Thursday, 12 July 2012
From N E Lincolnshire to.....
Following on from the post below, I can say that I have again been selected to be a Chaplain at the Olympic Games.......but, for security reasons, I can't say where I'll be serving. Nor can I do a daily blog. However, I and my fellow chaplains do value the prayer support provided by those who follow this blog. I will be keeping a diary for my own sake, and can turn this into regular emailed prayer bulletins for those who want to receive them. Do get in touch with your email address if you'd like to support us in this way.
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
One year to London 2012
One year today is the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Will I be there as a chaplain or not? The simple answer is I don't yet know! Like other sports chaplains the the UK, I have applied, and am waiting to hear. (The selection system is different if you're a 'home chaplain' applicant than it is if you're an 'international chaplain', which is the list I've come under in the past.)
The other unknown is due to the fact that my own personal circumstances have changed since my last post below from the Women's Rugby World Cup last year. Having been unable to secure sustainable and longterm funding to stay in sports chaplaincy either at Loughborough or elsewhere, I looked for another role.....and was appointed to be 'Urban and Industrial Chaplain in North East Lincolnshire'. I took up this post in September last year - moving house only 9 days after the WRWC finished! Due to taking up this post, I had to relinquish a place I had to serve as a Chaplain at last year's Commonwealth Games. All this, explains wny there've been no blog posts recently.
Although I miss regular sports involvement, I thoroughly enjoy my new job. I do hope to develop some sports chaplaincy involvement locally though, so watch this space....
When I know more about either that or my potential involvement in London 2012 and/or other sports chaplaincy activities, it'll be posted here. In the meantime, you might want to take a look at the blog that goes with my role as 'Urban and Industrial Chaplain in North East Lincolnshire'
The other unknown is due to the fact that my own personal circumstances have changed since my last post below from the Women's Rugby World Cup last year. Having been unable to secure sustainable and longterm funding to stay in sports chaplaincy either at Loughborough or elsewhere, I looked for another role.....and was appointed to be 'Urban and Industrial Chaplain in North East Lincolnshire'. I took up this post in September last year - moving house only 9 days after the WRWC finished! Due to taking up this post, I had to relinquish a place I had to serve as a Chaplain at last year's Commonwealth Games. All this, explains wny there've been no blog posts recently.
Although I miss regular sports involvement, I thoroughly enjoy my new job. I do hope to develop some sports chaplaincy involvement locally though, so watch this space....
When I know more about either that or my potential involvement in London 2012 and/or other sports chaplaincy activities, it'll be posted here. In the meantime, you might want to take a look at the blog that goes with my role as 'Urban and Industrial Chaplain in North East Lincolnshire'
http://www.lincschaplaincy.org.uk/blogs/marys_blog or to follow me on Twitter where I'm known as @NELincsChaplain
Saturday, 4 September 2010
Tag Rugby and Semi-finals, both in one day
Tuesday was a day off from the WRWC for me, though not a day off from ministry. As I'm due to move house soon, I had a meeting fixed that day to induct a new team of chaplains at my local ASDA store where I''ve been Chaplaincy Team Leader for just over a year, and a chaplain for a year before that. As well as finding a new team leader, I'd managed to find two more new chaplains in addition, so hopefully a strengthened team will allow this ministry to grow and flourish into the future.
Returning to Guildford on Wednesday for semi-finals day, I was sad to see that some of the infrastructure around the match pitches had disappeared. I'd seen the beginnings of this before I left, but was sad to see how much had gone. This is because some of the focus now moves to The Stoop in Twickenham, as that is where the top 4 teams now play their games, whilst only the remaining 8 teams play in Guildford. Whilst this is great for those in the top 4, I can't help feeling that this is not good for those who remain here, and it seems partly to undo the positive emphasis at the beginning of the tournament that in this world cup everyone has things to play for right up until the last day, unlike those perhaps more usual tournaments when a team or player goes home as soon as they've been knocked out.
At 1pm a number of people from local churches arrived to take part in a Community Tag Rugby session. This was something that Dave and I had been involved in planning with the RFU alongside the chaplaincy. Originally a wider community day, it had turned into a Faith Communities session somewhere along the way. This proved to be good fun, and was for all ages and genders; and all who attended where able to stay and watch today's 4 matches in Guildford for free.
Most of the afternoon was spent around the match pitches, talking with volunteers, staff and spectators, as well as watching some of the rugby - this was particularly important for me as I'd promised one of my pool teams that I'd do so, as I've got to know a number of their players (this was the team who invited me to their team meeting in week 1 to introduce the idea of chaplaincy). Part of the evening was spent manning the Oasis and part in the bar watching the England match on TV with a number of the squads and volunteers.
Returning to Guildford on Wednesday for semi-finals day, I was sad to see that some of the infrastructure around the match pitches had disappeared. I'd seen the beginnings of this before I left, but was sad to see how much had gone. This is because some of the focus now moves to The Stoop in Twickenham, as that is where the top 4 teams now play their games, whilst only the remaining 8 teams play in Guildford. Whilst this is great for those in the top 4, I can't help feeling that this is not good for those who remain here, and it seems partly to undo the positive emphasis at the beginning of the tournament that in this world cup everyone has things to play for right up until the last day, unlike those perhaps more usual tournaments when a team or player goes home as soon as they've been knocked out.
At 1pm a number of people from local churches arrived to take part in a Community Tag Rugby session. This was something that Dave and I had been involved in planning with the RFU alongside the chaplaincy. Originally a wider community day, it had turned into a Faith Communities session somewhere along the way. This proved to be good fun, and was for all ages and genders; and all who attended where able to stay and watch today's 4 matches in Guildford for free.
Most of the afternoon was spent around the match pitches, talking with volunteers, staff and spectators, as well as watching some of the rugby - this was particularly important for me as I'd promised one of my pool teams that I'd do so, as I've got to know a number of their players (this was the team who invited me to their team meeting in week 1 to introduce the idea of chaplaincy). Part of the evening was spent manning the Oasis and part in the bar watching the England match on TV with a number of the squads and volunteers.
Bank Holiday Monday
Another morning shift today, and it was interesting to contrast the unusual quietness of a Bank Holiday Monday as I drove in from the village where I'm staying with the atmosphere at the venue where everything was happening much as it has for the last 2 weeks. Later on, explaining to a couple of players who were waiting for a bus to go into Guildford, that they might be less frequent than usual as it was a holiday weekend, I was asked what event or whatever we were marking with this holiday! This made me realise that I didn't really know - I don't think it commemorates anything in particular (does it?) but it made me realise afresh just how much we take things that happen our own country for granted on occasions.
