Riding hamster wheel is not always good for mental health

Excusing yourself even for a short time is good for soul

Working on my Bell Let’s Talk piece in the home office.

Sometimes you just have to get off the hamster wheel.

That was analogy I didn’t know was a thing until about three months ago. It actually came to me via the sports entertainment world of pro wrestling early this past November.

During a promo on an AEW Dynamite show, CM Punk talked seriously about one-time rival Jon Moxley. Moxley, who had been that promotion’s heavyweight champion, had entered an inpatient alcohol treatment program.

Punk, whose real name is Phillip Jack Brooks, said he was proud of Moxley for realizing he had to take himself off the hamster wheel to get the help he needed and that Moxley was brave taking that step.

Moxley, whose real name is Jonathan David Good, is married to Renee Paquette, who first made a name for herself as sports broadcaster in Canada with The Score from 2009 to 2012 before shooting to a huge rise in fame in a run with WWE from 2012 to 2020. Moxley, who has been in the pro wrestling business for over 17 years, and Paquette met in WWE.

I had never linked the analogy of the hamster wheel with the mental health world until I saw that promo with Punk, who is very articulate and well thought out.

 I am starting to have what you would consider a longer run with the mental health world with my first realizations almost a decade ago.

On my own front, I have known I have battled with issues dealing with anxiety since 2012. I write about my experiences on the mental health front in hopes it will help others.

Since 2016, I’ve kept up with a tradition where I write a post regarding mental health on Bell Let’s Talk day.

A Jon Moxley AEW figure.

There is still a stigma around mental health issues, and they are unfortunately still treated as the elephant in the room in too many circles.

On my own front, I am in a way better place than I was 10 years ago. I am in a way better spot than I was six years ago.

While I believe I have gotten a tonne better over the last decade, mental health is something I continue to learn about. I will have “aha moments” come to me in the most unlikely of places.

That Punk promo was an “aha moment.”

He explained he made his own choices to get off the hamster wheel in the past. Punk said Moxley had been on a hamster wheel, because he had been going and going, thinking he had to show toughness all the time, battle through injuries like they weren’t there, be sick and show up for work, help other people and be super generous for a long stretch of time.

Punk said you get to the point you have to take yourself off the hamster wheel.

For Bell Let’s Talk day in January of 2020, I wrote that it was a mental health challenge to learn to take a break, and it was important to take breaks.

Punk’s explanation of the hamster wheel took that to a whole new level of realization.

No matter what walk of life you are in, you do get placed on a hamster wheel.

In the world of competitive sports where outcomes are undecided, elite athletes are on a hamster wheel. Whether it be hockey, football, baseball, basketball, softball, track and field, speed skating, soccer or whatever your athletic pursuit, you are training year round and being evaluated constantly to see if you are performing at a high level and continuing to reach new levels of high performance.

A picture of myself in front of photos I've shot over the years.

Sometimes that results in athletes shouldering extra pressure that their team will lose and they will let their teammates down, if they don’t perform well. That can be a hamster wheel.

Those in sports management positions can be on a hamster wheel too. They are constantly trying to ensure athletes, coaches and staffers are healthy physically and mentally, always having to ensure proper funding is coming in to allow athletes to get to events and have the best equipment possible and ensure the business administrative mechanisms are functioning well.

If you miss time as an administrator, there are always worries those jobs won’t get done. You are on a hamster wheel there too.

Those examples can be taken to any working environment be it health career, education, retail, banking, manufacturing, shipping, policing, energy production or whatever the job may be. All those environments create places where those working in them shoulder pressures that they will let everyone down if they are not there to do their roles.

Eventually, you do hit a point where the pressure becomes too much you have to totally cut yourself away from those worlds. It doesn’t have to be forever, but you might need to be away for a span of time.

In Moxley’s case, he got professional and ultimate returned to AEW after about three months.

In some cases, you might not even the assistance of professional help to come to that realization.

I realized that for myself when I attended a wedding for one of my nieces early this past September in Jasper, Alta.

