Did you have you game face on?
Layneksi and I sure did. We went all out! We had Go Canada Go written all over us!
After we were suited up and had gone down to the team meal, we were given the task to stop buy Prisma on our way to the rink. Always happy to stop in at our favourite store, we took on the task, in our GO Canada GO attire of course.
After we were suited up and had gone down to the team meal, we were given the task to stop buy Prisma on our way to the rink. Always happy to stop in at our favourite store, we took on the task, in our GO Canada GO attire of course.
We may parked illegally while at Prisma, not completely sure about that, but there were other cars there too so we just went with it. As we walked around the store we got a few strange looks, but we just looked right back at them. Confidence, thats what we had. Canada ALL the way!!
Posted all the messages from today on the wall... we are getting so many of them we had to start a new wall section today!! Athletes are loving all the support! Keep ‘em coming.
Once we got settled into our ‘office’ here at the rink we got to take in the final minutes of the USA-SWE Bronze medal series. USA won the game, I didn’t notice the score. But what I thought was awesome was the group photo the teams took after the game. Sportsmanship at its best! World class athletes right there.
Then it was time for the BIG SHOW... The athletes were ready and so were the fans (here and Tampere and all of you back home I am sure). How many of you tuned into the webcast? Did any of you skip school or work? (not that I am encouraging this type of behaviour but... a gold medal was on the line!)
During the on-ice warm-up Laynski and I stepped up our game a little. Standing up on the boards, looking over the glace we made sure the team knew we were there to support them. We even got the Canadian section of fans cheering with us. Seeing as this was not a discreet operation, we were quickly spotted by the host organizing committee security and asked to step down. Maybe if we weren’t right over the Finnish bench, they would have let us slide. But we cooperated and headed back to our ‘office’.
But we did NOT miss the next opportunity that presented itself to us. They kicked us off during warm-up, so we took it upon ourselves to step it up during the half time (for the record we would have been all over this during the entire game, but live stats and color commentary were also part of our job description). The official song of the event was performed live by the band Clarkent. (Yup like superman)... so we just joined in on their show. The row of open seats right behind the stage were just asking for someone to run over and dance. So of course Alayne and I took it upon ourselves to make sure that happened! We made the WEBCAST and the jumbo screen at the rink! Everybody knew CANADA was going for gold!
In what was one of the best ringette games of all-time, Canada fell short and in turn Finland won the gold.
OK so they won the medal, but as many of the athletes put it. We have hearts of GOLD!
I had the opportunity to be a part of the post game festivities. As I have mentioned many times over the course of this program we have the BEST athletes. Not only are they exceptionally talented on the ice, but they are world class individuals off the ice as well.
The poise and grace they have shown throughout the event has been amazing. It has been an honour to be a part of this program with all of you.
I will share a few of the comments made in the dressing room during the post-game festivities:
‘The Finns might have the gold medal, but we have hearts of GOLD!’
‘We have made exceptional progress with the national team over the last 18 months. If we keep doing what we are doing there are great things to come... Sam Jacks Trophy will be back in Canada’.
‘Each of us have grown as individuals throughout this programme. It’s the small moments in life that matter, moments like this one that I will remember forever.’
‘The Gold medal would end up in a box or in a scrapbook, the memories we have shared will last forever’
‘What we have accomplished as group here is extraordinary. We have truly come together, we are a family and that is was ringette is all about.
With comments like that one can’t help but be proud of this group. They have given us an amazing show on the ice! Canada is proud of you, the ringette community thanks you and Layneski and Franski thank you for the opportunity to share this adventure with you.
The team will be back in Canada on Sunday. Athletes will return to their respective NRL teams most of which hit the ice next weekend. I predict a tomato and cucumber salad on the menu for each of these athletes. Cause we didn't have a chance to have that at all here this week... just saying. LOL
The blog will be continuing on over the course of the season. I will be sure to share stories and details from behind the scenes of the Canadian ringette world, most likely not on a daily basis, but be sure to check back in. I will be sure to provide daily blogs from the 2011 Canadian Ringette Championships coming up at the end of March.
Thanks for coming along on the ride with us!
FYI – the Laneski/Franski duo will hit up Paris after this! The adventure continues...
(Side note: Katie Lugg and Erin Cumpstone are making it very difficult for me to complete this right now. But they are awesome and we love them. They are also bilingual in case you were wondering?! Ando and Barb look GREAT!?)
A final shoutout to Petey and Ando – thanks for reading the blog every night. I am glad I could entertain you! I will post a video of the Glee club as soon as I can. Thanks for pointing out my lack of follow through on that promise.