After the morning stint in the Oasis of Silence, I manged to book the same room that we had last night, for tonight's Games Night which was brilliant. I also arranged a buggy to transport things there from the Oasis - a local church youth organisation has very kindly and generously lent us games such as giant Jenga and giant Connect 4, as well as loads of board games plus both a Wii and PS4, so it would have taken many many trips for the 3 of us on duty during the afternoon and evening if we'd had to carry them by hand.
The rest of the day was spent visiting, and spending time at, the various training pitches, as well as the hotel where match officials are based. It was good at one of the training pitches to meet a number of family members, and chat to them for a while - chaplaincy is for them too. Later in the afternoon, I spent quite a long time with a volunteer who needed to talk about a difficult pastoral situation she finds herself in.
Having checked that everything was okay for the Games Night, I then headed home - and immediately became conscious of another aspect of Bank Holiday Mondays - lots of traffic heading home after days or weekends away!
After the morning stint in the Oasis of Silence, I manged to book the same room that we had last night, for tonight's Games Night which was brilliant. I also arranged a buggy to transport things there from the Oasis - a local church youth organisation has very kindly and generously lent us games such as giant Jenga and giant Connect 4, as well as loads of board games plus both a Wii and PS4, so it would have taken many many trips for the 3 of us on duty during the afternoon and evening if we'd had to carry them by hand.
The rest of the day was spent visiting, and spending time at, the various training pitches, as well as the hotel where match officials are based. It was good at one of the training pitches to meet a number of family members, and chat to them for a while - chaplaincy is for them too. Later in the afternoon, I spent quite a long time with a volunteer who needed to talk about a difficult pastoral situation she finds herself in.
Having checked that everything was okay for the Games Night, I then headed home - and immediately became conscious of another aspect of Bank Holiday Mondays - lots of traffic heading home after days or weekends away!
Sunday's 60 second sermon
Sunday saw my earliest start so far, as I was at Surrey Sports Park before 7:30am in order to find a quiet spot with good mobile phone reception so that BBC Radio Surrey could ring me. Having been into their studio on Tuesday to record a "60 second sermon", the plan was for them to ring to chat live on air shortly before they broadcast the sermon so that it can be put into context. We had a good conversation, not just about sports chaplaincy but about chaplaincy in general. This added background, not just to the "60 second sermon" but to the interview I'd done in week 1 for their breakfast programme. Must admit though, that I don't often get asked to discuss existentialism before 8am on a Sunday morning!! (For the inquisitive, this came about because in talking about some of the things sports chaplains get involved in, I made the comment that we're not just here for the bad things of life like injury or coping with lack of success but also for things like the big questions of life such as "who am I when I'm no longer a famous athlete?" which was a question I'd spent some time discussing with an athlete at one of the previous major sports events I've ministered at.)
Being at the venue that bit earlier meant that I saw lots of players as they were on their way to breakfast and/or their morning sessions in the swimming pool, which was good. I then opened up the Oasis of Silence at 8am, but as no-one came to the 8:30am devotional I didn't get to 'preach' the aforementioned 'sermon'.
The rest of the morning was divided between the usual 'wandering around' the venue and various practical matters related to tonight's movie night - firstly being given a much more central room than the one we had last night, which was a matter for thanksgiving; then altering all the publicity we'd produced yesterday; before spending time learning how to connect everything up to, and then operate, the rather splendid audio-visual system they have installed (much more complicated - and impressive - than anything I've personally used before).
I managed to take a couple of hours off in the afternoon, and returned to find that it was very very quiet - even quieter than previous post-match days. A number of squads had gone out for all or part of the day, and I think others must have been sheltering from the torrential rain that descended mid-afternoon.
Some more visiting and admin was undertaken before setting up for the movie night. It was good that a good group of players came, from 3 different squads, all of whom thanked us for putting this on even before they'd seen the movie. It was a very good humoured and relaxed evening, with the added bonus for me that I really enjoyed the movie too, which made a day with my earliest start and latest finish not seem as long as it actually was.
Being at the venue that bit earlier meant that I saw lots of players as they were on their way to breakfast and/or their morning sessions in the swimming pool, which was good. I then opened up the Oasis of Silence at 8am, but as no-one came to the 8:30am devotional I didn't get to 'preach' the aforementioned 'sermon'.
The rest of the morning was divided between the usual 'wandering around' the venue and various practical matters related to tonight's movie night - firstly being given a much more central room than the one we had last night, which was a matter for thanksgiving; then altering all the publicity we'd produced yesterday; before spending time learning how to connect everything up to, and then operate, the rather splendid audio-visual system they have installed (much more complicated - and impressive - than anything I've personally used before).
I managed to take a couple of hours off in the afternoon, and returned to find that it was very very quiet - even quieter than previous post-match days. A number of squads had gone out for all or part of the day, and I think others must have been sheltering from the torrential rain that descended mid-afternoon.
Some more visiting and admin was undertaken before setting up for the movie night. It was good that a good group of players came, from 3 different squads, all of whom thanked us for putting this on even before they'd seen the movie. It was a very good humoured and relaxed evening, with the added bonus for me that I really enjoyed the movie too, which made a day with my earliest start and latest finish not seem as long as it actually was.
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Third match day
Saturday dawned much sunnier, drier and less breezy than the past few days, and it was easy to see the effects of this as people were hanging around outside much more, and it was easier to meet people in a relaxed way. I had a slightly later start today, and so arrived after the morning duty in the Oasis of Silence, but it was good to learn that 2 players had again come to the devotional time. After some practical tasks, we were all into match day routine - dividing our time between the match pitches and other parts of the venue. It was nice to be greeted in a friendly manner by some of the volunteers who're only here for match days - we get to know some of them quite well as they're largely stationed in the same places doing the same task each match day. Although there was again a wonderful family-type atmosphere, with spectators of all ages and also of many nationalities, there also seemed to be more tension in the air - there were not so many squad members around spectating, and many of the spectators seemed more focused - perhaps because by the end of today's 6 matches, everyone would know which 4 teams would have gained places in the semi-final play offs and so play future matches at The Stoop in Twickenham, and which 8 teams would be playing both their remaining matches here in Guildford.
In the end, it was England, New Zealand, France and Australia that gained the top 4 places. For chaplains, who're supposed in many senses to be impartial, and it was a case of "rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep".
