 |
| Most regular people can’t comprehend the work Tyler Chow (#5) put in. |
That is a question I have been struggling with for the past
two years, especially looking at the sports scene in Canada. I don’t think the
regular person realizes how hard today’s athlete has to work at their craft to
be good at the elite levels of sport, unless the regular person worked in elite
athletes in recent time in some capacity.
I feel like there is a perception out there that lives of
elite level athletes are like what had been before the late 1990s when year
round training came into vogue.
Before the late 1990s came around, there was a period of a
good 80 to 90 years where the commonly viewed approach to elite athletics was
the same.
You basically showed up at training camp to get into shape and
take part in practices and games. When you were not participating in a practice
or a game, you likely weren’t doing something specific to your sport.
You were doing normal real life things like tending to
family matters, participating in social activities or even working a regular
job in the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours.
Actually, the elite athlete in the old days was viewed as a regular person who happened to be good at sports.
Actually, the elite athlete in the old days was viewed as a regular person who happened to be good at sports.
 |
| Most regular persons wouldn’t understand Libby Epoch’s joy for basketball. |
For example, if you played hockey in the winter you might
play baseball in the summer.
If you worked out or lifted weights during a season, you
likely got teased by your teammates.
In the late 60s and early 70s, it was common for players in
a sport like in professional tackle football to sit back, drink a coffee or
smoke a cigarette at halftime.
If you are an elite athlete in the current day in Canada, your
sport is your full-time job, and it seems like you are doing something sports
specific year round.
There are very few athletes that participate in two sports
at an elite level like Saskatoon’s Kaitlin Jockims, who is gifted in both
hockey and basketball.
The off-season conditioning programs of the current day are
far more advanced and evolved than those offered in the early 1990s. If you
visit a training facility like Ignite Athletics in Saskatoon, you will end up
getting an education in core conditioning and be surprised how much goes into
getting physically prepared for sport at the elite level.
Most regular persons have never stepped into a facility like
Ignite Athletics and would be shocked at what all happens there under the
guidance of the facility’s outstanding staff.
 |
| Kaitlin Jockims is the rare star in two sports at the elite level. |
In hockey, you are already starting to execute the systems a
team wants to use during the regular season and playoffs. When the regular
season starts, you hit the ice going at full pace.
Regular persons would be shocked at how much time goes into
video preparation.
Even eating is different. Elite athletes are very aware
about eating healthy. Even if they are out at a social function where alcohol
is present, elite athletes will be aware about even having one alcoholic drink
and might not even have an alcoholic drink at all.
In athletics at the university level and even in major
junior hockey just 10 years ago, athletes often looked forward to the Saturday
game, because afterwards you were usually allowed to go out and party on a
non-curfew night.
That was usually time elite athletes in those sports were
able to let loose and have fun, because in university you didn’t play a game
again until the upcoming Friday.
In major junior hockey, you usually went out
and socialized on the Saturday if you next game wasn’t until Wednesday.
Now, university athletes and major junior hockey players are worried about rest and recovery after the Saturday game even if a long break follows. In those situations, you often find players holding a protein shake and finishing off a cool down after visiting family.
 |
| Jaime Bourbonnais - a highly talented athlete who works hard. |
Now, university athletes and major junior hockey players are worried about rest and recovery after the Saturday game even if a long break follows. In those situations, you often find players holding a protein shake and finishing off a cool down after visiting family.
If teams go out on average twice every four months on a
social outing these days, that is a lot.
Even in curling which has always been viewed as the most social
of sports, the athletes in that sport are now perfectly conditioned. The elite
curlers aren’t stopping at the curling club lounge to have an alcoholic drink
after their games, which was commonplace in the past.
Most regular persons wouldn’t image putting all of that
attention in to be able to do a sport. Also with the way the world has changed,
most regular persons in Canada are often focused on the hustle and bustle of
their own lives trying to get by.
The goal is often to go on a vacation to a tropical spot
like Hawaii. In most cases, the regular person worries about themselves and
finds anything outside of their worlds as being irrelevant.
Most of today’s elite athletes put full-time job efforts
into their sport for very little financial reward.
The number of athletes that
reaches the level to make millions at the professional level is a very small
fraction of the elite athletes who have tried to get to that spot.
For most regular persons, it is all about the financial reward. They are better off financially working a full-time job than most elite athletes and will view those elite athletes as being stupid.
 |
| Rylan Kleiter excels at football and curling. |
For most regular persons, it is all about the financial reward. They are better off financially working a full-time job than most elite athletes and will view those elite athletes as being stupid.
The regular person can’t see positive traits elite athletes
establish in pursuing their sport. Some of those traits and skills are better
social skills, strong work ethic, teamwork and leadership skills.
Due to the fact today’s elite athletes focus on their sports
more than ever before, they don’t interact as much with persons in the regular
work world. As a result, regular persons have no emotional investment in elite
athletes.
So yes, I believe there is a disconnection between regular
persons and elite athletes in Canada in today’s world.
The regular person just can’t get why elite athletes do what
they do.
Dach watch intensifies for Blades fans
 |
| Kirby Dach has signed with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. |
On Monday,
the 18-year-old product of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., signed a three year NHL
entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks selected Dach
in the first round and third overall in the NHL Entry Draft held in June.
Due to
Dach’s early draft selection and now that he has a signed NHL contract, the
odds have increased that he could play in the NHL next season.
As Dach
hasn’t entered his overage season of junior eligibility, the Blackhawks have to
return him to the major junior ranks if they don’t elect to have him play in
the NHL.