I'm all dressed up out in Jasper, Alta., early last September.

My everyday world is the sports and media world, and I live those careers to a point they are a lifestyle. If I take a break from one aspect of that world, I am still busy with another aspect be it on sports writing, photography or communications.

That wedding marked the first time I totally cut myself off those worlds for at least a one-week period since the summer of 2014, when I relocated from Medicine Hat, Alta., to Saskatoon, Sask.

With Jasper being a resort town with no links to any part of my life, I truly made a clean break for a week. Ultimately, the wedding was awesome and the week was awesome.

On top of being cut off from the sports and media worlds, I allowed myself to be pretty much cut off from social media too.

One day after the wedding, a feeling came over me that this all felt really good. It was a good feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time.

It reminded me of a time when I took actual vacations during my 10-year run as a sportswriter with the Medicine Hat News from 2004 to 2014 and experience more periods of personal time, while still having a busy schedule. While I wasn’t jumping on a plane to go to Hawaii to lie down on a beach, I was off on social excursions with friends, or like the summer of 2007, taking a pleasure drive through the mountains in southern British Columbia.

A lot of that disappeared from 2012 to 2014 when vacations and personal time didn’t feel like those things as those were periods I where I was in my initial stages of working my way through mental health issues.

When Punk gave the promo about Moxley and the hamster wheel in early November, I realized I had gotten off my hamster wheel, when I attended my niece’s wedding. It added a sense of refreshment I hadn’t felt for some time.

Another game day is wrapped up for myself at the SaskTel Centre.

You can also get yourself on a hamster wheel with constant interaction with people you don’t know especially trolls on social media. Sometimes that happens with people you do know on social media.

During this past year with the world still stuck in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, I’ve found social media to be more toxic than ever before. Twitter is the worst social media line for this.

As for Twitter, I’ve followed an example set by Punk here in just blocking the trolls and people you need to block instead of engaging with them. For myself, it feels good every time I block a troll, especially if it is an anonymous account with less than 10 followers.

These days I try to be a bit more mindful of where I am on the hamster wheel. If anyone feels they need to get off their own hamster wheels for a bit, I hope they feel enabled to take that step, because it ultimately show a lot of courage.

Bell Let’s Talk in specter of “Bell Let’s Cut”

A Bell Let’s Talk toque.

I admit I was unsure if I was going to do my traditional mental health post on Bell Let’s Talk day this year.

In recent years, Bell Canada, which is the telecommunications company that run Bell Let’s Talk day, has had a habit of releasing employees in the months after the company’s mental health awareness and fundraising day.

Bell Canada received huge criticism bringing in job days after Bell Let’s Talk day was held last year on January 28.

Any time Bell Canada cuts jobs, the term “Bell Let’s Cut” is inevitably brought up.

The question is brought up that how can a company that supports mental health initiatives turn around and just cut people, who immediately are faced with the prospects of losing their livelihoods and identities.

Due to the Bell Canada operates in the media world, I’ve had friends that have been released from jobs with Bell Canada, and they were all hard working people that showed great initiative.

Bell Canada has been criticized for using the Bell Let’s Talk campaign as a tax write off while bringing in massive amounts of revenue to make you question why jobs are being cut.

After the layoffs Bell Canada made last year, I had to ask myself if I wanted to go through with a new post this year on Bell Let’s Talk Day.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world, I often celebrated the fact so much awareness came up regarding mental health issues on Bell Let’s Talk day.

I also celebrated the progress I’ve made in my own journey often having a nice dinner with my mom in the evening of Bell Let’s Talk day at Cactus Club Cafe in Saskatoon. The last of those dinners came on Bell Let’s Talk day in January of 2020.

I decided to do a post, because of the awareness this day brings regarding mental health issues in Canada.

Searching social media on Tuesday the day before Bell Let’s Talk day, I saw a lot of posts from people saying they had supported Bell Let’s Talk Day in the past but wouldn’t this year due to the employee cuts that have happened in the past.

