Book excerpt: The sport of ice hockey is going through a transitional period, losing popularity in the United States even as it gains momentum in other countries. The Hockey Dad Chronicles is the touching and funny story of one season in the youth hockey career of Ed Wenck's son, Oliver, when he played for the Indianapolis Junior Ice. Hockey parents spend an inordinate amount of time and money on their child's sport of choice -- considerably more than soccer, football, or basketball parents dish out. They get their children to the ice rink for 7 a.m. ice time, they travel with them to other states for games every other weekend -- and if they're anything like Ed Wenck, they spend a lot of time sitting in bleachers wondering at the absurdity of it all. As youth hockey grows ever more popular, increasing numbers of parents are seeing their lives taken over by their children's hockey careers. The Hockey Dad Chronicles will be a familiar, amusing, and moving reminder to them -- and to all parents who devote themselves to their children's extracurricular activities, whether they're sports, drama, or dance -- of what it's all about.