPS.
This year's basketball season was up and down just like the dribbling of a basketball.
Olivia's first year playing b-ball started with a lot of excitement. Mid season was a drag (literally). But, by the final game the excitement was back up there it was the high point of the year.
Just like Elliott and his hockey season, there were a lot of life lessons learned on the court. Olivia perfected her pre-event preparation by always getting her special basketball clothes out and ready hours before having to leave. It also became clear that Olivia does not like the same sort of fanfare that typically accompanies the kid's sport - a benchload of fans cheering for her is not her thing. And, as with many things in life she is slow to warm up to new things. The first few months of basketball saw her lay back and get a feel for the game, the next few months saw progressive involvement, and then the last game saw a full on commitment. She learned that actually getting in there and being competitive was enjoyable. She also found a new sport that she is good at, confident in, and wants to improve in. After her Pete Peterson League finished she continued on playing more ball by joining the basketball team at school.
Libby shoots...
Libby guards...
Libby rebounds...
Parent lesson learned - Sports mean different things to different kids. They have different motivations, reactions, and passions. Even as a quasi expert basketball player, parents do not always need to give out unsolicited advise or analyze the game. Sometimes it's best not to talk about the game on the ride home. Start with 'how do you feel you did?' then go from there. Some days it will end with a 'fine' and sometimes it will last a little longer.
One fun fact the parent's learned - You can make it from The Place Under The Pine to the court (downtown) in 9 mins if you hit every single green light.
Many of the citizens of the PUTP are letting out a sigh of relief knowing the hockey season is now over. "What are we going to do with our weekends now," is a comment that will be heard often over the next month or so. To say that weekends are dictated by the hockey schedule is no joke. Throughout the entire winter every Saturday and Sunday has hockey scheduled into it. Hockey is a big commitment. And sometimes, like this year, this commitment takes place at 6 in the morning.
There are many benefits to this time consuming / early morning schedule:
1) A reason to get up at 5:30 am in the middle of winter
2) A reason to get out of the house before the sun rises
3) A reason to get out of the house and get some fresh air and sunshine when you'd rather burrow down into the couch and eat chips
4) A reason to meet up with family and friends (when you'd rather burrow down in the couch with a bag of Doritos)
5) The most important reason is because Eli loves playing
Here is a video showing a few snippets of the season.
Although hockey does bring on a few challenges, the benefits far outway the costs. Many life lessons are learned at the rink - for both kids and parents.
For the player: Eli has not only learned physical skills like skating and shooting, but, more importantly he has learned some wonderful social skills. Being part of a team has made him more empathetic. He has had a chance to see that the world is made up of many people. The team can only succeed if they all work together. Eli has taken this attitude and run with it. He is constantly celebrating his teammates successes. The first comments when he hits the changeroom is about his team - "Mikey scored four goals today!" - while being humble about his skills - "Sure, I scored two, but, it was only because Alyson was so good on defense". This life skill, of seeing the big picture, is a tough lesson to learn, but, hockey (or any team sport) allows this to happen.
This year the season was loaded with dawn cracking early morning games. Eli quickly learned another important life lesson - planning ahead. The night before he would be the one getting out his clothes for the morning, he was the one questioning bed time (is 7 early enough?), and he was the one that requested getting up an hour earlier than required so he'd have time to wake up, and time to get mentally prepared. He learned a lot about himself with those early morning games, about how his mind and body work, and that he does not do well when rushed. And he was the one who found a solution to that by getting up earlier. Pretty impressive for a six (now seven) year old.
For the parent: Hockey is another time you have to let go of your child and allow them to explore the world by themselves. If you look around at the other hockey parents you will see a wide range of reaction to this loss of control. The extremes range from totally ignoring all that goes on to yelling instructions from the stands. It is tricky finding the ideal balance of being involved and letting your child discover the world of hockey for themselves.
If you are looking for some advice from a great hockey parent, or at least the parent of a great hockey player - check out Walter Gretzky's book. He is the father of The Great One - Wayne Gretzky. In his book he talks about how he approached hockey when his children were young. He gave the kids some general advice, but, he never told them what to do. He let them explore the game for themselves. Experimenting, trying new things, learning new skills - that's what keeps the game fun.