Today on Bell Let’s Talk day, I’ve seen numerous great shares regarding mental health issues in Canada and people coming forward to share their own stories of challenges on the mental health front.

If people feel better to make donations directly to mental health charities as opposed to participating in Bell Canada’s Bell Let’s Talk day program, I hope people feel free to act in that direction.

If people want to still retweet #BellLetsTalk on Twitter, they should feel free to do so.

It is always a good thing when you can keep the mental health conversation going.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. My Bell Let’s Talk post from last year called “COVID-19 pandemic forces world to face mental health” can be found by clicking right here. A piece from 2020 called “A big mental health challenge is learning to take a break” can be found right here. A piece from 2019 called “Those facing mental health challenges can still be great in all parts of life” can be found right here. A piece from 2018 called “Being content can become a mental health challenge” can be round right here. A piece from 2017 called “Recognizing and respecting triggers is key for mental health” can be found right here. A piece from 2016 called “Feeling connected calms the mental health seas” can be found right here. A piece called “My Mental Health Story” can be found right here. Another post I like that I wrote in February of 2015 about my mental health journey call “Huskies hockey was good for me” can be found right here.

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Completed summer season huge accomplishment for Sask. baseball, softball

Nothing comes easy for sports in COVID-19 world

A Saskatoon Selects pitcher fires in a pitch.

    Everyone involved with minor baseball and softball in Saskatchewan came away winners in 2020.
    They came away winners because those sports were able to have a summer season. During these times that has the world caught in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the fact a sports body was able to have a season should be considered a major accomplishment.

    On a cool, crisp and picturesque Thursday night at the diamonds at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, local leagues played out their final games of the 2020 campaign. With most leagues first hitting the field on July 6, close to two full months of baseball and softball was played in Saskatchewan.

    That is likely far more action than most expected to see in those sports. The games on Thursday were watched by modest groups of spectators that physically spaced apart from each other around the diamonds.

    Teams were able to play for city championships and house league championships. In the case of the Under-18 AAA Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League, they were able to hold a championship game for a circuit that had teams around the province.
    On August 23 at Optimist Park in Regina, the Sask Five Giants from Martensville slipped past the host Regina Athletics 2-0 to capture the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League crown in a one game showdown.
    The odd league was slated to host post-season games this coming weekend.

A Saskatoon Outlaws pitcher chucks in an off-speed pitch.

    Of course, players, coaches and team staffers were disappointed there were no big provincial or Canadian championship tournaments to go to in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

    Still, it didn’t seem to be lost on anyone that took part in games that it was a good thing they got to play games. In some cases, there might have been a new found appreciation for being able to play games.

    Most of the spectators that usually turned out during the season were friends and family members of the players, but it was still great for them to have something to look forward to during the week and somewhere to go.

    During a normal year, the bulk of the baseball regular seasons are usually played in May and June.
    Teams that play in July and August are some of the few that have won enough to take part in a provincial champion or national championship tournament.

    Considering there was a very real possibility there could be no season at all, what took place from July 6 through to Thursday felt like a welcomed thing that injected some normalcy into life.

    Memories were made during practices and games. For a few hours, players, coaches and staffer were able to get their minds off what was happening in their daily lives.

The Sask Five Giants ran to a Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League title.

    On the field, some great athletic performances took place too. Sometimes one forgets how well these teams in local leagues can play ball.

    Overall, all those involved with minor baseball and softball in Saskatchewan proved it is possible to play sports during a pandemic created by an easily transmitted virus.

    That meant paying attention to extra precautions like no post-game handshakes between teams after game, frequent use of sanitizers and having people stay home who are sick, even if it is just a minor illness.

    The fact minor baseball and softball in Saskatchewan were able to complete campaigns in 2020 helps increase the optimism for other sports it is possible to play during these crazy times.

Hat High retires use of “Mohawks,” “Kwahommies,” other notes

Quinton Slack tears downfield during a 2012 Hat High practice.

    Despite support in Medicine Hat for the monikers, it seemed like it was only time before Medicine Hat High School elected to change the names of its sports teams.

