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.
We back here in the UK are so proud of you Joy, and we're looking forward to seeing you in action on our screens!
ReplyDeleteAnyone up for playing 'Spot Joy' during the Opening Ceremony? :)
Excellent read good luck.
ReplyDeleteOh and although Scottish- go Suomi
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Joy, Me, Emily and the boys can't wait to see you in action.
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great time, I bet it will be amazing. Good luck with it all.
The opening ceremony starts at 3pm today I have a feeling there wont be a lot of work done in our office this afternoon.
Look forward to ice skating (well the pizza part anyway) with you and Scott at Christmas!!
Cheeeeeeers loads
Elliot