Despite wanting to for a number of reasons, mostly to do with people I've got to know in the last two weeks, I didn't see much of the match between England and USA. This was firstly, because I was trying to make sure that an injured player who'd gone to hospital having been injured in an earlier match got chaplaincy support if she wanted it, and also through setting things up for our first movie night. In the end, no-one came, which was slightly disappointing, but at the same time we were only responding to an identified need and offering a resource or opportunity, so if no-one felt they needed or wanted it when it came to it, that's fine by us - it is responding and serving that's important.
In the end, it was England, New Zealand, France and Australia that gained the top 4 places. For chaplains, who're supposed in many senses to be impartial, and it was a case of "rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep".
Despite wanting to for a number of reasons, mostly to do with people I've got to know in the last two weeks, I didn't see much of the match between England and USA. This was firstly, because I was trying to make sure that an injured player who'd gone to hospital having been injured in an earlier match got chaplaincy support if she wanted it, and also through setting things up for our first movie night. In the end, no-one came, which was slightly disappointing, but at the same time we were only responding to an identified need and offering a resource or opportunity, so if no-one felt they needed or wanted it when it came to it, that's fine by us - it is responding and serving that's important.
The weekend (and final pool matches) approach fast
I wasn't in Guildford on Thursday, but apparently it was still quite quiet. Training had resumed in earnest, following the brief pause the day before, but apart from going to training and meals etc, people didn't venture out much as it as wet and windy again. Apparently, one chaplain even rashly promised the Aussies better weather by the weekend, but she had read the weather forecast first! One player did come to the morning devotional though, which was good, and those chaplains on duty still managed to 'loiter with intent' and meet and chat with people, both players/squad members but also staff and other volunteers - a reminder that chaplaincy at an event like this is for everyone, not just the elite sportspeople.
After a very early start at home on Friday, I was back in Guildford ready to open up the Oasis of Silence at 8am. A player from one of my pool teams again came for the morning devotional time, which was good. After that and a time of sharing with the other chaplain on duty this morning, we set about some practical tasks: One of the things that has become apparent through various conversations that the chaplaincy team have had over the last few days is that people in a number of squads have begun to suffer from something akin to 'Cabin Fever' (meaning the reactions that happen when a person or group has to live in a relatively small/enclosed space for an extended period with nothing much to do). Whilst many of the squads are impressed with all being based together in an Olympic-style athletes village, and enjoying the plus points of that - no travel, single rooms, good sports facilities, and the ability to walk from sleeping quarters to meals and to training facilities - a number of people are finding it quite claustrophobic, especially as, apart from their dining room, there's no shared communal space where they can relax and enjoy people's company outside their own squads - apart from the Bar and a branch of Starbucks in the sports centre that is! The seeds of the idea having been sown by various chaplains earlier in the week, 3 of us spent various bits of today checking out the practicalities: could we book/hire a room to show a DVD? what about projection facilities? publicity? did the organisers mind the chaplaincy doing this? etc, etc. By the end of the day, plans were almost fixed to have 2 movie nights, one games night, and a quiz night within the next week.
In between this, various visits were made and conversations had, including some time spent in the nearby hotel where the referees and other match officials are staying and based. We had originally planned to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but in the end no rooms were available, so we try and make sure that at least one chaplain visits once per day. So, it was good today that there were a numebr of officials around and we were able to have conversations with them.
After a very early start at home on Friday, I was back in Guildford ready to open up the Oasis of Silence at 8am. A player from one of my pool teams again came for the morning devotional time, which was good. After that and a time of sharing with the other chaplain on duty this morning, we set about some practical tasks: One of the things that has become apparent through various conversations that the chaplaincy team have had over the last few days is that people in a number of squads have begun to suffer from something akin to 'Cabin Fever' (meaning the reactions that happen when a person or group has to live in a relatively small/enclosed space for an extended period with nothing much to do). Whilst many of the squads are impressed with all being based together in an Olympic-style athletes village, and enjoying the plus points of that - no travel, single rooms, good sports facilities, and the ability to walk from sleeping quarters to meals and to training facilities - a number of people are finding it quite claustrophobic, especially as, apart from their dining room, there's no shared communal space where they can relax and enjoy people's company outside their own squads - apart from the Bar and a branch of Starbucks in the sports centre that is! The seeds of the idea having been sown by various chaplains earlier in the week, 3 of us spent various bits of today checking out the practicalities: could we book/hire a room to show a DVD? what about projection facilities? publicity? did the organisers mind the chaplaincy doing this? etc, etc. By the end of the day, plans were almost fixed to have 2 movie nights, one games night, and a quiz night within the next week.
In between this, various visits were made and conversations had, including some time spent in the nearby hotel where the referees and other match officials are staying and based. We had originally planned to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but in the end no rooms were available, so we try and make sure that at least one chaplain visits once per day. So, it was good today that there were a numebr of officials around and we were able to have conversations with them.
Wet Wednesday
Wednesday was very quiet with little movement around the campus. This was to be expected as squads often take the chance to take things slightly easier the day after a match, doing lightish training only in an attempt to give tired and possibly bruised bodies time to repair themselves. During the day, the chaplaincy team became aware of at least 5 players across the tournament who were having scans on one bit of their body or another, a reminder of how physical a game rugby is.
Taking post-match day quietly also gives people time to go off an explore - it seems a shame for those who've travelled huge distances to get here, not to have opportunity to see something of the country they're visiting - mind you, as businessmen have often told me, they do that all the time - those of us who live relatively static lives need to remember that jobs or professions that involve lots of travel certainly can't be compared to a holiday (even though people joke about that aspect). Today, whether squads stayed around Guildford or ventured further afield, they will have got very wet as it rained on and off, and was torrential at times.
Taking post-match day quietly also gives people time to go off an explore - it seems a shame for those who've travelled huge distances to get here, not to have opportunity to see something of the country they're visiting - mind you, as businessmen have often told me, they do that all the time - those of us who live relatively static lives need to remember that jobs or professions that involve lots of travel certainly can't be compared to a holiday (even though people joke about that aspect). Today, whether squads stayed around Guildford or ventured further afield, they will have got very wet as it rained on and off, and was torrential at times.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Second Match Day
Tuesday dawned bright but cool - good weather for this second pool match day, although sadly (especially for spectators) there was some rain later during some of the matches. It also got windier as the day went on, which made life difficult for both spectators and players. Today was another early start for me, and so I went straight to the Oasis of Silence at 8am. No players turned up for the devotional time but three of us spent some time sharing and praying, and later a few people called by.
