top of page
A Life In Sport
A blog by Ian Hyde-Lay
About
ABOUT
Ian Hyde-Lay is a teacher who lives and works in Victoria, BC. He has been heavily involved in sport his entire life, as a player, coach, referee and administrator.
All Posts
Feather Duster
August 6, 2021. A steamy Friday evening in Yokohama, Japan. The Olympic Women’s soccer competition, delayed a full year by Covid and...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Aug 1, 20234 min read
Raining Champions
The Ashes. Two simple words which, for cricket aficionados at least, always get the heart pumping. Two simple words that reference highly...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jul 25, 20234 min read
Enough
July 2023. A summer rant. Because, surely, enough is enough. The world is a mess, a global pandemic barely in the rearview mirror. In its...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jul 18, 20234 min read
Perspective
Easter Sunday 1969, a few months after my 11th birthday. The date crystal clear in my memory. Shiny clubs, a starter set comprised of a 3...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jul 6, 20234 min read
Money Talk
Pound for pound, he is the most powerful golfer in the world. Riveting to watch. I admire the flawless simplicity of his swing, the hip...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jun 19, 20233 min read
Longshot
Victoria, late April 1979. University exams finish. A glorious summer stretches out in front of me. Money in the bank thanks to a not...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Apr 20, 20233 min read
Ain't As Good As I Once Was
Bed beckons, but I take a last, quick surf of the Internet. Suddenly, a Youtube video pops up on Facebook. It leads me back down memory...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Mar 22, 20234 min read
Contradiction
March 10, 2023. A birthday slips quietly by. Debbie Brill turns seventy. An awfully long time ago, back in 1970 and her barely seventeen...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Mar 14, 20233 min read
My President
1978, the middle of June. My father and I agree to disagree. He remains unconvinced that a teen aged Canadian ice hockey sensation named...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jan 28, 20234 min read
Dial "M" for Magic
FIFA. The international governing body for association football (soccer). Its membership totaling 211 nations, its mission to grow the...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Dec 23, 20227 min read
Sweep The Sheds
Russia. July 2, 2018. The Rostov Arena comes alive, the business end of the FIFA World Cup at hand. A commanding Belgium side, loaded...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Nov 24, 20223 min read
Waiting For Coach
Years ago. A somewhat pretentious friend provides advice. You need to broaden your academic horizons, he tells me. And with that, he...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Oct 18, 20224 min read
Curtain Call
It seems an odd comparison, but then comparisons often are. It is the middle of June. 1985. The Canadian Men’s Rugby team arrives in...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Oct 10, 20224 min read
Too Much Pudding
Steve Nash promotes “it”. Wayne Gretzky concurs. As does Gareth Edwards. Roger Federer, Derek Jeter, Babe Zaharias, Ash Barty also....
Ian Hyde-Lay
Oct 1, 20224 min read
Home Comfort
July 23. My son takes his place on the sideline at an electric Melbourne Cricket Ground. The iconic “MCG” is one of the most famous...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Aug 17, 20224 min read
Father Time
A teenager, thin and wiry with a shock of brown hair, steps up to the tee. Driver in hand. No fuss, just a couple of waggles and a final,...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jun 15, 20223 min read
Field of Dreams
Hampden Park. Situated in the south-east of Glasgow, it is, quite simply, one of the biggest and best stadiums ever built. For well over...
Ian Hyde-Lay
May 30, 20224 min read
Breakfast of Champions
Praise, a confidant tells me, is the breakfast of champions. Now I like a heaping plate of praise just as much as the next person, even...
Ian Hyde-Lay
May 14, 20223 min read
A Lonely Place
June 1968. The school year winds to conclusion. Still, for me at least, ten years old and finishing grade 6 at the local elementary, one...
Ian Hyde-Lay
May 5, 20224 min read
The Right Thing
A fine spring morning in Victoria. The sun climbs a cloudless sky. Cherry trees line the street, bursting with pink and white blossoms. I...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Apr 6, 20223 min read
bottom of page