Try New Things
In Connecticut, and New England in general, hockey begins at approximately three-years-old. That means, kids sometimes start skating soon after they can walk. Will had been swimming for the last several years, but decided he wanted to give hockey a try.
He braved the awkwardness of learning to skate at the middle school level and worked hard on his hockey skills in clinics. He worked his way up in high school from JV to Varsity. In his senior year, he was elected as one of the team’s assistant captains.
I share this story only to remind you that even our middle schoolers may be thinking that it is ‘too late’ for them to try something new because the other kids will be so much further along. I know Will is glad he jumped in and tried. His experiences on the hockey team are a treasured part of his high school years.
I know he’s glad he jumped on the ice in middle school and gave it a try, even though it felt like it might be ‘too late.’
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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