Otis Boudreaux Jr - Another Boudreaux Takes the Ice

[Ozzy Batty 293]

And so the Journey Begins...

 

When I decided to pick up a pair of skates instead of football boots everyone in my school in Meath made fun of me. Who plays hockey in the middle of Ireland? Especially not some bloke who trips over every blade of grass they come across. But it is what I wanted to do. I guess you could say it was in my blood.

I had followed the career of Otis Boudreaux with such excitement. To think, a member of my family was getting their chance! He had went to America and played for the Houston Bulls and had even been drafted to play in the majors. But then something happened. He just disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. We all talked about him almost every Sunday after our dinner. When he first went to America Dad mentioned him every day. He would stay up late to watch the games, even though he would never admit he didnt understand it. He said it was similar to football so it wasnt too hard to understand. But one night, I acted like I couldnt sleep and watched the game with Dad. Wow, it was so exciting! Up and down the ice, taking the shots at the goal, nothing but non-stop action. The next Sunday as Dad was talking about Otis I told him I wanted to play hockey, he nodded and got another scoop of potatoes. I knew this was his way of saying that he was okay with it, but it didnt think it would come to much. I knew I had to prove him wrong.

So I started training. There were no ice rinks near me so it was just a pair of skates. I was back and forth along the pavement, trying to keep my balance and handle the stick. But it didnt feel natural. I had to fix that. So practice, practice, practice. That is what I did. I found a local team that played street hockey. It wasnt on ice, but at least it was hockey. I never missed a game, or a practice for that matter. I was getting better and I even got the occasional nod of approval at Sunday lunch.

That is when the first telephone call came. At the time, I wasnt sure what it was about. I just heard Dad talking in that fast-paced hard tone he always uses and the call was quickly over. All I knew was I heard my name alot. Then there were more and more calls. I heard Dad saying my name but I didnt know why. One day though, it all made sense. 

It is funny who watches you when you are not even aware. I guess that could be creepy at times, but in this case it was a good thing. Coaches had been calling Dad about me, wanting me to play for them. They wanted to train me how to play on ice. But as I said, there were no ice rinks near us so I wasnt sure how that would even happen. I came in from practice and Mom and Dad were there with two men. I remembered one from family get-togethers, he was the father of Otis. I found out later what had happened to Otis and his hockey career. He was notified that his Mom was sick and he went home to help take care of her. She had passed away and after that he had lost his fire for any sport. But there was another man there that I didnt recognize. He was introduced as the coach of a hockey team in Galway, where Otis's dad lived. 

He wanted me to come and play hockey for him. He felt I had real talent but it was raw (whatever that meant) and I needed to be on the ice (which terrified me because I had never been on ice skates before) and he felt I could be a star. That shocked me enough. But then the other piece of it, I was asked if I would change my name to Otis Boudreaux Jr if I made it out of my local team. I was speechless. Mom and Dad agreed. They felt it was appropriate to honor Otis this way. No one had told him though so I wasnt sure how he would feel. But I agreed, I mean, I was only 12 at the time.

So here it is, almost 4 years later. I learned how to skate, and score. I lived in Galway with my uncle (that is what I decided to call him) and became a local favorite. All the time known as Otis Boudreaux Jr. I finally got the call I was waiting for though, my chance.

I was signed to play for the Warriors in the Junior Showcase Tournament. It is going to be my chance to show what I can do and hopefully start my journey in the VHL...just like my namesake did...

Word count: 828. Claimed: week ending 12 Mar

Edited March 12, 2023 by Otis Boudreaux Jr
added word count and week claimed