As a parent, hockey is one of those lesson in restraint. There are times you want to yell from the stands. There are times you want to push your little player because you know they can skate faster. There are times you want to correct them, tell them how you think they should be playing the game. It is easy to get caught up in the game. The game. That is the lesson here for us parents - it is only a game. In the grand scheme it doesn't matter if they win or lose. It doesn't really matter if they skated as fast as you thought they could. They are out there to learn a game, make friends, and just have fun. It is a tough exercise in restraint, but, one with great satisfaction when you find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat watching your little one try out that ridiculous move they invented in the backyard (the triple deke, kick the puck with your skate, do a twirl and slap shot it) and actually score with a goal with it. Then have their teammates crowd around high fiving them while they humbly try to give credit to their teammates great passing play. It is well worth the effort and the tired mornings.
THERE IS NO LACK OF FANFARE FOR THE ATHLETES OF THE PLACE UNDER THE PINE
The Place Under The Pine started out as a quiet place - mainly full of artists, crafters, musicians, and readers. As the PUTP grew in population the demographic make up started to change. No longer were the citizens a homogenous group of artsy types, but instead, they have shifted towards a more sporty type. The younger cohort, those under the age of 10 who make up 60% of the population, are the cause of this shift. As this younger segment ages they engage in more and more sporting activities. The older generation, instead of rejecting this change have embraced it. They now spend more hours at arenas and basketball courts than they do crocheting, sewing, painting, and any other 'creative' activity. In fact, one parent has taken his support to a whole new level - becoming a superfan!
Example of a superfan
The superfan is someone who is there for every game and every practice. The superfan is one who memorizes the stats, collects memorablilia, maybe even creates homemade hockey cards. They are often the one who can be heard in the stands when 'their' player makes a good play.
Is a superfan a good thing?
One theory is that since a superfan is devoted for life, the player always knows they will have undying support whether they win or lose. It can make them feel special...and loved.
The PUTP superfan can often be seen waving his #1 Fan Finger. Although the children appear to be embarrassed by the finger, deep down they know, when they look up and see the big yellow foam hand waving, that someone is out there rooting for them.
As our Earth continues to rotate around the sun we feel the change - from warm summer nights to cold fall mornings. However, it is not only the weather that is changing, but, the activities around the Place Under the Pine are changing as well. As the autumn leaves float down from the trees they land in the front yard, not on soccer balls and baseball gloves, but on basketballs and hockey sticks. The sporting seasons have changed once more.
HOCKEY IS BACK
Just like jumping right into the deep end of a pool in the summer, taking the shock of the water in one quick dive, the citizens of the PUTP jumped right into the hockey season with a 7 am practise at Centre 70 (also known as the Deep Freeze due to its lack of heat). But, these hardy veterans have a hockey sock full of tricks to keep them warm - dress in layers, cover with a blanket, bring the biggest thermos we own and fill it with piping hot hot-chocolate.
Hats, mitts, snacks, and hot chocolate make watching practice fun.
The new hockey season is full of changes, from a new team to a new focus. Elli has moved up a level and is on a team with many new faces. His focus has also changed from learning the basics (and not falling) to honing his blossoming skills. He has taken a liking to the polarizing position (either loved by a player or loathed by a player) of goalie. As with all positions he has tried, Elli took to it like a fish in water and left his first 'game' with a shutout. And in true goalie fashion he gave all the credit to his defensemen (or in this case defensewoman).
He's been practising this move all summer.
Laser focus on the puck.
BASKETBALL HITS FOR THREE
Heads up! This time of year the front yard of the PUTP is sometimes dangerous, with pine cones falling. Now, Thursday nights are just as dangerous with basketballs flying through the air. Most seem to make the graceful journey through a hoop and fall peacefully to the hardwood floor...but, some miss the backboard and fly into the crowd of parents watching their Lil' Gals play some hoops.
Trying a new sport is always a challenge, but, Lolli, with her tallness, her high level of energy, her quick feet, and her smarts is well on her way to becoming basketball star.
