Growing pains

I knew, as soon as I answered that insistent voice deep inside that demanded I get onto the ice, that I would have a hard decision to make at some point. I put it off as long as I could, but I think the time has come where I have to face the fact that I need to choose between roller hockey and ice hockey.

On Thursday night, I played outdoor roller hockey for the first time in about three weeks. I was really looking forward to it, because there are several people that play pretty much strictly roller, who I haven't seen in a while because I've been playing so much ice. When I first started playing ice, I said I would still play in our Sunday morning roller games, because I like the group and the atmosphere so much. And at that point, I either didn't play as much ice, or wasn't as comfortable on it, and switching back and forth posed no problem. But on Thursday night it became very clear to me that trying to do both will only hurt my game in both in the long run.

After three weeks away from wheels and cement, my body forgot the physics of the situation, and that wheels don't slide sideways across cement like a skate blade does on ice. I'd have a skater bearing down on me, and I would instinctively try to push my foot to the side- only, nothing would happen. Except for the puck going past me and into the net. Just moving around in the crease in general felt so awkward. It's interesting that I'd been thinking to myself even days before "I want to get to the point on ice where I'm as comfortable as I am on wheels". Well, I suppose I have gotten to that point without even realizing it. Because I felt like a fish out of water on Thursday.

A lot of our ice guys came out for the roller game, and though they had a bit of adjusting to do, by all accounts they really enjoyed it. Not so much for me. I face the very real possibility of getting hurt trying to do something I'd do on ice, on the pavement. The differences between roller and ice are so much more pronounced for a goalie.

So now I have to face the fact that I will probably be drifting away from the roller group. I hate that it's happening, but I feel like it has to be either one or the other for me. I will try another roller game and see how it goes, but I think this is not an uncommon decision to have to make. I was advised by several people on a hockey message board that going back and forth just doesn't work. At first I thought they were wrong- I wasn't having any problem with it! But now I have to grudgingly admit that they were right. I'll miss the guys at the outdoor rink. I'm sure I'll show up now and then, but it's certainly not going to be a weekly thing like it had been for me.