January 21, 2010 by maureen.ulrich.

Yes, it’s been a long time.

I would expect that many of you have moved on to other things, and by now are addicted to “American Idol” or “Jersey Shore” or the like.

But I have been busy.

First of all there’s Face-Off or Clutch and Grab or Dump and Chase or No-Contact – or whatever am I going to call this sequel to Power Plays? Not that I have the final say in any case.

I’ve edited the first 100 pages and with the help of my editor (who is a lovely person) I should be able to wade through the last 200 in a few weeks. I have some major re-writes to do on Chapters 6 and 12 – the Flashback Fiascos – which I should have foreseen. It’s interesting to go through the process of cutting – instead of adding scenes. It’s rather fun slashing away at drivel – especially when I thought I’d already eliminated quite a bit of it.

Work is work. The pumpjacks keep pumping, and the pipeliners keep pipelining, and the facilities guys keep renovating facilities, and so the reports just keep pouring in. Only once in four and a half years have I ever felt like I was wasting my time – and that was only two days ago. I got over it quickly, however. I do like my job, and something has to pay the bill for my new motorcycle because royalties and the Public Lending Commission sure won’t.

I have twelve presentations in Regina and Saskatoon next week –  nine readings (one at the Book and Brier in Regina on Tuesday evening!) and three workshops. I’m more than ready for all of them.

And lastly, I’ve been learning to skate.

You heard me.

Some people think I’m planning to play ladies’ senior hockey. I have, in fact, been seen at several practices.

What they don’t know is that I really have no inclination to ever play a game. I just want to learn how to skate like a hockey player, and the best way to do that at my age is to wear lots of protective equipment. From what I’ve seen of middle-aged women learning to skate, helmets and elbow pads and hockey pants are a necessity.

It’s interesting to be a student again. This hasn’t happened since I did a motorcycle safety course in 2004.  And what a humbling experience that was. 

As a classroom and Special Education teacher, I know all about the Adaptive Dimension, and I’ve been using it regularly on the ice. When the rest of the team does wind sprints, I skate straight down the ice – arriving at the same time as everyone else. When the rest of the team skates backwards from one end to another, I (you guessed it) skate forwards – and arrive at the same time as everyone else.

At last practice, a young boy helped me out by passing me a puck when I lost mine and giving me pointers on how to hold my stick. I could definitely use a fulltime teacher’s aide.

And the looks I get from my coaches. . .

Pained. That’s what they call it.

And there’s another thing. I have yet to find a stick of the proper length.  My husband has given me two sticks already – both of which weren’t long enough. The girls on the team told me so. My husband said each time, “It’s good enough.”

I don’t think he is taking this whole learning to skate thing seriously.

For instance, he wanted me to learn to skate on my daughter’s skates  – even though they were too small and hurt my feet. “They’re good enough,” he said.

Well, they weren’t, and so I bought myself a brand new pair. A pair especially designed for people with weak ankles. They are marvelous, and I love them.

If I was satisfied with “good enough,” I would be content to make my way from one end of the ice to other , off balance and unable to stop. That is definitely not good enough for me.

Skating is great exercise, and I hope to do a lot of it over the course of the next few months. The ice will only be in for so long as the rink, and I definitely have my work cut out for me.

And so do my hockey coaches.

Posted in On Sports, On Writing | 3 Comments »

January 31, 2009 by maureen.ulrich.

It’s been a bittersweet hockey season to be sure.

The clock is slowly winding down to Robin’s last games wearing a Huskie jersey. It’s been a great ride for the last five years, but it’s nearly over.

Five more league games. And then – hopefully – playoffs. One doesn’t ever get too cocky around the Gods of Hockey because they have a way of humbling you when you least expect it.

And speaking of humbling — we’ve had a few very humbling moments in the past few weeks.

First, let’s travel back to the 2^nd annual Hockey Day in Saskatchewan. This year’s event was held in our hometown of Lampman.

Ten games and hundred of volunteer hours later, the event is over, but the people who participated will remember it for years.

