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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
Black Power
Updates on the war dominate the world press and social media. We watch and read as ground troops look to encircle and advance on the city...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Mar 17, 20224 min read
Estadio da Luz
We watch, aghast and horrified. A dark, ominous cloud hovers over Eastern Europe, by extension over the entire globe, as Russian troops...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Mar 4, 20223 min read
Medal Table
The Olympics. An often-captivating jumble of global sport, they are held as separate winter and summer events in different countries...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Feb 15, 20224 min read
Not Seeing is a Flower
Zac Taylor is not necessarily a household name, but, if you coach a team in the National Football League to a 6-25-1 record through two...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jan 20, 20223 min read
Six
It took place decades ago, but, in retrospect, it might be the most memorable practice I ever attend. The venue is not particularly...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jan 12, 20224 min read
I Was (Planning To Be) There
January 8, 2020. Just after 7pm at the Victoria Airport. One last hug, pulling him close. Son Derek shows his passport and boarding pass...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Dec 30, 20214 min read
The Joy of Team
A late afternoon some ten days ago. I arrive at a school, tasked with collecting an athletics trophy from the PE office. A vicious rain...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Dec 19, 20214 min read
What If?
Mercifully, it finally ends. The Ryder Cup is a biennial Men’s golf competition between USA and Europe. The recently completed 43rd...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Sep 29, 20214 min read
Baby
Victoria, BC. A mid-September morning stroll takes me through the Uplands, past Cattle Point. The soaring heat of the summer gives way to...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Sep 22, 20213 min read
Defining Moments
July 31, 1976. A cool, rainy Saturday evening in Montreal. My father and I sit high up in the main stand at the Olympic Stadium. Down...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Aug 8, 20214 min read
A Powerful Prayer
Victoria, BC. One year ago, to the very day. July 8, 2020. Lockdown, the response to a rapidly developing global pandemic, enters a...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jul 8, 20213 min read
Golden Generation
Friday, July 2, 2021. The Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany. The day a dream finally dies. In a much-anticipated Euro football tournament...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jul 4, 20214 min read
Sportsman Of The Year
Thursday, June 17, 2021. 610pm on a warm, pleasant Copenhagen evening. 25,000 fans rise to their feet at Parken, Denmark’s national...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jun 18, 20213 min read
Double Duty Dilemma
Third week of March. 1995. An awkward decision looms. I run the various pros and cons through my mind, take multiple deep breaths, tap...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jun 15, 20214 min read
The Cat
October 1964. I am six years old. Our family struggles adjusting to a new environment. An exchange year, at a fledgling international...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jun 5, 20214 min read
Teddy Morgan
February 24, 2007. A momentous evening is about to begin. Croke Park, in Dublin, readies to host a rugby test match between England and...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Apr 2, 20214 min read
The Epic Comeback
I fall. Hard. Along with many others, I fall hard for a gutsy and resolute group of Indian cricketers. A month ago, they leave Adelaide...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jan 20, 20214 min read
Tradition
The rain hammers down, and the wind howls. The damp seeps into my bones. It is early January, dreary, dark and exhausting, in the Pacific...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Jan 18, 20214 min read
The Epic Collapse
I love the holidays. After a busy school term, they are a precious time to relax and decompress. To watch sport on TV, to fiddle with a...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Dec 23, 20204 min read
Underdog
I reach out and try the basement door. To my complete surprise, it opens. I hesitate, but then venture inside, inching carefully along a...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Nov 8, 20204 min read
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