Last
season, Dach, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 200 pounds, appeared in 62 regular
season games with the Blades last season posting 25 goals, 48 assists and a
plus-15 rating in the plus-minus department.
He helped
the Blades finish fourth overall in the WHL’s regular season standings at
45-15-8 and advance to the second round of the playoffs. The Blades fell in six
games in the second round to the eventual WHL champion Prince Albert Raiders.
If Dach
makes the NHL this season, most would be happy for his success. The Blades
would take that development as a good thing and move on as best they can.
“Texan Sniper” takes his talents to Switzerland
 |
| Max Gerlach is going to be sniping in pros in Switzerland. |
On
Wednesday, the former Saskatoon Blades standout, who is nicknamed the “Texan
Sniper,” signed a one-year contract with HC Ambri-Piotta in Quinto,
Switzerland. He will be loaned to the HCB Ticino Rockets in Biasca,
Switzerland.
Last
season, Gerlach played out his overage major junior campaign with the Blades
appearing in all of the team’s 68 regular season games posting 42 goals, 32
assists and a plus-seven rating in the plus-minus department.
He played
four seasons in the WHL split between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Blades
recording 141 goals and 110 assists in 278 career regular season games.
The product
of Flower Mound, Texas, who stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 165 pounds, was a fan
favourite in both of his WHL stops.
Nickolet departs Blades for NHL’s Hurricanes
On
Thursday, Nickolet joined the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes as an amateur scout.
Last season, Nickolet was the Blades director of analytics for the WHL and one
of their scouts in Saskatchewan.
He first
joined the Blades way back in 2011-12 as the team’s communications manager.
Nickolet was on the Blades scouting staff for the past four seasons.
His time
with the Blades was broken up being a prospect analyst for one season with the
NHL’s Florida Panthers.
It will be
a change for SaskTel Centre building staff and team supporters to no longer see
Nickolet around the rink on a regular basis. He got along well with everyone,
and you can bet those that know him are happy to see this opportunity come his
way.
Raiders’ Leason signs NHL deal with Capitals
 |
| Brett Leason has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. |
On
Thursday, Leason signed a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the
Washington Capitals. The Capitals selected Leason in the second round and 56th
overall in the NHL Entry Draft held this past June.
Last
season, Leason, who stand 6-foot-4 and weighs 210 pounds, had a breakout year
with the Raiders posting 36 goals, 53 assists and a plus-55 rating in the
plus-minus department in 55 regular season games.
He helped the Raiders finish first overall in the WHL
regular season with a 54-10-2-2 record and win their second WHL title and
appear in the Memorial Cup tournament. In the WHL playoffs, Leason posted 10
goals and 15 assists for 25 points and a plus-six rating in 22 games.
The Calgary, Alta., product also earned a spot on Canada’s
team at the last world junior tournament played in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.
Leason is
eligible to return to the Raiders for an overage campaign, but he will likely
play somewhere in the Capitals system next season.
Raiders’ Protas also signs with Capitals
 |
| Aliaksei Protas, left, has signed with the NHL’s Washington Capitals. |
On Wednesday,
Protas, who is from Vitebsk, Belarus, signed a three-year NHL entry-level
contract with the Washington Capitals. The Capitals selected Protas in the
third round in and 91st overall in the NHL Entry Draft that was held
this past June.
Protas, who
is 18-years-old, signed a day before his linemate in right-winger Brett Leason
inked a three-year NHL entry-level contract with the Capitals.
Protas, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 205 pounds, was a WHL
rookie in the 2018-19 campaign, and he steadily improved posting 11 goals, 29
assists and a plus-24 rating in 61 regular season games. He had a head turning
WHL playoffs posting 12 goals, 10 assists and a plus-12 rating in 23 games
helping the Raiders win a league title.
Protas will likely rejoin the Raiders next season for a
sophomore campaign unless he makes the Capitals NHL team.
Football Canada Cup Hail Mary something to
see
If a television-type
broadcast camera had been present, the Football Canada Cup would have had a
highlight that could have potentially on viral across North America.
This year’s
Football Canada Cup is going on right now in Kingston, Ont., the first of two
semifinal games held on Wednesday provided a crazy highlight.
In the
first semifinal, Team Quebec led Team Alberta 23-16 with one snap to go in the
fourth quarter and Alberta had the ball around midfield. Alberta quarterback Eli
Hetlinger fired a Hail Mary pass down the right sideline that deflected off the
hands of two Quebec defensive backs to Alberta receiver Dawson Gladue.
Gladue
secured the catch at the Quebec 16 yard-line and raced the rest of the way for
a touchdown that forced a 23-23 tie score and overtime.
Quebec
prevailed 29-27 after a fourth set of overtime possessions.
Gladue’s
touchdown catch was shown on TSN, but the cameras used for the Internet
telecast of the game weren’t the best quality. The score still looked good on
the overhead shot, but it could have been better.
Had there
been a television broadcast quality camera present, you would have had a crazy
highlight that could have been shown anywhere.
There are
NCAA athletic programs in the United States that have Internet broadcast
quality cameras that are almost as good as television broadcast cameras.
Unfortunately,
sports bodies in Canada don’t have that type of money to purchase technology
that is used by the top end NCAA athletic programs.
Gladue will
always have that lasting memory of his catch. Still, it could have been bigger
moment for amateur sports in Canada.
Final Play: @FootballAlberta sends it to overtime in the Canada Cup semifinals. #TryFootball @FootballCanada pic.twitter.com/pI9knpuuzH— CFL (@CFL) July 12, 2019
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
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.