    That time came on Thursday when principal Boris Grisonich announced at a press conference in the school’s gym that Hat High was discontinuing the use of “Mohawks” for its boys teams and “Kwahommies” for its girls teams.

    Of course, Hat High was continuing a trend that has gone on for the last about 20 years with various stops and starts of sports teams at all levels of sports in North America electing to no longer use team nicknames that come from First Nations. The changes were made due to concerns about racism.

    The only program immune from that trend is the Florida State University Seminoles of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That comes from the fact the Seminole Tribe in Florida has officially sanctioned that post-secondary institution to use the names and images associated with Seminole history.

    In Hat High’s case, Grisonich said the decision to retire the “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” names had been years in the making. The “Kwahommies” name was developed by spelling “Mohawks” backwards.

    Grisonich said no new name has been picked and the school teams will play under just the Medicine Hat High School name for the 2020-21 campaign and use the institution’s “M” logo.

Grisonich said with what has been going on the world lately it made now a good time to retire the “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” names.

    In 2020, the world has been caught in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic and more involved talks around racism with the Black Lives Matter moment that originated in the United States.

The Hat High football team’s defence gets a gang tackle in 2012.

    After the start of the Black Lives Matter moment, the NFL’s Washington franchise decided to drop the name “Redskins” after facing pressure from sponsors. After the change with Washington’s NFL team, the CFL’s community owned Edmonton franchised decided to drop the name “Eskimos.”

    Back in 2015, Suzanne Tripp, who graduated from Hat High in June of that year, had a petition going to try and get the names of Hat High’s sports teams changed. At that time, it was decided to continue with the use of “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies.”

    The Hat High football teams did use the “Redskins” moniker in the 1950s and early 1960s, and few people in Medicine Hat remember the use of that name in the current time. Had “Redskins” still been in use after the 1960s, that name likely would have been changed about a decade or two earlier from the present time.

    With all that noted, the Medicine Hat High School teams when they went by the names “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” were associated with the characteristics pride, honour and class.

    When you think of the Hat High sports teams, you picture football head coach Quinn Skelton guiding the Green and White to another win. Skelton, who was named the NFL Canada youth coach of the year in 2008, has been the head coach of the school’s football and rugby teams since the 1990-91 season.

    Over the decades, he has had a huge positive impact on his players and also the students at Hat High from his role as a teacher in that school. Very few are held in as high regard amongst the student body at school as Skelton is at Hat High.

Hat High HC Quinn Skelton, left, with Nathan Coehoorn in 2014.

    Alums like Dan Federkeil, who is a former offensive lineman with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and the Calgary Stampeders, and Nathan Coehoorn, who is a former receiver with Edmonton’s CFL team, will always be part of Hat High’s storied sports history.

    The goes for Canadian track and field star Sage Watson.

    Memories of students doing the “Cha Cha Slide” during halftimes of football games at the Methanex Bowl will live forever.

    The great memories that have been made at Hat High will never disappear.

    Of course, there has been push back over the name change in Medicine Hat. All one has to do is look at the comments section from social media posts about the name change coming from the Medicine Hat News and CHAT Television media outlets.

    Over time, the hurt feelings will likely fade.

    Hat High will continue to build on its spectacular history, because of the quality people that are inside that institution.

