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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
Total Eclipse
April 8, 2024. A star gazers delight. Millions journey significant distances to view a total solar eclipse, those precious few minutes...
hydesollie
Apr 11, 20244 min read
Dreamtime
Mid December. Pitch black. It is 450am. A cloak of darkness envelopes our family’s rental car. We edge our way slowly from the parking...
hydesollie
Mar 6, 20244 min read
Bucket List
I can’t claim to know Taylor Swift. And she certainly does not know me. If we passed each other in the street, I wouldn’t recognize her....
hydesollie
Feb 26, 20244 min read
The House
“There are no strangers here; only friends we have not yet met.” So wrote WB Yeats, the brilliant poet and dramatist. One of the...
hydesollie
Jan 21, 20244 min read
La Sociedad de la Nieve
The event, in the end a 72-day odyssey, takes place a half century ago. Nonetheless, the story and its extreme circumstances resonate...
hydesollie
Jan 10, 20245 min read
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...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Oct 19, 20234 min read
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 8, 20233 min read
Great Man
Mid September. The parking lot is jammed. Hikers of all descriptions empty from their vehicles, start preparing for an afternoon’s...
Ian Hyde-Lay
Oct 2, 20234 min read
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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Aug 17, 20234 min read
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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May 7, 20234 min read
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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Apr 3, 20234 min read
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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Feb 22, 20234 min read
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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Nov 14, 20224 min read
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 13, 20224 min read
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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Jul 4, 20224 min read
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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Jun 25, 20224 min read
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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Apr 18, 20224 min read
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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Feb 8, 20224 min read
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 27, 20224 min read
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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Jan 4, 20224 min read
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