When the final whistle sounded on my child’s minor hockey experience just a few weeks ago, it took me a moment to soak it all in.

That was the final time I’d be at the rink with them as a Hockey Parent. No more evaluations, weekend practices or late-night road trips. Now that my child has aged out, it’s given me time to reflect on everything that the game has benefitted not just him as a player but us as a family.

Whether it was House League or Rep, U10 or U18, every level provided the same joy and he loved every minute of both. His favourite memories might be the tournament wins or game winning goals. Mine is seeing him score on a slapshot that he practiced for weeks in the driveway beforehand because I knew the hard work he put into it.

It’s a graduation not just of minor hockey but also in school and a chapter in life. Off they go to college, where I hope the love of the game can continue in intramurals. Planning a calendar around hockey, homework, volunteering and a part-time job taught time management skills that they can now use in life. That responsibility of being on a team will serve them well in group projects.

Hockey gave us a chance to connect to our community. Through food drives and fundraisers, we met hundreds of people in our neighbourhoods and showcased what hockey is all about. It provided us a foundation of friendships, memories and the importance of what sports means to young athletes.

I used to dread the early morning practices but I knew how much hockey meant to my son. Now there’s a part of me that will miss it - not necessarily the driving before the sun was up but for the time spent together on the road for the last 13 years.

This season we both realized just how special this chapter has been in our lives. I signed my kids up for hockey because I wanted them to have the same experience that I did and to learn the same life lessons that I experienced along the way.

The time has come for the next generation of hockey families to lace up their skates for the first time, and for the oldest group to enter the graduating class. To the tens of thousands of hockey parents out there – those controversial calls you got so upset about won’t seem as big a deal over time. Cheer on all the kids and enjoy the journey, because you will soon be looking back wondering ‘Where did the time go?’.