I have so many favourite moments. Where to start?

How about – kids and adults playing shinny on an outdoor rink on the baseball diamond? The midget team showing up to manhandle the plywood floor into place in the curling rink.  The variety of delicasies served up by the Lampman Kitchen Committee –from perogies and sausage to a hearty chili (served with pickle). Richard driving the zamboni in a tuxedo. Lamp Man, our mascot, being present for the ceremonial puck drop. The initiation team going out for a skate and O Canada at the same time as the SJHL All-Stars.

Let’s not forget $42000 raised at the jersey auction on Friday night.

The interdenominational church service on Sunday morning.

All our minor hockey teams playing at home that weekend. 

And – most importantly – the arrival of the U of S Huskies at our farm on Saturday afternoon. I couldn’t believe it when the entire team climbed off the bus. Keep in mind these girls are fulltime university students. Randy and I were overwhelmed that they would come to Lampman on their weekend off – to play an exhibition game in Robin’s hometown. It was very humbling indeed.

And their game against the AAA Midget Westman Wildcats, which boasts two members of the Canadian Under-18 Team, was a fast-paced contest which concluded in an overtime 3-2 win for the Huskies. Many people in our area had never seen a live women’s game before, and they were some impressed.

Afterwords the Huskies and Wildcats gathered in the lobby to sign autographs.  All those children – gathered around our Huskies – were thrilled to get an autographed team poster and tattoos. But in the end, I’m not sure who enjoyed it more – the kids or the Huskies.

Fast forward one week later to Winnipeg. It was a bitterly cold weekend, but our memories of it will keep us warm for a very long time.

After going down to defeat 5 –2 in Game One, the Huskies rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat the 17 - 0  Manitoba Bisons in a shootout.

The Huskies’ game-tying goals can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg9zy9tfy70.

And if you’re concerned about it taking a long time to watch, don’t be. The Huskies score both goals within the last 14 seconds of regulation. It was their Miracle on Ice.

Women’s hockey is a beautiful game. It’s hockey at its purest – and in my humble opinion – at its best.

And we are sure going to miss it.

Posted in On Sports | 1 Comment »

April 3, 2008 by maureen.ulrich.

Wave 2008 Walk Like An Egyptian is well underway. This will take the stage on May 15th at Pleasantdale School in Estevan.

Rehearsals have been phenomenal this year, with kids really THINKING about their characters and problem solving and staying in their roles even when they DON’T have lines. And memorizing their scripts! My goodness, I have never seen so many students abandoning their scripts this early in the game.

That means I need to come up with props – and a sarcophagus very soon!
With six weeks left until Wave 2008, there’s still lots of opportunity to do some fine-tuning.

Of course, it really helps to be working with a play that isn’t so word heavy. Previous productions were simply too wordy for kids to memorize quickly. And it’s easier for them to deliver a short line with confidence and volume.

Although I’ve written at least thirty plays, I guess I’m still learning!

Here’s a plot summary:

Dick Carter and his assistant Jane Potts are determined to get funding from the London Historical Society to finance an expedition to Egypt. Dick is certain he knows the location of Cleopatra’s tomb, and nothing will stop him. Canada’s newest popstar Aphrodite plans to shoot a music video in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Her artistic director Johnny Francois has his own ideas about how to get the most out of Aphrodite’s back-up dancers.
Meanwhile Ms. Montoya and her personal secretary Abigail Ross are busy planning a business trip to Cairo. Abigail soon finds herself saddled with the responsibility of entertaining Ms. Montoya’s annoying niece Sally and nephew Jeremy. What happens when these three groups meet up with tribal Bedouins led by Baboo, Scourge of the Desert – and henpecked by his wife Fatima? Or mysterious mummies that emerge from an equally mysterious sarcophagus?