After that Dave C and I met to discuss progress so far, and planned the rota for the final week. Now that we know how things are working out in practice we were able to tailor-make this much more than we'd been able to do with the initial rota - it's amazing how things differ between planning and practice, especially when practical experience is added.
My next task was to make my second trip of the tournament to the BBC Radio Surrey studios. This time it was to record a "60 second sermon" to go out on next Sunday morning's religious programme. The idea behind this is that local ministers distill their Sunday sermon for that day into 60 seconds - I remember doing one of these when I last lived in this area and found it a challenge (! - those that know me will understand the explanation mark!) - but, as I won't actually be preaching anywhere this coming Sunday, I wrote a 'thought for the day' type of talk, linking illustrations from sport with one aspect of our practical faith, using the parable of the sheep and the goats as my text.
Another brisk walk followed, in order to get back to Surrey Sports Park in time to do some wandering around before the matches started. As last Friday, there were 6 pool games in all today, with the first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. They were again good matches - for those who know rugby, apparently women's rugby has a lot less kicking and a lot more running when compared to the men's game. It is still a very fast and physical game, though, requiring a mixture of strength, speed and agility on top of all the technical skills.
I wasn't able to stay for the last matches though, as I had a speaking engagement at Andover Rotary Club this evening. They'd invited me to speak about my work as a sports chaplain from Athens 2004 right through to today, so it seemed appropriate to attend in my Women's Rugby World Club uniform rather than dressed more smartly with my clerical collar. As I'd missed the matches involving my pool teams, I kept my mobile phone on silent and, after texts from WRWC chaplaincy colleagues, was able both to keep in touch with what was going on in Guildford and also begin my talk with the latest results!
After that Dave C and I met to discuss progress so far, and planned the rota for the final week. Now that we know how things are working out in practice we were able to tailor-make this much more than we'd been able to do with the initial rota - it's amazing how things differ between planning and practice, especially when practical experience is added.
My next task was to make my second trip of the tournament to the BBC Radio Surrey studios. This time it was to record a "60 second sermon" to go out on next Sunday morning's religious programme. The idea behind this is that local ministers distill their Sunday sermon for that day into 60 seconds - I remember doing one of these when I last lived in this area and found it a challenge (! - those that know me will understand the explanation mark!) - but, as I won't actually be preaching anywhere this coming Sunday, I wrote a 'thought for the day' type of talk, linking illustrations from sport with one aspect of our practical faith, using the parable of the sheep and the goats as my text.
Another brisk walk followed, in order to get back to Surrey Sports Park in time to do some wandering around before the matches started. As last Friday, there were 6 pool games in all today, with the first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. They were again good matches - for those who know rugby, apparently women's rugby has a lot less kicking and a lot more running when compared to the men's game. It is still a very fast and physical game, though, requiring a mixture of strength, speed and agility on top of all the technical skills.
I wasn't able to stay for the last matches though, as I had a speaking engagement at Andover Rotary Club this evening. They'd invited me to speak about my work as a sports chaplain from Athens 2004 right through to today, so it seemed appropriate to attend in my Women's Rugby World Club uniform rather than dressed more smartly with my clerical collar. As I'd missed the matches involving my pool teams, I kept my mobile phone on silent and, after texts from WRWC chaplaincy colleagues, was able both to keep in touch with what was going on in Guildford and also begin my talk with the latest results!
Monday, 23 August 2010
Week 2 begins
Saturday was a day off for me and I'd returned home for that - one of the advantages of an international sporting event being hosted in our own country is that we all live relatively close. However, that said, as I live in Wiltshire I'm the chaplain with the longest journey. This is partly because our chaplaincy team comprises a number of local ministers in addition to a few specialist sports chaplains. I was also absent from Guildford on Sunday, as I was taking part in services at St Michael's Church, West Andover, the parish where I'm an assistant priest.
On Monday, I returned to Guildford, and to chaplaincy duties in and around the Women's Rugby World Cup. This was the 'usual' mixture of spending time in & around the Oasis of Silence and out & about around the whole venue, plus some admin and preparation tasks that needed to be done. Having been away over the weekend, there was also some catching up to do.
Sadly, one aspect of that was learning that a player from one of my pool teams had sustained a more serious injury than was at first thought - a broken bone means that she won't be able to play again in this tournament and so will be heading home sometime soon. Although the bone concerned means that this isn't actually a major injury as such, it is obviously major for her and also for her team mates with whom she's trained intensively for the last few months. So, it was good to be able to offer support to members of that team and their TLO, both explicitly and implicitly. As a chaplaincy team, we're also able to pray for her, and for others with needs, as well as for the whole event. Even if no-one comes for the 8:30am and 8:30pm devotional times, the chaplains on duty still meet to pray at those times each day.
On Monday, I returned to Guildford, and to chaplaincy duties in and around the Women's Rugby World Cup. This was the 'usual' mixture of spending time in & around the Oasis of Silence and out & about around the whole venue, plus some admin and preparation tasks that needed to be done. Having been away over the weekend, there was also some catching up to do.
Sadly, one aspect of that was learning that a player from one of my pool teams had sustained a more serious injury than was at first thought - a broken bone means that she won't be able to play again in this tournament and so will be heading home sometime soon. Although the bone concerned means that this isn't actually a major injury as such, it is obviously major for her and also for her team mates with whom she's trained intensively for the last few months. So, it was good to be able to offer support to members of that team and their TLO, both explicitly and implicitly. As a chaplaincy team, we're also able to pray for her, and for others with needs, as well as for the whole event. Even if no-one comes for the 8:30am and 8:30pm devotional times, the chaplains on duty still meet to pray at those times each day.
First match day
Friday was yet another early start, the fourth in a row. However, although I went to the Oasis of Silence at 8am I didn't stay there for long, as I'd been invited by BBC Radio Surrey to be interviewed on their breakfast programme so that their listeners could hear all about the chaplaincy presence. Their studios are located on the main University campus and it was a nice walk across in the sunshine - thankfully the first match day had dawned much brighter than had been forecast by the weather people. The interview seemed to go well - perhaps too well in that it created further work as afterwards I was invited back to do something else for them next week!
The walk back to Surrey Sports Park, and on to the Oasis of Silence, gave me the opportunity to chat to various people along the way - Surrey Sports Park staff, match day security staff, members of the event organising team, new volunteers, and a few players. Later, once the gates had opened to the public, the chaplains already onsite walked the area around the 2 competition pitches, sometimes meeting and chatting with people we met, and in quiet moments praying for all involved in this tournament in so many different ways.
