Hockey games begin

Today was the first day of games and so now it is time to focus on the job I have been brought here to do.

Staying mentally in the right place

I did not skate a game today but did have standby duties for the second game.  Being at a tournament is tough physically but as I mentioned previously it is also tough mentally.  In-between game days there can be several days when you do not have a game but need to stay focussed.  Being at the Olympics it is tough to keep mentally focussed with so many other distractions around us.

This morning as we walked through the park

I got up early this morning and went to the gym for a light session with one of the other girls.  In part it is good to keep the legs active and to get rid of some nervous energy.  But as I explained before, it is more to help the mental focus and put me in a positive place for when it is my turn to get on the ice.

We walked through the Olympic park to get to the gym and both took a second to look at the Olympic flame on our walk.  The park was very quiet compared to the night before and I think we both felt really privileged to get a chance to see the flame without many other people around at all.  It is mesmerising so we could have stood there for hours, but we had training to do!

Standby duties

For all international tournaments there is a standby ref and a standby linesman named for each game.  Standbys have the responsibility for watching the warm-up to ensure everything goes according to plan and there are no incidents.  Then they need to be half kitted up and ready to go on the ice should anything happen to one of the officials on the game.  They inform the on-ice officials of when they need to go on the ice at the beginning of the game and in-between periods and generally provide support for the game crew. 

Usually during the game the standbys sit close to the referee room at ice surface level so they can watch the game and if needed get to the ref room quickly to put on the rest of their kit and substitute onto the ice.  Due to the arena style set-up here it is not possible for standbys to sit at ice level.  Given it is a long route up from the referees room and ice level tunnels to the spectator stands it has been arranged for the standbys to sit in the warm-up room and watch the game on the large TV there.  This give us easy and quick access to the ref room should we need it and allows us to watch the game in comfort.

It can be quite a long day when you are standby because you are at the rink from the time the on-ice working crew arrive (90 minutes before face-off) until the game ends.  I enjoy the chance to watch my colleagues on the ice and learn from them.  However at the same time it can be mentally challenging because as a referee you never just watch a game to enjoy it like a spectator.  Instead you are watching the referee positioning and then watching situations as if you were on the ice and trying to second guess what you would do.  Staying focussed mentally is tough and I have to keep telling myself to just wait for my turn to ref and when I do get out there to do my normal game because that is why they selected me and brought me here.

Souvenir shopping

Before the first game started we had a chance to check out the Olympic souvenir shop.  As always at Olympic events the shop at the Olympic park is a little bit chaotic and busy at all times.  Even though we got there early it was still bustling inside and they can’t stock the shelves quick enough to replenish the sold stock.

Hopefully as a few days go by the supply and demand side of things will sort itself out and I will be able to pick up the much desired Russian souvenirs that everyone back home has been asking for.

Pin badges

As today was the first real day of activity on the Olympic park I stuffed my pockets full of ‘Ice Hockey UK’ and ‘English Ice Hockey Association’ pin badges.  At the Olympics there are thousands of volunteers who are all excited to be a part of the games and they really appreciate any small gift that they can keep to remember the experience.  Pin badges almost act as money here and can be a very useful way of making friends easily, particularly when some of the volunteers can’t understand fully what you need or want.  If you offer them a pin badge they will definitely try to help you more.

It is also always fun to give people ice hockey pins from the UK and especially in Russia.  Most people today smiled and where they could made a joke about whether we have hockey in the UK.  I always enjoy telling them yes we do and actually I am here as a referee.  I am usually with the USA girls who give out their pin badges too which are much more sought after but I kind of enjoy the reaction more to a UK pin badge.  After a few hours volunteers were coming up to me and asking for the pins as their friends had told them ‘guess what ... there is a girl from Great Britain here’!

The Olympics is also a great opportunity to swap apparel.  Today I swapped my Olympic knitted hat with one of the statisticians from Omega and the IIHF.  He gave me a branded jacket in exchange! 

Medal Ceremonies

After the games today I walked back to the hotel and again observed the flame in all its glory in the middle of the park.  The real benefit of having an Olympic park is the fact the flame is easily visible to everyone and right in the middle of everything.  In both Torino and Vancouver because of the spread locations and venues this wasn’t the case.  In London the flame was inside the stadium.  In Sochi, it is in the middle of the park to be enjoyed by everyone.

Flame with medal ceremony going on behind it

The flame is so big that you can hear it burning from a distance.  As I walked past it I could also hear a medal ceremony taking place.  The ceremonies are taking place again in the middle of the Olympic Park just below the Olympic flame.  It is so strange to know that on the first day after the opening ceremony some athletes are already being announced as gold medallists and Olympic champions.  They already know in an instant whether their dream has come true and can sit back now and enjoy the rest of the Olympic experience.

For the ice hockey it is a much longer wait to find out who will be Olympic champions!  For me I am still waiting for my first game on the ice and have to sit tight and hold my nerve until it is my turn!