• On Wednesday, Regina sports radio voice Michael Ball said his son Ethan has tested positive for COVID-19. Ethan is a freshman defensive back with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team and is down in Grand Forks, N.D. The Fighting Hawks play in NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Ethan is a graduate of Regina’s Riffel High School Royals football team. Michael interview Ethan for “The Growing the Game with Ballsy” podcast on Wednesday that can be found by clicking right here.
• On Wednesday, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed he, his wife and two children tested positive for COVID-19. In an Instagram video that lasted 11 minutes and 35 seconds, Johnson said his family is on the other side of the virus and they are no longer contagious. Johnson’s Instagram video can be found by clicking here.
• According to Worldometer at the time this post went live 878,133 people have died so far this year in the world due to the coronavirus. Also this year, Worldometer has reported 1,141,158 people in the world so far this year have died of HIV/AIDS, 727,946 died by suicide, 665,855 died by malaria, 571,650 people have died by water related diseases, 331,539 died by seasonal flu, and 209,820 mothers have died during birth.
• You get the feeling the way Dr. Bonnie Henry, who is B.C.’s provincial health officer, talks that restrictions regarding COVID-19 will like last well into 2021.
• On Wednesday, Dan Barnes of Postmedia reported nine positions were terminated at the CFL head office in Toronto and 20 staff members were furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The departed includes Steve Daniel, who was the league’s senior director of game information and statistics.
• On Wednesday, The Associated Press reported the NCAA plans to furlough its entire staff from its head office in Indianapolis, Indiana, anywhere from three to eight weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The furloughs will take place between Sept. 21 and the end of January of 2021. The NCAA’s Indianapolis office employees about 600 people.
• Way back on August 27, 1980, the Winnipeg Tribune news paper closed after a 90 year run. Patti Dawn Swansson and Gregg Drinnan posted tributes to the late publication on their respective blogs. Swansson’s piece can be found by clicking right here and Drinnan’s piece can be located by clicking right here.
• Back on this past Aug. 27, the City of Saskatoon reopened the Saskatoon Field House fitness and weight room and track and court area.
• On Thursday, Hockey Canada cancelled three events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They include the National Women’s Under-18 Championship set for Nov. 2-8 in Dawson Creek, B.C., the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup set for Dec. 6-12 in Bridgewater, N.S., and the World Junior A Challenge set for Dec. 13-20 in Cornwall, Ont.
• On the good news front, the Saskatoon Hilltops announced they will return to practice next week. Practices for the venerable club, which has won 22 CJFL title, will run from Tuesday to Thursday for six weeks.

View this post on Instagram

WE'RE BACK!!.... as much as you can be during a pandemic. We're starting practices next week - how exciting is that? We've scoured the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Government of Saskatchewan's return to play guidelines and we're confident we meet and exceed all health and safety protocols. These optional practices are our way of keeping our team as unified as possible, and providing the physical and mental health benefits of sport to our athletes. What will our practices look like? Smaller groups, hand sanitizer, little to no contact, hand sanitizer, waivers, temperature checks, hand sanitizer, COVID-19 screening, hand sanitizer, masks, hand sanitizer. If we could hose the guys down with sanitizer every ten minutes, we would. Practices will run Tuesday through Thursday for the next six weeks and we. cannot. wait.

A post shared by Saskatoon Hilltops (@saskatoon_hilltops) on Sep 4, 2020 at 12:36pm PDT

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Return of even limited minor sports is good for the soul

Braxton Buckberger fires off a pitch for the Cubs.

    “We don’t shake hands now, do we?”

    Those words have been spoken lots at various sports fields around Saskatoon due to the fact the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic still grips the world. When games come to an end, thoughts drift towards a natural act of sportsmanship, which has become frowned upon in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

    That common query about handshakes doesn’t dampen an uplifting development. For the past two weeks in Saskatoon, a number of minor sports have resumed.

    Baseball and softball games are taking place at a number of diamonds across the city.

    On Tuesday, Golf Saskatchewan will start running its women’s amateur, men’s amateur and men’s mid-amateur championship tournaments at The Legends Golf Club in Warman.

    Actually on Thursday, Golf Saskatchewan’s junior boys and girls provincial championship tournaments concluded at the Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current. Josh Nagy of Saskatoon took the boys’ title with a 3-under-par 213 over three rounds, and Brooklin Fry of Shell Lake claimed the girls’ championship with a 7-over-par 223 over three rounds.

    Across the province over the past two weeks, it has become easier to locate an amateur sporting event that is taking place.
    Those who are involved with sports organizations across Saskatchewan have focused over the last four months on flattening the curve. The reward has come with actual competition.