There were 6 games in all today. The first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. These were all games between 2 teams in the same pool - meaning that it was perhaps even more important than usual for chaplains to be impartial as we each had an interest in both teams playing a game. I watched most of both games involving the four teams in my pool, although I also spent time talking to spectators and event staff, as well as to players spectating later games. I also spent some time on the phone and chasing & talking to contacts in person to offer support, both practical and pastoral, where injuries occurred. Thankfully none seemed as serious as they might have looked at first.
The walk back to Surrey Sports Park, and on to the Oasis of Silence, gave me the opportunity to chat to various people along the way - Surrey Sports Park staff, match day security staff, members of the event organising team, new volunteers, and a few players. Later, once the gates had opened to the public, the chaplains already onsite walked the area around the 2 competition pitches, sometimes meeting and chatting with people we met, and in quiet moments praying for all involved in this tournament in so many different ways.
There were 6 games in all today. The first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. These were all games between 2 teams in the same pool - meaning that it was perhaps even more important than usual for chaplains to be impartial as we each had an interest in both teams playing a game. I watched most of both games involving the four teams in my pool, although I also spent time talking to spectators and event staff, as well as to players spectating later games. I also spent some time on the phone and chasing & talking to contacts in person to offer support, both practical and pastoral, where injuries occurred. Thankfully none seemed as serious as they might have looked at first.
Thursday, 19 August 2010
Building both relationships and bunting
Thursday brought another early start, and it was great this morning that 2 players came to the Oasis for our morning devotional time - and especially that they were from the pool team that I'd met with yesterday. As well as sharing in the devotional, they added topics to our prayer board and stayed for a coffee and a chat.
Contact with another team and their coach came when they used the metal staircase outside the Oasis for one of their fitness tests (it involved a piece of equipment that attaches with a magnet hence the need for something metal). This provided an opportunity for the players waiting in the queue for their turn to see into the Oasis, and for me to ask questions of the coach about what they were doing whilst he was packing things up.
Other activities today included further casual conversations with several other players from the pool team I spent time with yesterday; a telephone conversation with another of the TLOs I'd rung yesterday; a visit to the area surrounding the 2 match pitches, which included conversations with several people setting things up and getting the ground ready for the first match day tomorrow; and trying to 'design' various attractive but weatherproof ways of decorating the outside of our building - several of the 12 squads have started to decorate their buildings and so why should we miss out, especially as it also draws attention to our new location.
Contact with another team and their coach came when they used the metal staircase outside the Oasis for one of their fitness tests (it involved a piece of equipment that attaches with a magnet hence the need for something metal). This provided an opportunity for the players waiting in the queue for their turn to see into the Oasis, and for me to ask questions of the coach about what they were doing whilst he was packing things up.
Other activities today included further casual conversations with several other players from the pool team I spent time with yesterday; a telephone conversation with another of the TLOs I'd rung yesterday; a visit to the area surrounding the 2 match pitches, which included conversations with several people setting things up and getting the ground ready for the first match day tomorrow; and trying to 'design' various attractive but weatherproof ways of decorating the outside of our building - several of the 12 squads have started to decorate their buildings and so why should we miss out, especially as it also draws attention to our new location.
Beginning to build relationships
Wednesday dawned bright and clear and, after the shenanigans of yesterday, this felt like a sign of a proper new start to our chaplaincy presence - and it turned out to be so.
Our daily pattern in the Oasis of Silence is that it is open from 8am to 10pm, with a short devotional period scheduled at both 8:30am and 8:30pm - although this can be altered timewise and/or repeated if people drop in at other times. Linked to this, we have advertised that at least one chaplain will be present from 8-10am and 8-10pm each day. Inbetweentimes, there will be someone present as often as possible, either our admin assistant or one of the chaplains, although we need to be out and about as much as possible too.
After our presence in the Oasis first thing this morning, we headed off to a meeting of officials (referees, touch judges, etc) to introduce the tournament chaplaincy. They're based in a nearby hotel, as it's not wise for them to be in the same accommodation as players. We had hoped to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but this hasn't proved possible as no 'extra' room was able to be made available. They were pleased to hear about our role though, and that we're here for them as well as everyone else.
Another task for today was to make contact with each squad's 'Team Liaison Officer' (TLO). These are volunteers (like us!) who are the main link between their respective squad and the organisers and structure of the tournament. I'll talk more about their role in a later post, but the main reason for contacting them today was to ask for a short meeting with the Team Manager to explain the chaplaincy and offer any specific support, facilities or resources that they may want. We also wanted to tell them about our change of venue! Although all chaplains are there for everyone, we've aimed to provide a more personal service by linking chaplains specifically with each of the 3 tournament pools (each containing 4 of the 12 competing teams). As lead chaplain for one of the pools, I telephoned each TLO and was pleased when a meeting with one Team Manager was quickly arranged for early afternoon - she even came to the Oasis for the meeting rather than me going to her as I'd expected to. Further positive contact was affirmed when she invited me to meet with the squad, and introduce myself just before their team meeting later this afternoon.
Having done this, it was great this evening when a number of the girls shouted "Hi Mary" as they passed me on their way back from their meal - relationships starting to be formed which hopefully can be built upon as the tournament goes on.
Our daily pattern in the Oasis of Silence is that it is open from 8am to 10pm, with a short devotional period scheduled at both 8:30am and 8:30pm - although this can be altered timewise and/or repeated if people drop in at other times. Linked to this, we have advertised that at least one chaplain will be present from 8-10am and 8-10pm each day. Inbetweentimes, there will be someone present as often as possible, either our admin assistant or one of the chaplains, although we need to be out and about as much as possible too.
After our presence in the Oasis first thing this morning, we headed off to a meeting of officials (referees, touch judges, etc) to introduce the tournament chaplaincy. They're based in a nearby hotel, as it's not wise for them to be in the same accommodation as players. We had hoped to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but this hasn't proved possible as no 'extra' room was able to be made available. They were pleased to hear about our role though, and that we're here for them as well as everyone else.
Another task for today was to make contact with each squad's 'Team Liaison Officer' (TLO). These are volunteers (like us!) who are the main link between their respective squad and the organisers and structure of the tournament. I'll talk more about their role in a later post, but the main reason for contacting them today was to ask for a short meeting with the Team Manager to explain the chaplaincy and offer any specific support, facilities or resources that they may want. We also wanted to tell them about our change of venue! Although all chaplains are there for everyone, we've aimed to provide a more personal service by linking chaplains specifically with each of the 3 tournament pools (each containing 4 of the 12 competing teams). As lead chaplain for one of the pools, I telephoned each TLO and was pleased when a meeting with one Team Manager was quickly arranged for early afternoon - she even came to the Oasis for the meeting rather than me going to her as I'd expected to. Further positive contact was affirmed when she invited me to meet with the squad, and introduce myself just before their team meeting later this afternoon.
