I've had this sitting around forever, and thought it could prompt some interesting ideas.  The basic idea is all the stages a typical underwater hockey player goes through.  Please send me stages you've noticed that I may have omitted, and let me know about what number they're after.

1.  Play your first game, think it's a pretty weird sport, but it's FUN!

2.  Explain the game to all your friends, very excited.

3.  Play your 3rd game - start to understand that you don't immediately need to return to the surface.

4.  Get your first sticks, treat them like precious gems, painting and sanding them regularly.

5.  Attend first tournament, get a shirt which you wear only for special occasions.

6.  Break a stick, thinking you must really be playing well - taking your game to another level.

7.  Casually mention the game to people after you've know them for a little while. Nod when they say "That sounds like fun, I'll have to try it sometime...", knowing the odds they'll show up are around one in a thousand.

8.  Go on a business trip - drive 3 hour for a 10 pm to 11 pm game, which turns out to be 2 on 2.

9.  Realize that you haven't traveled to anything but an UWH tournament for the last 2 years.

10.  Realize you have more UWH t-shirts than any other kind. Start using them for painting projects.

11.  Everyone at your club screams at you when you bring out any stick in your bag, your black sticks are only marginally darker than your white ones, neither is more than 50% painted.

12.  Throw out your first UWH t-shirt.

13.  Threaten bodily harm to the next person that says "Underwater Hockey? I've never heard of that...".

Bert Dolan
Denver UWH