When speaking to opposing parents and coaches at the tournament, there was common theme. They would ask how long our team has been together, and we would reply - this tournament represented games 2 through 6. They would re-ask the question, but ask how many years, and we would reply - for 10 players, this is first year together. For 7 and the coaching staff, it is their second year. The opposition was blown away, not by the individual skill level of our team, but by the chemistry, the team environment, and the sharing of the offense. That reaction is a testament to how well our team has bonded, and come together as a group in such a rapid fashion.
But what they don't see is the team aspect off the ice. From day one, every player has been involved, and has made sure to involve everyone else. Our team consists of players that played MD, Select, Houseleague, and AE last year, but there is absolutely no divide in the room between those groups. They also play on eight different houseleague teams, but they do not stick to their own teams when they are all together.
In the combined 40 years of experience on the coaching staff, we have never seen a team come together so quickly, and create such a fantastic group environment with each other. From singing a team theme song before every game, to leaving the arena together as a group, to games of manhunt last hours, they truly are a team with no individualism.
The coaching staff is incredibly proud of the team for what they did this weekend - on and off the ice. Congratulations to the CHAMPIONS!