🎯 Bull's Eye
Feeling better than I have in a long time
Hockey
In my last letter my local ice hockey team the Bulls were a day out from playing minor-premiers The Blades in the league grand-final. I was feeling bitter-sweet about the forthcoming final because even though we were on such a high from our recent performances, it was looking like we wouldn’t have anyone to share it with. The rink had turned away, and ushered out, spectators all season. Furthermore, the final was scheduled for 8:45pm on Sunday night with no indication of whether spectators would be turned away at this game as well.
This bitter-sweet feeling was in stark contrast to the excitement I had towards last year’s final, held on a Saturday afternoon. Even though spectators hadn’t been allowed during last year’s season either, they had been allowed during the play-offs. With the family-friendly time slot the game was very well attended. You could feel the energy and atmosphere generated by the crowd - and in particular the excitement of the kids in attendance. The crowd lifted the quality and intensity of the tightly contested game. It was thrilling to be a part of! Furthermore, the game was also a very special milestone for me. It was my first season back playing ice hockey since my diagnosis and the first time many of my family had been able to watch me play that season.
Unfortunately, this year’s confirmation that spectators would be able to attend the final was only granted in the 11th hour. This, combined with the game being scheduled for 8:45pm on a Sunday night, was far less accessible for families. Subsequently, it sadly had less of a community feel. But a number of brave souls did make the effort to come out, including my good friend from
.The Game
Last year’s game against the Blades was tightly contested and hard-fought, with the result of the game hanging in the balance until the final minutes of the third period. This year, I felt like we controlled the game from the start. We pulled away to a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period. In the second period we had extended this lead to 4-0. The final period ended 5-1 in our favour. With that, another year of hockey in the capital came to a close and the Bull’s secured their 8th premiership in the top division since 2010.
The State of the League
The top ACT league, that the Bull’s compete in, has seen fewer teams entering in recent years — this year consisting of only four teams. The second division has over nine teams and the disparity in team numbers between the two leagues is unlikely to change any time soon. This is due, in part, to the difference in player ability between the two leagues and consequently there being no formalised promotion system. The first division is mainly comprised of current and ex national team players, Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) players or players who grew up playing the sport. The second division typically comprises of players who started playing hockey at an older age. In an analysis conducted by ESPN, and other similar surveys, ice hockey consistently ranks as one of the most difficult sports to master. Exacerbating the problem is the significant barrier of entry caused by both the high cost of gear and ice time and the limited ice time opportunities available in Australia, especially in Canberra. As a result, a significant gap emerges in player skill levels depending on their starting age and the ice time they’ve had available to them.
I would love to see a unified ACT league, but at this stage, I don’t think it would be beneficial for the sport. However, without a unified league, the consequence is that the top league will continue to struggle with viability. The top league is facing dwindling player numbers, increasing costs for ice time in a sub-standard facility and the available time-slots becoming less and less desirable for players. Fortunately, the ACT Government has committed to building a new ice sports facility in Tuggeranong with an expected completion date in 2025. I honestly can’t wait! It will do so much good for the ice sports community and I hope it will invigorate the local ice hockey leagues at all levels.
Fitness
Winter illness and playing ice hockey was having a significant toll on my health and fatigue levels. Since finishing the season, I have transitioned from one high intensity activity per week, with a significant fatigue debt, to daily low / moderate intensity activities. This has been far more sustainable and I am feeling so much better from being able to achieve some consistency with my exercise. Accompanying my shift in exercise protocol, I have made significant adjustments to my phone use, nutrition, sleep and stress management - including deliberate hot and cold exposure, and I am honestly feeling the best I have since my last remission in 2018. Each of these topics warrants its own letter, because without these changes I think I would be running on fumes like I was at the end of last year. Many of these changes have been inspired by my Writing 4 Resilience friends. We’re a community of writers who are striving to build resilience in our local community with the goal of making Canberra suicide free by 2033. I would encourage you to check out their Substacks below.
The Summer Break
A few months ago I felt deeply exhausted and overwhelmed. I had been running on fumes for a while. To exacerbate the problem, the end of the year was filling up with interstate travel and commitments. With everything ahead of me, I didn’t know how I was going to manage to get through to the studio’s close down in late December. Furthermore, if the first…
Can confirm the Bulls comfortable controlled the entire game and it was so awesome to watch! It's a shame they don't capitalise on advertising and encouraging spectators as this exposure can spark a new interested in the sport with resulting growth.
LLLEEESSSSGGGGOOOOO!!!