Isabella Madrid, News Editor
@Imadridcourant
One of the most challenging aspects of hockey is managing ice time. We share the rink with the Varsity Boys, JV Boys, DYHA, Ice Cats, clinics, free skates, figure skaters, and more. This limited availability sometimes pushes our practices to inconvenient hours, with morning practices typically starting between 5:30 and 6 a.m. and wrapping up around 7 a.m. These practices happen during the school week, leaving us tired and sometimes unproductive throughout the day, here is my run-down.
The night before morning practice, going to bed early is crucial since you’ll be running on less sleep. However, this can be difficult with homework and studying and often does not end up happening. Another key detail you cannot forget is setting your alarm. You don’t want to be late, If someone is late, the team might end up bag skating for punishment.
Waking up at 5 a.m. isn’t terrible, in my opinion, the worst part is the cold. The roads are usually quiet, apart from an occasional garbage truck or police car, so it’s essential to stick to the speed limit. I pick up a teammate on my way to the rink, so I always make sure she’s awake before leaving my house, because again, you do not want to be late.
When we arrive at the rink, the sun hasn’t risen yet, and it’s freezing. The hardest part is stepping out of the warm car into the cold air and even colder locker rooms. To delay, we often sit in our cars as long as possible. To give us something to look forward to inside, we started bringing a speaker to the locker room to boost energy levels in the mornings.
Once inside, we get dressed and lace up our skates which is by far the most painful part. Then it’s time to get on the ice. Despite the early hour, we make the most of our practice time, focusing on getting in a solid skate. The practice itself is pretty standard and for the most part I often forget what time it is.
After practice, there’s a mad rush to change. Some girls grab Starbucks or shower at the rink, but I head straight home to shower and get ready for school. Once at home I make a coffee, as it is a must to get through the day especially after getting up earlier than normal.
The rest of the day is pretty standard but around noon, the fatigue starts to hit. After school, I like to take a refreshing hour-long nap before tackling homework. Overall, I actually enjoy morning practice, because it gives me more free time after school since we don’t have practice in the afternoon, but each time I see that 5:30 am practice slot it’s hard to not dread it.