Softball has been in action at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    For those taking part in those competitions or watching them, there is a renewed appreciation for what is taking place. When everyone is at a park, it seems to be mentally good for those that are there to have something normal back in their respective lives.

    One of the best examples of that took place at Leakos Field on Saturday as the Saskatoon Cubs faced the Muenster Red Sox in doubleheader battle between U-18 AAA baseball teams.

    The host Cubs had a sound system set up to allow for someone to fulfill the role of public address announcer and for music to be played between each half inning.

    A quaint crowd took in the games, and physically spaced out down the baselines of the park. When groups of four gathered, everyone was usually from the same family unit or at least had close personal ties.

    As the Cubs swept the series with an 11-10 victory in the first contest and a 13-8 win in the second encounter, it felt like the troubles in the current world were forgotten for a short time.

    Overall, it just seems right to go to a place like the Gordie Howe Sports Complex on a weekday night and hear activity in the air across all its baseball and softball diamonds. During May and June especially, it felt like something was missing when those sounds weren’t there.

A baseball hitter fouls off a pitch at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    More and more missing sites are starting to take place. On Saturday in Regina, the Kings Park Speedway opened the local stock car season in the Saskatchewan capital. The crowd was capped at 150 people at a facility that can seat 1,500.

    Seeing the Regina racers hit the track, it has to spark optimism that action will return at the immaculate Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon.

    About six days ago via social media, the crew from the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association said work is still going on with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to try and run events in August and September.

    The Wyant Group Raceway can pack in 3,319 spectators and usually hosts an annual NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop. It is the dream track in Saskatchewan.

    While it would be nice if the entire sports world in the province was back in action, the sports action that has taken place has been good for the soul.

Huskies to get new turf at Griffiths, other notes

Adam Machart and the Huskies will get new turf at Griffiths Stadium.

    Whenever the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football and soccer teams return to meaningful U Sports action, they will get to utilize a new field turf field at Griffiths Stadium.

    On Friday, the Huskies hosted a press conference and ground breaking ceremony at Griffiths.

    It marked the first time the Huskies hosted any type of function on campus since a rally was held at the Physical Activity Complex on March 11. The rally on that day served to honour the Huskies women’s basketball team for winning a U Sports national title and individual U Sports national champions gold medal winners from the Huskies wrestling and track and field teams.

    It was believed the Huskies would receive funding from the Government of Saskatchewan to replace the turf at Griffiths Stadium that was installed for the start of the 2006 season. Field turfs usually have a life of 10 years before needing to be replaced, and the one at Griffiths was past its expiry date.

    Due to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the world, one had to wonder if the turf replacement would happen.

    On Friday, it was announced the U of S received $3.14-million in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan to replace the turf at Griffiths.

    On top of replacing the turf, the funding will include a field expansion to accommodate regulation-sized football and soccer events, improving the shock absorption of the playing surface and an update to the lighting system to help reduce power consumption.

    Midfielder Taneil Gay, who has played four seasons with the Huskies women’s soccer team, and running back Adam Machart, who is coming off a stellar campaign with the Huskies football team, both spoke at Friday’s festivities.

    A final soccer and football kickoff was performed on the current turf before a ceremonial ground breaking took place.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Huskies football and soccer team saw their 2020 campaigns get cancelled.

    While it is uncertain if any U Sports activities will take place in 2020-21, the turf replacement at Griffiths was a welcome bit of good news during this down time for the Huskies program.