Swish
As with all things Lolli is part of she manages to find a way to lead. As a rookie basketball player she is not the leader on the court, but, off court she certainly is. As often happens with Lolli, she found a way to bring fashion into her sport. Tying a jersey into a knot is now a trending fashion statement in the Pete Peterson Basketball league.
Tie your jersey to prevent it from getting in the way...and to be fashionable at the same time!
The hockey season for six year olds is officially over. It has been for two weeks now. However, Elliott has yet to accept this. He is still suffering from a very bad case of Hockey Fever. Symptoms include dressing up in hockey equipment as often as possible, imaginative play revolving around a hockey theme, leaving gloves and a stick at the end of his bed to be 'ready for hockey' when he wakes in the morning...and one very rare and disturbing symptom - building a hockey rink!
Braving the cold and snow Elliott took it upon himself to dig through a foot of hard packed snow in the backyard until he made it to the thin layer of ice covering the ground. He then cleared away the snow in the surrounding ten square feet. No small feat for such a little guy. He was obviously overcome with his Hockey Fever and could not help himself. He then organized a small game with the only other children around, his siblings! This game, The Winter Classic, was fun and energetic. No injuries...although Elliott did have one awkward fall on his head before the game - helmets were made mandatory after that.
Here is some clips of the Winter Classic
The 'Classic' was a one night only affair as the next day the sun shone bright and melted away the rink. Coincidentally, the Hockey Fever seems to have subsided a little as the sun melts the remaining snow and ice. To speed the healing process Elliott has been prescribed a soccer ball and an open field.
Jack Frost uses Lolli's window to make an icy masterpiece
Winter can be terrible; the cold, the ice, the lack of sun, the potential for frostbitten toes!
But,
the brave souls of the PUTP take on the challenges of winter (and the
potential for frostbitten toes) to do the things one can only do in the
bitter cold. This self induced hardship seems to be ingrained into the
PUTP culture - very similar to the influential Canadian culture.
If you are not from a northern country, where snow covers the ground (as well as small trees, cars, igloos,
people under the height of 1.5 metres, cats, purse pooches, etc) for
months at a time, you may be wondering what activities can be done in
the snow?
Scooters
and skateboards are out. Bicycles are use at your own risk, that is assuming you can dig them out of the shed. Lawn darts
just get lost. The pool is converted into a makeshift hockey rink.
Gardening leads to flying ice pieces and broken shovels. Even a simple
after dinner stroll around the block turns into a complicated affair
with three layers of clothing required and constant rerouting according
to snow drifts and snow plowing schedules. Not to mention a basic umbrella stroller would not make it
five feet, so a cross country, big wheeled, monster truck of the
stroller world is required...and in the deepest depth of winter, even the
monster stroller will not cut it and a sled is the only way to move your
precious baby around.
I wanna be warm!
Ice Skating
- One winter activity, which many consider a form of self abuse, is ice skating.
What other culture thinks it is fun to strap sharp metal knives on the bottom
of an uncomfortable hard shoe and try to move on the slipperiest surface known to man?
Sources have reported seeing the citizens of the PUTP skating on many
occasions and at many different locations this winter. Poor little
Oskie, who has just turned 2, was put on the ice this year. After countless
attempts he, apparently, reached some successful milestone by being able
to stand still long enough for his parents to get a photo. The rest of
the hour or two he spent 'skating' was mostly him rolling, crawling, or
being held up by another skater.
And,
to make matters worse, the bragworthy skating event, is doing it outside. Being
inside a semi-heated arena was, apparently, not torture enough! Throw in
-20 (and windchill) to make those plastic (non insulated) skates feel
like you are wearing blocks of ice. One youngster took it even further
by removing his coat and skating in only a thin shirt!
One psychologist reported that behaviour like this is, for lack of a better word, kooky!
Inside the 'warm' arena (remember, the temperature need to stay cool or the ice will get 'soft') is apparently a good way to start the season. Like easing yourself into a cold lake on a summers day.
All smiles. Ready to skate.
Skating is for all ages.
Oskies first time on skates (age 1.9 years...under 2)
Apparently, dangerous activities like skating are how boys and their fathers bond.
