Ian Hyde-Lay
Uncut Diamonds
On the one hand, it had nothing to do with sport. Yet, on the other, in some ways everything. Late morning, a sunny Saturday in late...
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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
Ian Hyde-Lay
- Oct 8
- 3 min
Lost Generation
Mid week, late September. The northeast of Scotland. A memorable three-week holiday continues apace. South from Aberdeen, along the A90....
Ian Hyde-Lay
- Oct 2
- 4 min
Great Man
Mid September. The parking lot is jammed. Hikers of all descriptions empty from their vehicles, start preparing for an afternoon’s...
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- Aug 17
- 4 min
Point Blank
August 2023. Victoria, BC. The wee hours. Apparently, waking too early in the morning means a miserable start to one’s day. Still, as the...
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- May 7
- 4 min
Listen and Hear
Spring 2023. A school assembly gets set to begin. The usual hum of activity. Bleachers and rows of chairs in the old gymnasium steadily...
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- Apr 3
- 4 min
Second Opinion
Downtown Victoria, a decade ago. A shop assistant looks to fend off a frustrated female customer. Her irritation rises. She wants...
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- Feb 22
- 4 min
Dom
I never knew Dom. As was and is the case for millions of others, I only knew of him. Tragically, now he is gone. Learning the news is a...
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- Nov 14, 2022
- 4 min
Barter
November 11. The clock strikes 11am. At SMUS, the school at which I work, the gymnasium transforms into a house of worship and prayer....
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- Jul 13, 2022
- 4 min
Coley
Four days ago, a lazy Sunday. I sit on the deck as the sun beats down. Somewhere in the background, a radio station offers up a country...
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- Jul 3, 2022
- 4 min
Dare More Boldly
We all do it. Whether a player, a coach or a manager. Despite the best of intentions, of pre-game plans to be aggressive and relentless...
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- Jun 25, 2022
- 4 min
Solo Violin
I surf through various Facebook posts and there it is. World Wild Hearts, a website packed with videos, information, travel tips,...
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- Apr 18, 2022
- 4 min
G.O.A.T.
March 31, 1973. A day I will remember forever. Just turned 15, I travel to Toronto from the west coast. Soon I will start at a local...
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- Feb 8, 2022
- 4 min
Autograph Hunter
October 31, 2012. Along with wife Lisa, I find myself in Portland, Oregon. Another NBA season gets underway. Part of a Halloween crowd of...
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- Jan 27, 2022
- 4 min
Wildflowers
January 14-15, 2022. The southern Pacific Ocean. An uninhabited volcanic island and a submarine volcano erupt. The explosion is estimated...
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- Jan 4, 2022
- 4 min
Brian's Song
A global pandemic enters its third year. Like a runaway locomotive, it shows few signs of slowing down. Athletic events are dramatically...
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- Nov 8, 2021
- 4 min
Remembering "Weary"
Down Under, March 2018. I arrive in the Capital Territory, the manager of a high school rugby tour group. As part of our itinerary, we...
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- Sep 6, 2021
- 4 min
Victoria Secret
February 1965. My love affair with sport is just beginning, even though I am barely seven years old. I remember it as the time my father,...
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- Aug 17, 2021
- 4 min
The Pencil Box
Rummaging around in the storeroom a few weeks ago, quite by accident I come across it. Made of Indian teakwood, “it” is rectangular in...
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- May 25, 2021
- 5 min
A Giant
May 26, 2017. Victoria, BC. A gorgeous, warm spring morning beckons. I pull into a parking space behind the gym at St. Michaels...
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- May 18, 2021
- 4 min
A Crying Shame
The global pandemic drags on, into its sixteenth month. New surges and setbacks, all around the world, still outweigh promising vaccine...
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