| Christmas is a great time to be a couch potato watching sports |
By: JEFF WALD, Sports Editor
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Posted: Wednesday, December 30, 2009 12:06 am
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NORTHFIELD — The Christmas season is always fun, yet very hectic.
To this day I enjoy waking up Christmas morning to open up gifts and see the smile on relatives’ faces when they open something from me that was actually on their list.
And it can never be Christmas without snow. We got our wish and then some this year.
But there’s another reason I love Christmas, and it’s got nothing to do with gifts or the birth of Christ.
It’s a great time to be a couch potato watching sports, and if you’re a parent of a high school athlete, you’re likely spending most of the season in your car. Four Northfield High School teams are in action this week at various tournaments.
The Raider boys hockey team is at the Schwan Cup in the metro. The Raider girls hockey team is in Austin for its annual tournament. The Raider girls basketball team is back in Winona at Winona State University for its tournament, and the Raider boys basketball team is at the Edina Tournament this year after spending several years down in Rochester.
There are several reasons why I love holiday tournaments. Here are just a few:
• Team bonding: Teams like tournaments because it gets them away from school. Coaches and athletes get a chance to play and watch their sport away from the daily stresses of life. It’s a more carefree and relaxed environment that fosters team unity.
• Great match-ups: Certain tournaments, like the Schwan Cup in boys hockey, bring some of the best in Minnesota together before the state tournament. Six of the top eight teams in Minnesota are playing in the Gold Division. This gives fans a chance to see the best teams play each other before losing means a season is over. It combines fun and competition.
• Post game events: Several teams stay in hotels while at their holiday tournaments if the commute is far enough. It gives the chance for players to play games and get to know each other off the playing field. It’s a chance to do non-sports activities without a time deadline that just isn’t there during the regular season.
• Meaningful games: The tournament games tend to have great meaning, whether it’s trying to earn a trophy or establish a team identity. Last year, the Raider girls hockey team won the Austin Tournament, its first tournament victory ever. Other teams who have successful seasons often point to their holiday tournament as the turning point to the season.
If the weather allows, I encourage you to get out and experience the excitement of the holiday madness.
— Jeff Wald covers local sports. He can be reached at 645-1111 or jwald@northfieldnews.com. |
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