Ian Hyde-Lay
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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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
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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....
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- Jul 4, 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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,...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- Nov 9, 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- Sep 7, 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,...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- May 26, 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- 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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- May 12, 2021
- 4 min
Who Is That Guy?
November 6 at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. The final whistle blows. Mercifully, the 1999 Rugby World Cup reaches a conclusion,...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- May 3, 2021
- 4 min
Lions Legend
The time draws nigh. There is anticipation, conjecture, and debate. Just two days remain until the official announcement of the 37...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- Mar 26, 2021
- 4 min
Caribbean Queen
A bright and relaxing Sunday morning. I sit at home, by the kitchen window. Nursing a coffee, looking out across the bay. In my own...
Ian Hyde-Lay
- Mar 19, 2021
- 3 min
Marathon Man
It is a badge of honour, and it traces back centuries. It confirms that, in completing a particular, grueling long distance run, one must...
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