Change is inevitable. And it happens when you least expect it.
I didn’t expect my life to change as quickly as it has: in the past five years I’ve lived in four different cities and I’m about to make it five.
Though I only arrived in Airdrie a few weeks ago, I’ll be leaving the city just a few weeks from now.
I didn’t learn everything I wanted to about Airdrie, nor did I accomplish much of anything other than eat at a specific burger shack on far too many occasions, but I certainly enjoyed my time in Airdrie.
One of the things I’ll miss about this city, and something that surprised me, is the amount of outdoor rinks here. The rink behind my place in the Windsong neighbourhood got plenty of use from me. There’s no better feeling than lacing up my skates, flying down the vacant ice rink and wiring pucks on net. It makes me feel like Gordon Bombay in the Mighty Ducks, rediscovering his love of the game. It makes me feel like a kid again.
I’m a firm believer in kids being involved in sports, and non-profit organizations like KidSport are doing our community a great service because everyone should have the chance to do something they love in their childhood, and sports are no cheap venture.
I was lucky. My parents were able to put me in any sport I wanted to play. Whether that was hockey one year and football the next, or baseball, basketball, soccer and lacrosse in the same year, I was given that opportunity, and I loved it.
Above all else, when they’re learning the game, sports should be fun for kids. That said, someone should still keep score.
Recently, the Ontario Soccer Association decided to stop keeping score in youth soccer games.
In every sport I ever played in at every level, someone was keeping score.
My teams didn’t always win – there were some really awful teams that I suited up with – and while losing was frustrating, it built character.
I learned that simply showing up to the rink doesn’t earn you anything. Winning requires hard work, and far too often even hard work isn’t enough.
But such is life.
I’ve always worked as hard as I could to be the best I can, whether that was on the Richmond Bears atom football team, who went 0-8, or in my young career as a journalist.
A lack of hard work leads to stagnation.
I certainly would have improved as a reporter had I decided to remain in Airdrie for a longer period of time, my coworkers at Rocky View Publishing are all equal-parts talented and wonderful people.
But to become an editor at this stage of my career is something I can’t pass up and it feels like the hard work I’ve put in is paying off.
It’s hard work that was instilled in me at a young age. Losing games in sports only made me work harder.
We played for championships, not for participation badges and I’m better for it.
Let the kids have fun, but don’t rob them of the spirit of competition.
Change is inevitable. And it happens when you least expect it.
I didn’t expect my life to change as quickly as it has: in the past five years I’ve lived in four different cities and I’m about to make it five.
Though I only arrived in Airdrie a few weeks ago, I’ll be leaving the city just a few weeks from now.
I didn’t learn everything I wanted to about Airdrie, nor did I accomplish much of anything other than eat at a specific burger shack on far too many occasions, but I certainly enjoyed my time in Airdrie.
One of the things I’ll miss about this city, and something that surprised me, is the amount of outdoor rinks here. The rink behind my place in the Windsong neighbourhood got plenty of use from me. There’s no better feeling than lacing up my skates, flying down the vacant ice rink and wiring pucks on net. It makes me feel like Gordon Bombay in the Mighty Ducks, rediscovering his love of the game. It makes me feel like a kid again.
I’m a firm believer in kids being involved in sports, and non-profit organizations like KidSport are doing our community a great service because everyone should have the chance to do something they love in their childhood, and sports are no cheap venture.
I was lucky. My parents were able to put me in any sport I wanted to play. Whether that was hockey one year and football the next, or baseball, basketball, soccer and lacrosse in the same year, I was given that opportunity, and I loved it.
Above all else, when they’re learning the game, sports should be fun for kids. That said, someone should still keep score.
Recently, the Ontario Soccer Association decided to stop keeping score in youth soccer games.
In every sport I ever played in at every level, someone was keeping score.
My teams didn’t always win – there were some really awful teams that I suited up with – and while losing was frustrating, it built character.
I learned that simply showing up to the rink doesn’t earn you anything. Winning requires hard work, and far too often even hard work isn’t enough.
But such is life.
I’ve always worked as hard as I could to be the best I can, whether that was on the Richmond Bears atom football team, who went 0-8, or in my young career as a journalist.
A lack of hard work leads to stagnation.
I certainly would have improved as a reporter had I decided to remain in Airdrie for a longer period of time, my coworkers at Rocky View Publishing are all equal-parts talented and wonderful people. But to become an editor at this stage of my career is something I can’t pass up and it feels like the hard work I’ve put in is paying off.
It’s hard work that was instilled in me at a young age. Losing games in sports only made me work harder. We played for championships, not for participation badges, and I’m better for it.
Let the kids have fun, but don’t rob them of the spirit of competition.