Having done this, it was great this evening when a number of the girls shouted "Hi Mary" as they passed me on their way back from their meal - relationships starting to be formed which hopefully can be built upon as the tournament goes on.
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Frustration and fulfilment
Two more chaplains arrived today, and whilst they were collecting their kit and being inducted into the venue (etc), Sophie and I went into town to buy various things to make the room more homely and welcoming - candles, flowers, tea & coffee making facilities, sweets & biscuits, and a prayer board, to name but a few. We also procured practical things such as local bus timetables and a map of Guildford, so that if anyone wishes to visit a local church or place of worship we'll be able to help them find their way there. These resources were all added to our 'Oasis of Silence' whilst I and 2 other chaplains attended the first of the daily Team Liaison Officers' meetings. As well as meeting these vital people for a second time - Dave and I had been with them and introduced the idea of chaplaincy to them at their training day a few months ago - and reminding them that we're here for them too, we also gave each of them a bundle of letters to pass on to their teams, one for each squad member. These were our attempt to make sure that each squad member has a 'personal' introduction to the idea of chaplaincy, the Oasis of Silence, and the availability of our facilities and services. For 3 of the squads, where English isn't a primary language, we'd had these translated into an appropriate language for them.
After lunch, I went off to visit the nearby Guildford Cathedral to re-establish a practical link between them and the chaplaincy team. Sadly, I came back to find the Oasis of Silence in total disarray - a lot of our stuff was being hastily packed into boxes and carrier bags and one of our sofas was being carried away down the street!! To cut a long (and not very pretty) story short, whilst I was away someone had decided to install 2 rather large vending machines in the room we were using. This meant that the remaining space was both too small and too noisy not just for the Oasis of Silence alone, but also for the 'resident' Muslims to pray in. What was worse was that this had happened whilst the Muslims were actually having a time of prayer. Several animated telephone and face-to-face conversations ensued, and we were given another room a few blocks away. It was exceptionally frustrating not just to carry everything from A to B, but also to have to spend a couple of hours remaking, redecorating, and re-resourcing a second Oasis of Silence within 24 hours. It also meant that we didn't get out and about to make contact with squads as we'd planned. However, we are now in a larger room, which has more potential and greater flexibility of use. We also have use of a smaller room on the same corridor, normally a student bedroom, for a Chaplaincy Office; so the outcome at 6:30pm, when I left to head off to the family home where I'm currently staying (another long story, possibly to be told in a later post), was not so bleak as it had appeared at 1:45pm. We were also pleased to learn that, despite being disturbed earlier on, the Muslims did still hold their late afternoon prayers in the former room - I guess though that sadly it will be very crowded for them on Friday when larger numbers may well attend.
After lunch, I went off to visit the nearby Guildford Cathedral to re-establish a practical link between them and the chaplaincy team. Sadly, I came back to find the Oasis of Silence in total disarray - a lot of our stuff was being hastily packed into boxes and carrier bags and one of our sofas was being carried away down the street!! To cut a long (and not very pretty) story short, whilst I was away someone had decided to install 2 rather large vending machines in the room we were using. This meant that the remaining space was both too small and too noisy not just for the Oasis of Silence alone, but also for the 'resident' Muslims to pray in. What was worse was that this had happened whilst the Muslims were actually having a time of prayer. Several animated telephone and face-to-face conversations ensued, and we were given another room a few blocks away. It was exceptionally frustrating not just to carry everything from A to B, but also to have to spend a couple of hours remaking, redecorating, and re-resourcing a second Oasis of Silence within 24 hours. It also meant that we didn't get out and about to make contact with squads as we'd planned. However, we are now in a larger room, which has more potential and greater flexibility of use. We also have use of a smaller room on the same corridor, normally a student bedroom, for a Chaplaincy Office; so the outcome at 6:30pm, when I left to head off to the family home where I'm currently staying (another long story, possibly to be told in a later post), was not so bleak as it had appeared at 1:45pm. We were also pleased to learn that, despite being disturbed earlier on, the Muslims did still hold their late afternoon prayers in the former room - I guess though that sadly it will be very crowded for them on Friday when larger numbers may well attend.
Monday 16 August - destination Guildford
Surrey Sports Park in Guildford is the venue for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup, and the destination today for 12 of the most highly ranked female rugby union teams in the world, as well as members of the different aspects of the organising team, the officials and support staff, and, of course, the chaplaincy team. It was good to finally arrive onsite, and to see the infrastructure coming together, after a couple of visits in recent months and almost 2 years of planning the chaplaincy input along with SCORE's Chaplaincy Coordinator for Rugby Union - our joint planning had started before I knew that lack of funding meant I'd have to leave SCORE, but I'd promised to continue to work on this as I wanted to see the project through to the end.
Around 2pm Dave and I collected our kit (white polo shirts, Tshirts, and baseball caps, along with navy rain jacket and shorts - yes shorts!) and together with Sophie, our young admin assistant, began to work on the smallish student common room we'd been allocated, in an attempt to turn it into a combined 'Oasis of Silence' and Chaplaincy Office. But first we had some negotiation to do, as it soon became evident that the room was also being used by some Muslims amongst the University's staff and students as their prayer room during the season of Ramadan. The spirit of cooperation was strong on both sides and with judicious and sensitive placing of resources such as posters, coloured table coverings, and various symbols an appropriate 'reflective space' was created which we hope will be both useful and well-used.
During the afternoon and early evening, it was good to see the 12 squads gradually arriving, and beginning to settle into the venue and its facilities. Some teams had their first session on the training pitches, whilst others used the gym or swimming pool, whilst yet others relaxed after long journeys. We were able to make contacts and begin to chat with people and so let them know of the chaplaincy presence - although we'd written something about this in the official handbook that all squads receive, nothing beats personal contact for spreading the word.
Around 2pm Dave and I collected our kit (white polo shirts, Tshirts, and baseball caps, along with navy rain jacket and shorts - yes shorts!) and together with Sophie, our young admin assistant, began to work on the smallish student common room we'd been allocated, in an attempt to turn it into a combined 'Oasis of Silence' and Chaplaincy Office. But first we had some negotiation to do, as it soon became evident that the room was also being used by some Muslims amongst the University's staff and students as their prayer room during the season of Ramadan. The spirit of cooperation was strong on both sides and with judicious and sensitive placing of resources such as posters, coloured table coverings, and various symbols an appropriate 'reflective space' was created which we hope will be both useful and well-used.
