WFC2014: are you watching?

Canada's Men's National team is competing in this year's Men's World Floorball Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.  They have already played three games (what a grueling schedule!) and have been doing awesome. I finally got a chance to watch the game against Russia this afternoon, and it was a nail biter! Glad to see the boys pulled through and kept it up until the very end, which means that we advance to the quarter-finals.

Love that IFF streams all the games on YouTube. It's one thing to watch stats being updated over here at home, but it's quite something to be able to witness the glory of my countrymen, and also have a glimpse at the world's very best floorball players. All I can do is gape in awe of their skill, take notes, keep practicing, and dream of the next WFC.

Good luck in the next round, Team Canada - we're so proud of you!

Photo: Rasmus Tynander

Captain Lauri Hannelius (AKA the brother of Johanna Laurila, my beloved teammate
and one of my favourite female floorballers.)

halftime.

This past Sunday marked the end of the first half of the Toronto United Floorball League's 2014-2015 season.  Darkside FC is doing well, as expected.  I haven't really been posting about our results, other than a few tweets whenever I remember. Our defensive lines have had the most fluctuation so far - we have had an awesome addition in Brad H, whose good hands and calm demeanour have meant a lot, and some unfortunate losses, like Jim M and Nuudia LK.  Thinking about what direction to head, coming into the new year. We have had a few typical red cards when our passion has gotten the best of us, but we have definitely gelled as a team.  We've gone out a few times for post-game beers so far and it has always been enjoyable. Just need a bar sponsor!

This has been my best league start yet.  In 8 games, I have racked up 6+3. (Our 10th game was a default win, which skews the stats a bit...though I also put up a point in the competitive scrimmage we had in lieu.)  I am definitely settling into playing more defensively, especially as a centre.  It took a lot of effort to work out bad offensive habits, but if the bruises on my legs have anything to say, it is that my knack for blocking shots has exponentially increased. It's too bad that good defense is not quantified, as it is defense that wins championships.  However, I am (mostly) happy personally with my performance, and hope that this will be reflected in the upcoming national team selection (fingers crossed). Roster is being posted sometime between now and Christmas.  I am nervous, but will be prepared either way.

"new year" resolutions.

I turned 29 this past week.  I treat my birthday as my personal new year, because it is truly a tangible measurement of accomplishments and goals in my life. One of my resolutions is to prioritize recording my thoughts and experiences, especially my floorball life, which, let's face it, is the majority of my life. I have a ton of drafts saved from this past year...either entries that were really emotional after a tough loss, apprehensive before a big tryout, and I still have yet to share very detailed accounts of my big floorball Eurotrip from one year ago. I will post these, for myself.

I am my harshest critic and one with pretty severe OCPD traits. I have reached a point where I need to face that paralyzing fear and just do shit, and it doesn't have to be perfectly timed or written eloquently or filled with professional type photos. Ain't nobody got time for that kind of shit.

Training camp is on Sunday and I am nervous, as always. This is the first time I have made a cut cleanly.  This is the first time I will be doing a national floorball thing without Lisa, and I am scared because she is my floorball rock. She is always calm in the face of a storm and is my wall.  I need to accept that I will be doing this without her, and that I should become this figure to someone.  It's time to forge new relationships and stop dichotomizing the unknowns in my life.

How ironic that once you get to the point of being united with your teammates, you have to face a common "enemy".  Where am I going with this...Before I can spend expend any energy imagining smashing the Americans, right now, I have to muster enough fight to make the Top 20.