Guest Post: How a Lockout Will Make Me a Better Student

Sean Imoo is 11 years old and in grade 6.  He enjoys listening to the latest music, playing guitar and piano, playing hockey and other sports, and whipping his Dad in NHL 12.  Sean is passionate about his favourite team – the Vancouver Canucks.  He is likely the biggest Canuck fan in his school and he is always learning more and more about the Canucks every day.  Here are his thoughts as the NHL and NHLPA approach the September 15 deadline.

With less than a week to go before the September 15 deadline, a lockout seems certain.  As a huge sports fan and Canucks fan, I look forward to the NHL season every year.  Therefore, I will really miss the NHL if there is a shortened season.  But I guess there is a bright side to a lockout:  I’ll be able to get my priorities straight and I will likely become a better student.

Instead of watching the Canucks on TV every second night or so, I can study.  I will be able to improve on my least favourite subjects like Science and Social Studies while maintaining my love for recess, lunch and PE.  Also, I won’t go to as many games with my Dad.  While I realize how lucky I am to go to games, my grades will certainly get better.  I’ll be home more and not taking 4 hour chunks to get to and from the arena.  I’ve actually taken my textbooks to a game before and I studied during the intermission.  I went from screaming to studying, booing to writing, and chanting to reading.

A lot of times I talk about the NHL with my friends and my teachers at school.  So without hockey we’ll probably talk more about school and other current news events and less about hockey.

A lockout will also be better for both my physical well-being and my self-esteem. For the next little while, my Dad won’t have to drag me out of bed at 11pm (on a school night no less) to help him film his Clay’s Canucks Commentary.  And I’ll feel better about myself as I won’t hear him yelling at me for cutting his head off or for being too shaky.  What can I say: a lot more goes into the videos than you might think.  Or he could just buy a tripod.

However, if I get too bored of studying, I can always turn my attention to the CFL, NFL, and the NBA.  I look forward to seeing the new-look Lakers with Nash and Howard and making bets with my cousin on whether or not the Lakers will beat the Heat.  I will see my favourite CFL team the BC Lions go for a second consecutive Grey Cup.  Also, I will watch some hard-hitting NFL football.

Honour roll here I come!