Exploring the Olympic Park

So much can happen in one day when you are at the Olympics and today has been one of those busy days as we all try to familiarise ourselves with our surroundings and get ready for the start of the tournament.

We all met early for breakfast and much to our delight there was a fantastic choice of breakfast foods to suit all needs and desires.  A number of us had been worried about whether our breakfast of choice would be on offer.  At a tournament we all like to keep as much as possible to our usual diet so as not to mess with our bodies too much.  Whilst this seems like a physical need, I expect as with a lot of things, it is more about mentally feeling prepared and not having anything that could have the potential to put us off our game.  Following breakfast we all got on a coach with our kit bags to take them to the rink. 

Our first glimpse of the ice rinks

Shayba Arena

After a 2 minute ride we arrived at the practice rink which is just across from the arena where the majority of the women’s games will be played.  Unlike previous Olympics and probably due to the Olympic park cluster, the venues are all new.  For the ice hockey there is one practice rink and two arenas.  The female refs have a full dressing room big enough for all 15 of us in the practice rink where we will store our equipment and have our ice practices.  For games we will then walk our equipment bags over to the game arena where we have the choice of two dressing rooms.  One of the rooms will be used for the officials working the first game and the other room for the officials working the second game.

Inside Shayba Arena

The majority of women’s games will be played in the Shayba Arena which seats 7,000 spectators and is purpose built for the Olympics.  Shayba means ‘puck’.  The Bolshoy Ice Dome seats 12,000 spectators and has also been purpose built for this Olympics.  It is where the women’s bronze and gold medal games will be played and the majority of the men’s games. 

Bolshoy Ice Dome

After leaving our bags in the practice rink we were given a tour of the arenas.  We must have looked like a group of school children walking into a chocolate shop when we walked into the Shayba Arena.  I have refereed hockey for about 18 years now and have been in and out of ice rinks all over the world.  I spend most of my weekends travelling to and from rinks all over the UK and after a while each rink looks the same.  However there is something really special about an Olympic ice rink and particularly this one which has been built specifically for the Sochi 2014 games.  From the media tribunes which take up a whole side of the seating, through to the country flags, the Sochi branded boards, the crisp glistening ice, the Sochi branded zambonis, the crystal clear plexi-glass and the feeling of newness all around, you really get a sense that this is the place where wonderful experiences will happen.  Players will win and lose games, dreams will be played out and legends will be made.  It just made me want to get on the ice and be a part of what the next few weeks will hold.

Inside Bolshoy Ice Dome

Both the venues are spectacular from the outside and breath-taking from the inside.  I am looking forward to skating in them and I do have to say it makes all the skating in some of the less glamorous rinks we have in England worth it!  The changing rooms, the warm-up areas and the gym are all above and beyond what you could expect or want.  A few of us took the opportunity to stretch our legs and worked out in the gym in the practice rink.  It is well equipped and available for us to use at our convenience throughout the tournament.  It was nice to work out with the other girls and we noticed that we all have been doing the same types of exercises in preparation from the games.  Whereas I am normally the only person in the gym jumping from side to side with a weight in my hands, and looking slightly crazy – this time I was surrounded by the rest of the girls all doing similarly crazy looking exercises.  Either we are all crazy or actually we are well prepared for what lies ahead and our trainers do know what they are talking about.  I’ll opt for the latter as no-one likes to admit to craziness, and particularly not on-line!  The facilities are certainly fantastic and I feel lucky and spoilt at the same time!

Exchanging gifts

Personalised shirts from the USA girls

As I mentioned in an earlier blog it is customary at international tournaments for the refs to bring gifts from our home associations for the other refs.  As I mentioned in an earlier blog I was very fortunate to have help and support from Ice Hockey UK along with fellow officials James Kavanaugh, Mike Hicks and Clouts.  All the girls loved the gifts from the UK ... the hats, the towels, the whistles and particularly the pin badges which Clouts had made up for us specially. 

The USA girls also made up some t-shirts for us with ‘Sochi Winter Olympics’ on the front and all of our names on the back.  This is something a lot of us really appreciated because it is really nice to have something personalised.  I am sure we will keep the shirt and wear it to train in our gyms back home to remind us of the experiences and times we shared and spent together here.

Our first team meeting

In the afternoon we had our first team meeting with the referee supervisors and as is normal they talked us through the logistical arrangements of the tournament before focussing on what they expect from us in terms of our ‘day jobs’ while we are here.  They talked us through rule emphasis for the international federation and shared with us the information they will use to brief the coaches over the following few days.  I always really enjoy the meetings with the supervisors because they help me to focus my mind on the job at hand and help me appreciate why I am here.

Sochi Whistle

In addition to the usual ‘day’ job of refereeing, there are always nuances to get used to for the Olympics.  We were supplied with special ‘Sochi’ whistles which we have been asked to use because the clock is fitted with a microphone which automatically stops at the sound of one of these whistles.  This eliminates the human factor where tenths of a second could be lost in reaction time to manually stop the clock after the official blows the whistle. 

We were also informed about the need to use frozen pucks at all times because a warmer puck will bounce more on the ice.  At stoppages of play we will need to switch the puck with a frozen puck if it has been in play for more than two minutes.

Both the use of whistles to automatically stop the clock and the desire to play with frozen pucks emphasises even more what the Olympics is about ... showcasing ice hockey to the world in its best, fastest and most exciting form.  The difference between winning and losing can be so slight that a tenth of a second may help or a slightly harder and colder puck could be the difference between a goal being scored or a puck bobbling over a stick.  Our job is to make sure players have the best opportunity to demonstrate their skill and the game is as exciting as it truly is for the world to see.

What happens next ...

Tomorrow we have our first ice practice at 8am.  Later in the day we will find out which games we will be refereeing, before we head off to the opening ceremony.  Today may have felt busy but I know it is nothing compared to the excitement and challenges that await us over the next few days and weeks.