I guess you’ll have to wait until May 15th to find out!
The Region One Drama Festival, which Lampman is hosting, is one week away. My play “Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky” will be presented by the Lampman High School. I can’t wait to see it. I am helping out as stage coodinator, making sure tech rehearsals run smoothly for the three other schools competing – Oxbow, Redvers, and Moosomin. The winner will advance to the provincial festival in Regina in early May.
Randy and I were up in Saskatoon last weekend for the Huskie Salute. We were eager to see the girls again – and their parents. It was a different format from other years. Instead of supper, there were appetizers and a jazz trio. Very classy!
Steve Kook and Wayne Grund, the coaches of the female Huskies hockey team, took home the award for Coach of the Year.
Brian Towriss, the football coach, made some thought-provoking remarks at the close of the award ceremony. He pointed out that although 11 out of 15 Huskie teams made the play-offs, this is the first year U of S has not brought home a national title in at least ONE of the sports. He urged the athletes not to be satisfied with the “middle of the road.” Good advice. Complacency should have no place in sports at this level.
The award ceremony took only one hour, and then the athletes headed downtown for a post-award “social event.”
Hmm.
Can’t imagine what the itinerary was there.

Posted in On Sports, On Student Productions, On Writing | 1 Comment »

February 23, 2008 by maureen.ulrich.

I’ve been putting off writing this blog for nearly a week.

Sigh.

After a six-game winning streak, the Huskies were swept by the University of Manitoba Bisons last weekend.

The Huskies looked absolutely intimidated and shell-shocked in the first game – losing 3-1.

They played much better in Game 2. After killing a 5 on 3 in the second period, the Huskies began outworking the Bisons along the boards. They played an outstanding third period, dominated the first five minutes of overtime, then lost to Manitoba 2-1. A crushing blow for the girls, their coaches, and their fans.

We had such high hopes for our girls, but – with a third place finish in CanWest and a CIS Top Ten ranking, their future looks very bright.  

The Huskies will have a full-time coach next year. Also the girls now know just how hard they have to work to “play with the big dogs.” Watch out Pandas and Bisons!

Despite their elimination from playoffs – and the opportunity to go on to the national tournament in Ottawa — what a marvelous season it has been. Randy and I weren’t really looking forward to it – having lost some of our good friends along the way. As girls graduate or move on to other programs, their parents go too. We really missed Mike McKay and Janice and Ross Collins at the beginning of the season – and then we met the new crop of parents. What super people.

For Robin, this has been the best year of CIS hockey. And that’s saying a lot. She loved  her first year.

And there was some icing on the cake for the Huskies this week.

Steve Kook  and Wayne Grund have received CanWest Coach of the Year honours for leading the Huskies to a 12-9-3 season.

And Robin was named to the First Team CanWest Allstars. Goaltender Vanessa Friedrick was named to the Second Team. Robin  is also CanWest’s nominee for the Marion Hilliard Award, an award given out at the CIS national championship to a CIS female hockey player for community involvement. As near as we can figure there will be three other nominees, one from Ontario, one from Quebec, and one from the Martimes.

Needless to say, we are very proud of Robin.

And next season – Robin’s last season with the Huskies – is only six months away.

Posted in On Sports | 1 Comment »

February 11, 2008 by maureen.ulrich.

It seems wrong to think . . . to say it. It could be very upsetting to the Gods of Hockey.

But surely the Gods of Hockey will allow Huskie fans just one week rife with dreams of possibility.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies are indeed just two wins away from attending their first national tournament in four years. Only one girl on the team has a memory of that experience.

The Huskies have sewn up third place in league play, finishing up the season with a 12 – 9 – 3 record.  They are currently ranked 8^th in the nation by the CIS.

The Huskies will play the University of Manitoba Bisons next weekend in a best of three game series. Two wins will take them to the Western Final and to Ottawa in early March.

The Huskies are on a six game winning streak – having swept Lethbridge, UBC, and Regina the past three weekends. Their record against Manitoba is far less auspicious, being 0 – 5 – 1 this year. However, the Huskies have played well against Manitoba in spurts – and the girls are hungry for the opportunity to attend a national tournament.