During the afternoon and early evening, it was good to see the 12 squads gradually arriving, and beginning to settle into the venue and its facilities. Some teams had their first session on the training pitches, whilst others used the gym or swimming pool, whilst yet others relaxed after long journeys. We were able to make contacts and begin to chat with people and so let them know of the chaplaincy presence - although we'd written something about this in the official handbook that all squads receive, nothing beats personal contact for spreading the word.
2010 Women's Rugby World Cup beckons.....
Almost 5 months after sitting in Vancouver airport reflecting on my Winter Paralympic experiences, Sunday 15th August found me packing my bags again ready to leave the next day to serve as chaplain at another international sporting event. This time, there wouldn't be so far to travel, and when many of my friends learned where the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup is being held they said "oh, that's nowhere near as glamorous as Vancouver or Berlin!" (Sorry, Guildford, don't blame me!) Although my sports chaplaincy role at Loughborough University has continued throughout that time, a lot has happened in the last 5 months (some of which explains my 'silence' since the end of March) and there are more changes afoot in the next month......but more of that in a future post.....
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
And so to the airport.....
Monday morning, my final day in Vancouver, saw me heading off with my host to the Vanoc 'Sale of Assets' from both the Olympics and the Paralympics. I was going more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else, although I might have bought a volunteer's uniform if they'd had one, as it would be useful for when I give talks about my experiences. The queue had begun in the early hours of the morning apparently and the day's supply of laptops and TVs were sold out just after we arrived at 9am, which was the official opening time. Apart from these items, it was mainly furniture, tools and small 'household articles' such as toasters, etc. More supplies are added each day which is good, and I guess the variety will increase as more venues are decommissioned and closed down. This is certainly a good way of both recycling goods, thus avoiding waste, and also a good way for the organisers to recoup some of their costs.
Not all items are sold though. A few days after my arrival in Vancouver I read a newspaper article which said that a lot of the items that Team GB bought to equip their offices in Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics were given to a charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged children. This is a good news story that probably deserves wider publicity - not only were the shipping costs saved but people were helped by this action.
After the sale, we went for coffee and a walk in the sunshine at Steveston, a local fishing town, before returning to do my packing. A nice lunch with some distant relatives of my mother who'd been out of town until a few days ago followed, before I was taken to the airport. The time between check-in and departure provided opportunity for reflection on the whole experience.....
Not all items are sold though. A few days after my arrival in Vancouver I read a newspaper article which said that a lot of the items that Team GB bought to equip their offices in Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics were given to a charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged children. This is a good news story that probably deserves wider publicity - not only were the shipping costs saved but people were helped by this action.
After the sale, we went for coffee and a walk in the sunshine at Steveston, a local fishing town, before returning to do my packing. A nice lunch with some distant relatives of my mother who'd been out of town until a few days ago followed, before I was taken to the airport. The time between check-in and departure provided opportunity for reflection on the whole experience.....
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
My last shift
Sunday was my last shift in the Village, and also the last day that the Multi-Faith Centre will be fully staffed. That seemed quite strange as I walked in early this morning. I quickly got on with the first task though, which was to finalise preparation for the advertised 9am morning service, even though both myself and the other chaplain on duty thought it unlikely that anyone would come. This is partly because we knew that at least 3 teams were heading up to Whistler this morning to settle into the Athletes' Village there prior to the Closing Ceremony this evening; and we also knew that a significant number of athletes had gathered in the athletes' lounge until quite late last night to relax and celebrate the fact that competition was over for those involved in Vancouver-based sports. (Alpine events in Whistler also finished yesterday but Nordic skiing events continue until mid-afternoon today.) It turned out that we were right - no-one came in at 9am. However, we did have quite a few people who called into the centre to visit, chat or ask questions, and we gave away quite a few leaflets, books and Bibles to those who asked for them.
The Village gradually got quieter as the morning and early afternoon wore on, and as more athletes caught buses to Whistler for the evening. During this time, I made final visits to the Polyclinic and a couple of other places to say farewells. Several of the medical staff were also on their last shift, but a significant number weren't as the Polyclinic will remain open until the last athletes leave on/by Wednesday. It will also serve those who're beginning to decommission the Village between now and then.
Towards the end of the shift, we began our own closing down process by taking down all the pictures we'd been lent to brighten the bare walls, as well as beginning to sort out which furniture belongs to the organisers and which to the various religious groups and families who'd lent things to the Multi-Faith Centre.
Just after my shift ended, we had the heaviest rainfall in my whole time here, and so I was glad that my host family had called to pick me up on their way home from something. In the evening it was good to relax with them and to watch the Closing Ceremony live on TV together.
The Village gradually got quieter as the morning and early afternoon wore on, and as more athletes caught buses to Whistler for the evening. During this time, I made final visits to the Polyclinic and a couple of other places to say farewells. Several of the medical staff were also on their last shift, but a significant number weren't as the Polyclinic will remain open until the last athletes leave on/by Wednesday. It will also serve those who're beginning to decommission the Village between now and then.
Towards the end of the shift, we began our own closing down process by taking down all the pictures we'd been lent to brighten the bare walls, as well as beginning to sort out which furniture belongs to the organisers and which to the various religious groups and families who'd lent things to the Multi-Faith Centre.
Just after my shift ended, we had the heaviest rainfall in my whole time here, and so I was glad that my host family had called to pick me up on their way home from something. In the evening it was good to relax with them and to watch the Closing Ceremony live on TV together.
That 'end of term' feeling
Saturday was the first day of spring according to the local free newspaper I picked up outside the station, and the weather was certainly spring-like as I journeyed to the Athletes' Village.
Today's was s slightly longer shift than usual due to a couple of chaplains being unavailable, and it was also a slightly strange one. Although the closing ceremony isn't until tomorrow, and there are still events taking place in both Vancouver and Whistler, there was a bit of an 'end of term' feeling around the village. At one national team office that I visited, I was greeted with piles of boxes as I emerged from the lift. Some of the national flags were also disappearing from the balconies where they've been fluttering in the breeze for the last couple of weeks. Although the organisers have stated that we mustn't pack anything up which might make it seem like we're keen for athletes to leave, it doesn't, of course, stop the teams themselves packing up their offices, especially as many of them bring a whole infrastructure as well as bringing and/or hiring a lot of equipment etc. For those involved in their team's administration, this is a lot of work which makes for a busy and stressful few days, when they also have to confirm flight arrangements etc. We chaplains need to be aware of this as we continue to be available to and for athletes and their support staff as they begin to pack up, as well as being available to and for those volunteers and staff who're keen to begin the 'decommissioning' of the Village but can't start doing so yet.
