Off of here until July

Set to head out on a bike ride in early May.

For about a couple of weeks, I’ve kind been looking forward to taking a break from this blog.

I kind of felt I’ve needed to take a break in order to get refreshed.

I like the fact the last post I wrote before this one was a quoter piece from catch up interviews I did with sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley, who won an NCAA title together playing for the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team. Both skilled forwards are outstanding persons, and I’ve enjoyed seeing them grow in the sport and in life since moving to Saskatoon in the summer of 2014.

I caught up with the Shirley sisters for Your Saskatoon News, and I had lots leftover for another piece.

Even when I was using the leftover quotes to craft a piece for this blog, the writing part wasn’t coming easy. I also started swearing at the computer when I was hitting glitches in the editing and layout phases.

I got frustrated when a feature on the blog platform I used stopped working like it used to.

I took those moments as another sign that I needed a break.

My break from this blog will run the rest of June and the next post is slated for July 3. On July 3, I will say I am either extending my break or I will have some sort post that kicks me back into action.

The other reason I am taking a break is because I haven’t taken a break from producing content for this blog since January 2020, which was before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gripped the world and really started to impact life in North America on March 11, 2020.

A wall of pictures I’ve taken at sports events over the years.

I have been fortunate enough to work through the pandemic as the communications coordinator with the Gordie Howe Sports Complex and on freelance opportunities that came up. The freelance opportunities have been far less than they were before the pandemic, but they have still come and been a nice bonus.

Still, I use this blog as my main outlet to cover the sports scene focusing on the WHL, U Sports, CJFL and SFU18AAAHL. A lot of the focus is on those scenes in Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

Columns about the NLL mainly involving the Saskatchewan Rush, CFL, NHL and other sports and topics outside of the sports world get thrown in too. I actually have to admit that while I am not a big lacrosse guy, covering the Rush has been extremely fun over the years, and I enjoyed that scene way more than I thought I would.

During busy WHL playoff runs which occurred before the pandemic, it is common for me to put posts up on this blog on a daily basis.

With that noted, the mind hits times where it needs to rest and refresh. Writing about the ups and downs of the sports world during these pandemic times dating back to March 11, 2020 has been challenging.

I am actually one of those that constantly fact checks sources to ensure facts are right. Fact checking items and weaving through social media battles between people has been taxing.

In my other work environments, I am still tracking how things are unfolding in the pandemic.

I’m surrounded by mementos in my basement workout room.

I just want to get a break from continuing that tracking on this blog.

On Wednesday, I saw the International Ice Hockey Federation announced the women’s worlds will run Aug. 20-31 in Calgary. While this was an upbeat update, I still need a break from being plugged in and keeping up on updates like that.

With the ups and downs of the pandemic, I’ve found the local sports world that I deal with has had its toxic times too. The out there emotions are understandable as coaches and administrators have poured their souls into get sports going again and have encountered many frustrations.

I don’t hold any of those emotions in upset times against anyone.

For myself, I just need to step away from that toxicity for a bit.

I also know as we work towards a new normal as vaccines for COVID-19 roll out that the sports world will build into a new normal.

In Canada, the sports world that existed on March 10, 2020 won’t be coming back in the new normal. There have already been changes like the elimination of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns men’s and women’s hockey teams, the retirement of Dave Adolph as the head coach of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s hockey team and Bruce Urban selling the Rush to the Priestner family.

A display of some pictures I’ve taken over the years.

Those are just some of the changes that have crossed my mind, but there are many more than that.

I want to take some time to step back to get a different look at how the sports world locally and in Canada is going to fall into place without writing about that process on a regular basis. As the sports world locally and in Canada falls into place, I will evaluate how I will fit into that new world.

Besides the sports side of things, my social calendar for 2020 was packed with items pre-pandemic that got called off. In the sort out going forward, some of those social functions at the moment are slated to come back include a big family wedding which I need to devote time and attention to.

I don’t think I will ever stop producing this blog. It is something that is mine.

When I have to make space and time to produce posts for this blog, I have told people to (*explanative*) off in some extreme cases. I have worked regularly to 1 a.m. or 3 a.m. when I am in the process of producing a post that I feel is really good.

Back when I first started to write this blog in the final five months of 2014, I thought I would just focus on writing about the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams as my way to stay linked to sports.

From that simple expectation, I’ve lost track of all the cool things I’ve done. I’ve covered numerous championship wins involving the Saskatoon Hilltops, Saskatoon Valkyries and Saskatoon Stars.

I covered a Bears OT win on Nov. 21, 2020.

I renewed links with Prince Albert covering the Raiders and the Northern Bears.

Covering the Raiders 3-2 overtime win in Game 7 of the WHL Championship Series will always be an all-time highlight.

I’ve made numerous memories on the WHL circuit the majority involving the Raiders, Saskatoon Blades, Regina Pats, Swift Current Broncos, Moose Jaw Warriors, Medicine Hat Tigers, Brandon Wheat Kings and Red Deer Rebels.

There have been many special memories involving the Huskies hockey teams and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team.

I enjoyed getting to follow the hockey careers of my young cousins Nelson and Danielle Nogier. It was a different unique special to cover Nelson playing games with the Blades and Rebels and Danielle suiting up with the Stars and Huskies.

Covering the 4 Nations Cup women’s hockey tournament in Saskatoon in November of 2018 was a huge highlight too.

I’ve had so many great experiences come my way through this blog, so I can’t see ever at this time permanently giving it up.

For now, I am walking away for an extended time in order to get a break and get refreshed. Hopefully, I can get is some good coffee visits like one I had a few weeks back with Tim Shirley.

No matter what I am always busy in the home office.

So in the mean time and in between time, I hope you all stay healthy and safe and handle each day the best way you can.

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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