My two sons play on multiple hockey teams. During the season, there is practice nearly every evening during the week and games on the weekends. We often travel several hours for three-day tournaments all over the northeastern park of the country. There is no break from the schedule in the summer because of hockey camps. I spend a great deal of time in the car and inside hockey rinks. No matter what time of year, the rinks are freezing cold. In our local area, the winter weather is exceptionally brutal. We get constant snowfall and temperatures well below zero. On the way to the rink, we blast the defrost and heater in the car at maximum capacity. I bundle up in layers of sweaters, wool coat, hat, scarf, gloves and heavy boots. I also bring a blanket, because the rink is so chilly. I make sure to find a spot to sit in the bleachers directly below the overhead heaters. These radiant heaters glow a bright red and appear to be super hot. They don’t seem to provide any actual heat. I shiver the entire time and wish for a more effective heating system. During the summer, my sons and I drive to the rink with the air conditioner running at the highest setting. We dress in shorts and T-shirts. Before entering the rink, I need to put on long pants and a heavy coat and grab my blanket. In order to maintain the integrity of the ice, there is a non stop influx of freezing cold air. When I first step inside, the air conditioning feels wonderful. However, it’s so horribly cold that I quickly get uncomfortable. I miss the small amount of heat from the radiant heaters in the bleachers.