Another thing that was quite strange about today was the number of times I was asked whether I'd seen/met HRH Prince Edward when he visited the Village yesterday; and then being teased about being probably the only British person in the Village who didn't even catch a glimpse of him!
After my shift I went into downtown Vancouver to see the Paralympic flame burning in the Olympic cauldron on the waterfront before it is extinguished tomorrow evening.
Today's was s slightly longer shift than usual due to a couple of chaplains being unavailable, and it was also a slightly strange one. Although the closing ceremony isn't until tomorrow, and there are still events taking place in both Vancouver and Whistler, there was a bit of an 'end of term' feeling around the village. At one national team office that I visited, I was greeted with piles of boxes as I emerged from the lift. Some of the national flags were also disappearing from the balconies where they've been fluttering in the breeze for the last couple of weeks. Although the organisers have stated that we mustn't pack anything up which might make it seem like we're keen for athletes to leave, it doesn't, of course, stop the teams themselves packing up their offices, especially as many of them bring a whole infrastructure as well as bringing and/or hiring a lot of equipment etc. For those involved in their team's administration, this is a lot of work which makes for a busy and stressful few days, when they also have to confirm flight arrangements etc. We chaplains need to be aware of this as we continue to be available to and for athletes and their support staff as they begin to pack up, as well as being available to and for those volunteers and staff who're keen to begin the 'decommissioning' of the Village but can't start doing so yet.
Another thing that was quite strange about today was the number of times I was asked whether I'd seen/met HRH Prince Edward when he visited the Village yesterday; and then being teased about being probably the only British person in the Village who didn't even catch a glimpse of him!
After my shift I went into downtown Vancouver to see the Paralympic flame burning in the Olympic cauldron on the waterfront before it is extinguished tomorrow evening.
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Final Friday
Friday saw the continuation of yesterday's wonderful weather. Just like on day one, a few people could be seen out enjoying the warm weather wearing shorts. From the Athletes' Village, though, snow can still be seen on the mountains north of Vancouver - and there is, of course, plenty of snow where it's needed in Whistler where the Alpine and Nordic skiing events are still continuing.
My shift started earlier than scheduled as I wanted to finish a bit earlier this evening. There seemed to be a few more people around on the streets of the Village today, possibly because competition has ended for quite a few people now, as the round robin phase of the Wheelchair curling is over, and today was a rest day apart from one tie-breaker game. Various conversations and visits filled the day, plus spending some time in the Multi-Faith Centre. One thing that's important at this stage in an event is still to keep focused, even though many people's eyes have begin to turn to packing up, if not actually to returning home. This is just as true for athletes as it is for chaplains and other volunteers and staff. We chaplains need to remember two things at this stage. Firstly, that there may well still be new people to meet and talk to, especially perhaps as athletes begin to reflect on what they have or have not achieved, and whether their aims and expectations have been fulfilled. Secondly we need to make sure that any loose ends are tied, either by us making sure we say proper farewells and finish conversations and contacts appropriately or by us making sure that anyone who wants or needs it can be fixed up with continuing pastoral care, either through continued contact with us or by them being referred to someone nearer their home.
After my shift, I headed off to the Thunderbird Arena to see my first ever ice sledge hockey match. This came about as my hosts had a spare ticket and very generously invited me to join them. It was the bronze medal match, and as tickets for medal matches had sold out a while ago it was a real privilege to be able to go - and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I understood the finer points of the rules, but it certainly is a very fast, exciting and physical game and I had a great evening. Ice sledge hockey follows the same rules as Ice Hockey with a few small modifications. Instead of standing on skates, players sit on aluminium or steel sledges fitted with two blades. They grip double-ended sicks, one in each hand. At one end is a sharp pick that the players use to propel the sledge, whilst the other has a curved blade to pass and shoot the puck. One can only admire the strength that the players must have to propel themselves across the ice using only their arms and their upper bodies, whilst also needing to be able to pass the relatively small puck around with accuracy. The match was between Canada and Norway, with Norway winning the match and hence the bronze medal. I think it was hard for the Canadian players losing in front of their home crowd after so much expectation had been heaped upon them, but I was impressed with the behaviour of both players and spectators after the event.
My shift started earlier than scheduled as I wanted to finish a bit earlier this evening. There seemed to be a few more people around on the streets of the Village today, possibly because competition has ended for quite a few people now, as the round robin phase of the Wheelchair curling is over, and today was a rest day apart from one tie-breaker game. Various conversations and visits filled the day, plus spending some time in the Multi-Faith Centre. One thing that's important at this stage in an event is still to keep focused, even though many people's eyes have begin to turn to packing up, if not actually to returning home. This is just as true for athletes as it is for chaplains and other volunteers and staff. We chaplains need to remember two things at this stage. Firstly, that there may well still be new people to meet and talk to, especially perhaps as athletes begin to reflect on what they have or have not achieved, and whether their aims and expectations have been fulfilled. Secondly we need to make sure that any loose ends are tied, either by us making sure we say proper farewells and finish conversations and contacts appropriately or by us making sure that anyone who wants or needs it can be fixed up with continuing pastoral care, either through continued contact with us or by them being referred to someone nearer their home.
After my shift, I headed off to the Thunderbird Arena to see my first ever ice sledge hockey match. This came about as my hosts had a spare ticket and very generously invited me to join them. It was the bronze medal match, and as tickets for medal matches had sold out a while ago it was a real privilege to be able to go - and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I understood the finer points of the rules, but it certainly is a very fast, exciting and physical game and I had a great evening. Ice sledge hockey follows the same rules as Ice Hockey with a few small modifications. Instead of standing on skates, players sit on aluminium or steel sledges fitted with two blades. They grip double-ended sicks, one in each hand. At one end is a sharp pick that the players use to propel the sledge, whilst the other has a curved blade to pass and shoot the puck. One can only admire the strength that the players must have to propel themselves across the ice using only their arms and their upper bodies, whilst also needing to be able to pass the relatively small puck around with accuracy. The match was between Canada and Norway, with Norway winning the match and hence the bronze medal. I think it was hard for the Canadian players losing in front of their home crowd after so much expectation had been heaped upon them, but I was impressed with the behaviour of both players and spectators after the event.
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