Today is my birthday, my personal new year, and a time for a lot of reflection. The World Floorball Championship's North American Qualifiers is in 78 days, so here it goes.
Seven years ago, I embarked on my international floorball journey. I thought I was the shit - I was playing floorball in our Toronto league, and had been totally immersed in field/ball/floor hockey. When we landed in Sweden for the 2009 World Floorball Championships in Vasteras, we hit the ground running...and HARD. It was the single most humbling experience of my life, and one that has shaped me in so many ways. I would not be where I am today without my teammates, that incredible competition, and our tough Finnish coach - the only female head coach Canadian floorball has ever had.
Six things I learned from that adventure:
1. Hockey ≠ Floorball
Yeah, they've both got sticks and the object of the game is shoot something into a net defended by a goaltender, but these are two totally different sports! There are certainly many similarities, but until you understand the subtle nuances, you won't appreciate floorball for the beautiful finesse team sport that is. The tactics, speed, and dangles are on a whole different level.
2. A good coach is constantly fluid and transparent.
You know those high school teachers that make you feel like you've let them down personally and that in itself makes you try even harder next time without realizing it? The ones you think are jerks until you look back and understand how their disappointment was because they actually believed in you? Kati was a hardass. But if you busted your ass and showed that you learned something, she acknowledged that with a proverbial slap on the back (and she let you know where and when you needed to improve). Whether it was more playing time, being moved to a different line, she was never stuck in a single mindset, and that meant you, as a player, were never static either - whether you were playing on the first or fourth line, everyone was held accountable. Game time was earned, not given, and efforts were always recognized. She knew floorball inside out, which probably contributed to her comfort in making changes on the fly. If a line wasn't working well, she recognized those opportunities and would constantly modify plans for immediate results. I suppose part of this would be in recognizing your own faults as well and not being stubborn. I mean, if the square peg isn't fitting into the round hole, maybe it's time to find a different solution, right? And let's be real, we still got destroyed in the overall competition, but our final results did not reflect her coaching and her attitude spoke volumes and taught me things that I will never forget.
3. Washing your gear in the bathtub is a bad idea.
When you're on the road and have daily practices, followed by intense games in the evening, you sweat like you've never sweat before from places that only Lord knows how sweat is produced. But if you're a low-budget grassroots amateur athlete, that means you probably don't have the luxury of multiple practice jerseys or someone doing your laundry between sessions (unless your mom is staying in another hotel that has laundry facilities - hi, Mrs. Lynch!). So, if you decide to take matters into your own hands and use the bathtub to refresh your increasingly dank gear, make sure you have sufficient drying time. Otherwise, this will happen:
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| When you smell so bad, you can't be in the team photo. Photo c/o Tiffany Talbot. |
4. Never stop practicing.
The old cliche "Practice Makes Perfect" is bullshit. No one is perfect. Even if you played 100,000+ hours, there is always room to improve. Even if you reach an untouchable status, you don't just get to perch there and relax. Skill is not a place that you simply arrive at - it is a constant state of purposeful action and practice.
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| Ugh, this "Brotip" is truth though. Someone make a better meme thing. |
5. Team camaraderie is worth more than anything else.
Camaraderie is defined as the "mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together" and is one of the most underrated elements of success. As an athlete who plays team sports, I can't stress enough how important this is. When you know, without looking, that your teammate is there for that pass (OK OK, no blind passes though), when you miss that block, but you know your goalie's got eyes on that shot anyway, when you take a shot knowing your teammate is there for the rebound, when you know your teammates are gonna call you out but still tell you you're amazing either way...these things are immeasurable. People discount team chemistry, but it is something that is not borne overnight from thin air. Your individual skill is only a tiny factor. My favourite quote from Aristotle sums it up:
6. Age ain't nothing but a number.
It is my birthday after all. As one of the eldest members of this year's team, and as a woman in a still sexist agist society, weird negative feelings can creep into your conscience. That being said, I have never been afraid of getting older - it is a privilege. I hope to be a leathery old lady one day, doing morning runs through the woods, sipping wine on the dock, and giving the zero fucks that I have earned with age. Still, I want to point out that women actually peak in their 30s. (HOLLLLLAAAAA.) I can't forget at the WFC 2013, Team Russia set a record with a 50 year old player on their roster. I have a whole post actually, on amazing female athletes over 30. Don't think that youth trumps all. You know every time playoffs roll around and sportscasters everywhere dissect the differences between young teams and experienced teams? And who wins every. single. time? EXPERIENCE. But, remember point #1 about humble pie...that also comes with age. ;)
Happy birthday to me. Here's to playing floorball and staying active until my body and brain can literally no longer do it anymore.