It is typical to wear ties when skating.
The lack of safety equipment is appalling. Knee pads, elbow pads...gloves?
The practice is so engrained in the children they even role play skating through their toys!
Apparently a joke. Spending time in the penalty box is seen as cute and funny.
The highlight of the season is skating outside. According to ice experts, the colder the better as it makes the ice is harder and therefore faster. The already dangerous activity is made ever more reckless!
Here is one brother initiating another in the world of skating.
A milestone! Standing on skates. He weeps with joy.
In an attempt to outdo all other winter skaters, this young man took his coat off and skated as fast as he could. What kind of social pressure makes a sane person do this?
Tobogganing
- This activity is also known as 'sledding' outside of Canada and the PUTP. Sleds are a very useful method of transporting goods and people over
snow covered lands. Using them to slide, out of control, at insane
speeds, down ice and snow covered hills (without helmets or jocks!) is crazy! But, apparently not to the citizens of the PUTP. They add
another level of 'fun' by racing down against other sledders. Pushing
the sleds to their limits of speed and controllability...crashes are
common. Snow flies and so do tears (mostly due to lost races).
This kind of behaviour is encouraged and exposed to the youngest
citizens, such as little Oskie. Sometimes it is hard to tell if the
screams of laughter are actual laughing or screams of terror masked as
laughing due to the social pressure put on children to enjoy this experience?
Another irrational event than any logical person would avoid doing.
The 'best' hills are unsheltered and typically very windy. A potential hypothermia risk.
Races like this lead to crashes!
Playing in the Snow - The equivalent activity in the summer is to play outside, however, instead of water, dirt, and bugs, the wintertime provides ice, snow, and weather so cold you can see your breath and pretend you are smoking.
When the youngsters of the PUTP are thrown out into the backyard to entertain themselves they often find their world shrunk down. Mostly due to the lack of movement b/c of the deep snow. With snow up to their waists, moving anywhere is very hard work. In some cases it is impossible. They are left with the following options: dig or throw snow. Again, common sense seems to be missing. Why expose children to uncomfortable, even dangerous, temperatures so they can stand around throwing snow in the air?
As a side note I do not see the little Osk man anywhere in the pictures. Was the snow over his head? Was he buried or digging unstable tunnels under the snow?
Two children trapped in the snow
An apparent highlight of outdoor play - the straight up snow toss.
Hockey
- First off, the already proven 'kooky' activity of ice skating, now
paired with sticks and competition is none other than a surefire recipe for injury! On top of that, this activity has a
huge monetary and time consuming cost associated with it. The ultimate example of this happened
last weekend - The citizens of the PUTP were up bright and early Sunday
morning at 5:30 am! There was a hockey practice at 7. What rational
minded person gets their entire family up hours before they would
naturally wake up, on the one day in the week that they could sleep in,
to head out into the freezing cold to sit in an equally cold arena
(Centre 70) to watch their kid fall down, run into other off balance
children, and possibly get hurt?
Then,
on this particular Sunday, only a few hours after getting home from
this frigid hockey practice, they packed up the family again and headed out to a
Kingston Frontenacs hockey game. Elliott had the opportunity to play a small
game with his hockey team during the intermission of the game. The
citizens packed up the equipment, drove downtown, paid for parking, paid for
tickets into the game, dressed Elliott, undressed him, missed part of the
game....all for a 5 minute hockey game on the big ice. I will not repeat the
possibility of injury again, since we've established this already.
What I will ask is, what rational/logical minded adult would approve of this idea?
As with the other winter activities, the ultimate form of this sport is to play it outside (and again, the colder the better). After hearing about this, I'm surprised the citizens of the PUTP still have all of their toes, fingers, and ears.
Cave men used similar looking sticks as weapons.
The best days to play are bright and sunny, which paradoxically mean the coldest days of the winter.
Summary: the cold weather seems to have turned the citizens of the PUTP crazy! Over and over again, irrational decisions are being made, children put into danger, and fingers put at risk of frostbite...all in the name of 'fun'. Perhaps the geese have it right and migrating south is a good idea. Kingston | 15:55
