Missionless Hockey

I've totally been neglecting this blog lately, I know. I have game summaries to write, videos to post, observations to make about which of my skills have improved, which have a long way to go, and which ones only show up in practices, not in games. And yet, I am completely blogstipated.

I thought when my blogging mojo returned on avocado8, it'd return here too, but that has not been the case. I think it's partly that I have an audience now, and I'm all too aware of it. The pressure to write something that others will not only appreciate but agree with (as to facts; it seems my game recall isn't always up to snuff) is sometimes—ok, nearly always—suffocating. I also feel like if I go back to writing about my PERSONAL hockey experiences (and this is somewhat related to the previous point about game recall), I'll end up disappointing my readers. And yet, that's how this blog started, and from whence springs the most enjoyment. I want to write about hockey the way I experience it, whether it's entirely factually accurate or not. It's about perception: perception of progress, of setbacks, of accomplishments, of annoyances.

Does this mean I should stop writing game summaries? That I should turn the focus back solely on ME, ME, ME? (I'm not sure that's even possible anymore, since my hockey experiences are all in a team environment now.) Should I try to turn this into a shared blog, where other beginners are invited to write about their hockey experiences as well? (This might take the pressure off of all of us to maintain our hockey blogs, actually.)

I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. All I know is that this blog needs a new mission statement and a new design. I think the former should come before the latter, but maybe in tackling the latter, I might decide on the former. If you'd be interested in contributing to a group blog about beginner hockey experiences, let me know in the comments or via e-mail (lori at avocado8 dot com). I might end up just discontinuing regular posting (already the default mode, it seems) and cleaning up the design to make the archives more readable.

Posted by Lori in | January 8, 2008·04:40 PM

Comments

I like to read your personal hockey experiences -- I still go back and re-read bits in the archives!

Keep in mind that if every person who played in the same game blogged about it, no one would remember everything the same way. :) And while I suppose it's different for someone like me who is not on your team/involved in the same games you are, I like reading your take on the specific experience.

I'm coming back from an ankle injury and I'm juggling my sites around, but I am going to try to blog more about my very beginner hockey experiences when I get back on the ice next week (fingers crossed) -- I'd possibly be interested in contributing if you went the shared blog route.

Posted by: jess at January 8, 2008 6:17 PM

I go back and read the archives, too, which is why I think my preference is for returning to the intensely personal experiences. Reading the old entries helps me see how far I've come and how far I've yet to go.

Glad to know that you might be interested in contributing, Jess! You were definitely someone I had in mind when I thought of the group blog idea. :-)

Posted by: Lori [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 8, 2008 7:49 PM

Like Jess, I really enjoy reading about ME, ME, ME (or should that be YOU YOU YOU?)

Most of us improve our skills in spits and spurts, and reading through your archives has helped me understand that the learning process isn't linear, and that plateaus are part of it. That more than almost anything else has been helpful to me - and was even more so last fall when I was trying to soak up everything I could about other adult women's hockey experiences. If all you'd have written was game summaries I know that it would have been quality material, but probably less helpful to me in the long run. And really, isn't being a beginning hockey player all about ME ME ME? :)

I'd be happy to take part in a group hockey blog as well, as I'm still in that in-between place where writing game summaries is still hard, but remembering everything I do during games is hard too. Writing about hockey experiences other than games would be awfully fun.

Posted by: Megan at January 8, 2008 9:39 PM

Thanks, Megan, for your support, and for volunteering to blog. I think turning this into a group blog might be just the way to perpetuate its original mission: to chronicle the beginner experience, learn from it, and share it with others so they're more willing to try themselves (and not get discouraged!). This is exciting!

Posted by: Lori [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 9, 2008 2:15 PM

Hey Philly Sticks I enjoy what you write about your experiences. It doesn't matter to me whether the facts are exactly perfect, it's the personal touch that makes your blog great to read. I've only been playing for 5 years so still very much remember what it's like to be a beginner and all that there is to take in and learn. Your blog is yours...don't worry what others think...if they're reading it and coming back then you're doing just fine!

Posted by: YaYa at January 25, 2008 1:19 AM

Hey Lori,
I feel bad now! Just please keep blogging. We all love reading it, even if the facts are sometimes slightly off. I'll make sure to shut my mouth (or, uh, keyboard) next time. Hey, and great game on Sunday!!

your linemate

Posted by: shelly at February 12, 2008 12:08 PM