Do you know how to do the clock?
Good morning!
Is this not the most annoying question every weekend? Do I know how to do the clock? It is a loaded question.
Well, let’s really look at this question. On one hand, I have been inside youth hockey for the past 15 years between my two boys. I have been to, I don’t know, three dozen different rinks in my time. And they each have different clock/scoreboard systems. Some are brand new, linked to an IPad or PC which makes it super intuitive. While other scoreboards are literally on their last legs, with tape and wires hanging out of the back. I don’t know how much these devices cost, but this would be one place to spend money in the rink, right? Wherever we are, there is a safe bet that if we are the home team, I probably can handle the clock. But, just to be sure…
Do you want to train on it today?
I mean, we all know there are two types of parents: those that learn how to run the clock or the score sheet, and those that don’t. Those that don’t, well they kind of have it all figured out. If you don’t learn how to manage those tasks, you never get asked to do the tasks, right? Now, those that do, like me, try hard to avoid it, but we are compelled by peer pressure, or our kids, or our wives to learn.
The truth is, until last week I had avoided running the scoreboard on this new team for maybe two months. Then our excellent manager asked if I would help and if I could learn the clock. I initially demurred. “Oh, thanks but I am filming my son today.” But leave it to my wife who said, “Oh you should learn it.” Holy shiiiittttt. That was it. Now, I had no choice but to say “sure”. To be fair I don’t think she knew what saying ‘go for it’ really meant.
It meant that every week, I would be asked the same question. Every week, my arm would be twisted into doing the clock since our manager “can’t find anyone else at the moment”. I have ended up negotiating each week. I will do it today but not tomorrow. I do feel for our manager who does great work, but honestly we need more people to step up and for him to get more people to feel guilty. Look, there are other parents available each and every game, but you know: they are ‘those that don’t’.
Which is not to say that they are unlikeable. They are all very likeable. Some grill during two-game Saturdays. Some help with carpools and shuttling kids around. Some probably just don’t seem like they would be very good at scoreboard in the first place. All due respect.
And, let’s be clear, the clock is not as easy as it seems in theory. You have to pay close attention. That’s one problem because I want to just watch the game, cheer my guy on. Can’t do that when I have to hit stop and start every 45 seconds. And, God forbid you forget to hit the clock, the whole place yells at you: “CLOCK!” Oh please stop, do you think I even want to be doing this? Then, good luck on loading the penalties onto the scoreboard. How many buttons do I need to hit to do that? Oh, 15 buttons, great. Just tell the ref to wait for me while I navigate this mess of a clock. And, the whole arena wants to know the shots on goal, too. Unless I am comfortable with the clock, you aren’t getting shots on goal. Sorry. Between the clock and the penalties, just be grateful I am doing that.
My only motivation now is the end of the year party. It is there that team funds are used to reward kids with some swag or trophies or whatever. The funds are also used for rewarding parents like myself who have stepped up during the season. Reluctantly stepped up yes, but stepped up nonetheless! Is a 10.00 Starbucks gift card in my future? What about a 10.00 Panera card? Man it is exciting to consider all of the possible gift card options coming my way! That, however, remains months and months away. At this rate, should I be so lucky as to receive any gift card, I would have been paid the equivalent of .07 cents per game or something like that.
It may not sound like a lot, but.. no no you’re right.. it’s not a lot. At all. I guess the real payment is in karma and doing well by our manager and team. That is the real reward and being there to support our kids, no matter what the task, no matter what the price.
Next time we can discuss the intricacies of the penalty box, which I do enjoy— on very rare occasion.