• On Wednesday, the Canada West Conference announced it was cancelling its cross-country championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was going to be hosted in the fall by the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. The Canada West swimming championships, which were slated for November, are being rescheduled for early 2021. The Canada West golf championships are slated for Oct. 2-4 in Kelowna, B.C.
• The Saskatoon Blades have created an alumni registry. The Blades are working to build a database of players and staff who have been a part of the franchise since its inception in 1964. Former Blades players and staffers who would like to join the registry can do by accessing a form on the team’s website that can be found by clicking right here.
• On Wednesday, Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Daemon Hunt and Everett Silvertips centre Gage Goncalves were added to the roster for Hockey Canada’s national junior team summer development camp. The camp is being held in a virtual form online from July 27 to 31.
• On Wednesday, USA Hockey cancelled its summer showcase slated to start this coming Friday and run through to July 31 in Plymouth, Mich. Originally, USA Hockey invited 44 players to this event that was slated to be part of the evaluation process to determine the makeup for the United States’ entry at world juniors. The upcoming world juniors are slated to run Dec. 26, 2020 to Jan. 5, 2021 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alta.
• On Wednesday, the Tournament of Roses Parade slated for January 1, 2021 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tournament of Roses Parade is normally held on an annual basis in New Year’s Day in Pasadena, Calif.
• Gregg Drinnan has continued to track how the COVID-19 pandemic has wrecked havoc on the sports world in his Taking Note blog. His roundup from Friday can be found by clicking right here.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Thankful to get out and ride

Appreciating activities you can do in COVID-19 world is good

Biking is an activity that always helps me clear my mind.

    In a current world that seems to be going crazy, it is always a huge pump up to be able to get out and ride.
    At least for me, it is always good to get out and ride one of my mountain bikes. I appreciate I can still get out and do that in this world that is gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Actually, I think it is healthy for anyone to keep enjoying activities they might still be allowed to do during this time. You might find a new appreciation for doing some activities you like you never had before.

    Of course when the shutdowns first started in North America around the dates of March 11 and 12, it might have been harder to keep up with doing activities you like. As reopening plans have rolled out in various parts of North America since the start of May, it might become easier to engage in activities you like.

    For myself living in Saskatoon, I could have started biking right when the shutdowns happened. I should note that through most of March and April I found it too cold to get outside and do that.

I enjoy biking along the Meewasin Trail in Saskatoon.

    I held off until May. My first medium length ride in May likely felt that much better than normal due to all that has happened.

    I actually have three mountain bikes stored at my place. One I am trying to get rid of at some point in time.

    I have a blue 18-speed I bought at Canadian Tire for $108. I use that bike when I decide to go to a store or even to go to a work place.

    I will ride that bike in all sorts of adverse weather conditions. If that bike ever gets damaged or stolen, it is not a big deal to go out and spend another $108 for a similar bike from Canadian Tire.

    I actually had the seat and tires stolen off one of those $108 bikes, when it was locked up at a store once.

    The third mountain bike is the one I baby and try to ride it when conditions are good. It is by far my best mountain bike.

    It is actually an old one too.

    Believe it not, I won that one during my University of Regina days. Back in 1999, I accompanied the U of Regina Cougars women’s basketball team to the U Sports nationals, which were held in Thunder Bay, Ont.

Me with the bike I won in 1999 pictured at my Regina home in 2000.

    At halftime of the tournament’s championship game that saw the U of Alberta Pandas down the U of Victoria Vikes 54-46, I banked home a half-court shot to win the bike as part of the entertainment of the festivities at that point in time. I sunk a foul shot too for five dollars, but that shot seemed to be forgotten along with the fact I rimmed out a three-pointer for $10.

    I only hit a half-court shot twice in my life, and one of those came in a packed Lakehead University gym.

    A family of diehard Cougars fans brought the bike home for me to Regina.

    I have used that bike out at the lake country Waskesiu in Saskatchewan and Elkwater in Alberta. While I haven’t done any rides at those locations this year, I find the lake rides give me my greatest sense of calm usually because nature looks so serene.

    Biking in Saskatoon is enjoyable too. I seem to get glued to the Meewasin Trail that runs along both sides of the South Saskatchewan River.

It is always a treat to bike at Waskesiu.

    There are a tonne of paths I still haven’t got to. I find biking is one of those things that clears my mind.

    It is an aerobic activity I never have a problem getting into. I find it harder to go on a long run.

    With that said, I know lots of people who love to go on long runs. In Saskatoon, you can do that too, so if you love doing that, feel free to get out and do it.

    When July rolls around, it seems everything is set to allow baseball and softball to take place on a house league level and city league level. While it sounds like the rules might be modified for the current pandemic time, I would say get out and play those sports, if you enjoy them.

