Today, our team lost.
Even with the Before-Game strategy carefully reviewed in the van on the way over (Attack! Attack! Attack!) -
Even though our goalie achieved contortionist status as he sat in goalie-padded splits and swiped a puck out of midair-
Even though the coaches cajoled and coaxed and cheered and criticized and commanded -
Even then, we lost.
And the other team won. 
It was their first victory of the season and their end-of-game celebration rivaled the greatest Stanley Cup playoff victory of all time. Sticks and gloves and helmets were thrown into the air and rained down like festive confetti.
Forwards and defense grabbed their goalie in a hug and they all fell to the ground in a communal embrace of joy.
They cheered and cheered and cheered whilst proud parents clicked pics to share with anyone and all who cared about a small victory in a house league in a tucked away arena of my hometown.
My son's friend was on that team and he exited the dressing room proudly wearing an army tag necklace with the words "NEVER QUIT!" etched onto the back.
"It's why we won!" he gushed to my son.
I expected disappointment or irritation from my child. Possibly about one hour of hockey-loss despair.
Instead he loaded his hockey bag and stick into the back of my van and said, "I'm kinda glad they won today. They deserved it."
The game is so much more than Us against You, isn't it?
It's about a thousand thousand collective experiences.
It's about sharing the fight and the dream and the sweet hard-earned victories with others.
It's about communal despair for the losses.
It's about teamwork that extends beyond the team.
It's about Us AND You.
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bv
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