    About two months ago, the prospect of any type of outdoor ball appeared grim.

    You also don’t have to rediscover sporting pursuits. If you enjoy doing things like playing instruments like the guitar or piano, these pandemic times provide opportunity to rediscover those pursuits.

    If you have a talent for artistic drawing, feel free to rediscover that gift too.

    At the moment, you can go out and see family or close friends in Saskatchewan, so spend an evening or two doing just that.

    If you like to take off and go fishing, feel free to do that.

I like to bike wearing jerseys of some of my favourite teams.

    These pandemic days have provided the chance to re-engage and rediscover pursuits you may have put aside.
    When you take the time to take those pursuits up again, you might rediscover some forgotten joys.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Late Regina Rams head coach cared about the person first

Gordon Gray Currie 1923-2017

A picture of Gord Currie from his celebration of life.

    REGINA - “You win by not looking at the scoreboard at the end of the field but the scoreboard in your heart.

    “When you walk off the field, that is great when you look at the scoreboard in your heart. You walk away with something with substance, and it adds to the rest of your life to what you are.

    “It goes far beyond moving a football up and down the field. It is difficult to measure this type of growth. It is an amazing thing to witness in life.”

    Gordon Gray Currie spoke those words to me back in November of 2000, when I was putting together a history feature on the Regina Rams for the official website for university sports in Canada called at the time CIAU.ca. The piece ran days before the Rams, who were in their second season as a university team, appeared in that year’s Vanier Cup championship game. They ultimately fell 42-39 to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees in that contest.

    Currie, who was the Rams head coach in their Canadian Junior Football League days from 1965 to 1976, was describing the intangibles as to why the Rams won. He followed these words during his whole coaching career, which included guiding teams in football, baseball and hockey.

    Currie passed away at age 93 on Feb. 22, 2017. He was in remarkably good health and active in his late 80s and his 90s. It was only in recent years he battled with medical issues.

    A massive group of family and friends gathered at the Conexus Arts Centre on Wednesday in Regina to pay tribute the legendary coach, who is best remember for guiding the Rams to six CJFL championships, at a celebration of his life.

    Currie was also an educator, school principle and a member of the legislative assembly in Saskatchewan for one term. He was named to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (1978), a member of the Order of Canada (1979) and to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder (2005).

A memorial set up at Gord Currie’s celebration of life.

    On the little known fact side, the sport Currie pursued and played at a high level was hockey, which was the first sport he coached.

    Everyone remembered that his greatest gift was his ability to make people feel important and special. The star running back for the Rams played that much better because of Currie’s influence. That Grade 12 student from Campbell Collegiate that was just scraping by and looking to drop out stayed in school and graduated at Currie’s request.

    People “upped their game” due to Currie no matter what walk of life they were in.

    What was more amazing was the fact Currie coached and taught at a time through the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s when it was unheard of to inspire people by treating them with respect. He inspired people to be better persons at a time when most coaches motivated through intimidation and fear. Currie never dipped into the intimidation and fear tactics that were prominent in his time.

    As a result of Currie’s approach, the results did look after themselves, as his coaching career resulted in numerous championships. One of those championships included his last game as Rams head coach in 1976, when he guided them to a CJFL title with 45-23 victory over the Hamilton Hurricanes before over 10,000 spectators at Taylor Field.

An old Leader-Post page paying tribute to Gord Currie.

    Everyone that came to his celebration of life had some memory of meeting Currie and feeling better about themselves. Even if you only dealt with him two or three times in your life, Currie still remembered you, and you came away feeling better about yourself.

    If you wanted to write a tribute about all the great things Currie did in his life, you could spend an endless amount of time doing that.

    Those that knew Currie would know the best tribute you could give to the late coach is just working to be the best person you can be every day and do your best to make a positive impact on your community and in life.

    That is also a great lesson everyone can follow and an enduring one coming from arguably the most legendary amateur coach in Saskatchewan.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.