Best case scenario (with apologies to the Gods of Hockey): U of S discovers the secret to playing against “the Trap” and beats the Bisons next weekend. The University of Regina beats the U of A Pandas. The Battle of Saskatchewan (Round 2) is played in Saskatoon on the weekend of  February 22. U of S wins the battle. Both U of R and U of S advance to Nationals in Ottawa and set Canada West – and the entire CIS for that matter – on their collective ears.

 When you dream, you gotta dream big. 

Posted in On Sports | 1 Comment »

February 1, 2008 by maureen.ulrich.

Randy and I are off to Regina later today to watch the Huskies take on the University of Regina Cougars in a double-header. Game Two will be played on Saturday night. The Huskies managed to sweep the UBC Thunderbirds last weekend — 4-3 and 4-1. The first game was a nail-biter! The Huskies scored in overtime to eliminate the Thunderbirds from play-offs and assure themselves of at least a fourth place finish in league play. Tonight the Huskies are aiming their sights on a third place finish. If we can manage to sweep Regina, they will have to sweep Manitoba next week in order to finish ahead of the Huskies. That’s a lot of if’s. And in CIS women’s hockey — anything can happen! 

Posted in On Sports | 1 Comment »

January 21, 2008 by maureen.ulrich.

This past weekend my husband and I drove to Lethbridge to watch our oldest daughter Robin play hockey with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

The Huskies won two close games, 3-2 and 2-1, eliminating the U of L from contention and bringing our girls closer to a fourth place play-off spot. If the Huskies do make play-offs, it will be for the first time since Robin joined the team in 2004.

There are six teams in Canada West – the top two of which will be headed to Ottawa in March to play in the national tournament. There are only three weekends left in the regular season. Our girls have two series left – at home against UBC next weekend and away against U of R on the first weekend in February. The Huskies have a bye the final week. Their record is presently 8 – 9 – 3.

Parity has truly arrived in Canada West. Although the University of Alberta Pandas and the University of Manitoba Bisons are sitting in securely in first and second place, they are not assured a trip to Ottawa. Anybody can lose to anybody on any weekend in this league. That’s the beauty of it!

Although the U of L Pronghorns have won only three games this year, I was on pins and needles watching both games. U of L is truly our nemesis. These girls NEVER go away, no matter what the score or their situation. On a number of occasions they have come from behind to win or tie games.

Next weekend the Huskies turn their sights on the visiting UBC Thunderbirds, who are presently six points back. One more win for the Huskies should clinch a play-off berth.
The Huskies are five points behind the third place U of R Cougars, but it’s not impossible for our girls to catch them.

We are so proud of all the girls in Canada West – not just the Huskies.

I understand that on Friday night the Bisons and the Pandas played before a crowd of 1000 people at the Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton. U of A won 3-2 after a shootout with seven shooters from each team. The game was a fundraiser for breast cancer, and over three thousand dollars was raised. After the game, the U of A coach had his head shaved at center ice. Wow. I would have loved to have been there.

Finally, women’s university hockey in Western Canada is getting the respect it deserves. The overall caliber of players – both as athletes and students – has gradually improved since Robin started playing four years ago.

In November the Huskies were ranked in the CIS Top Ten for the first time in three years, and have managed to hold onto that ranking for several months. That means that four Western teams are ranked in the Top Ten in the nation.

Robin will have one more year after this one. I am feeling pretty wistful already. Only 28 more games left in her university eligibility.

It’s all going by far too quickly. . .

On a totally separate note, I am reading at the McNally-Robinson bookstore in Saskatoon on Saturday, January 26th at 3:00 P.M. My first appearance at a bookstore! I am very excited — and very nervous!

Posted in On Sports | 1 Comment »

November 27, 2007 by maureen.ulrich.

I am really proud of the 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders – on a great many levels.

Winning the Grey Cup was indeed a marvelous achievement. But the fact that it was done with so much class makes that victory even sweeter. The Roughriders don’t showboat, beat their chests, or trash talk their opponents to the media. Instead, they express their gratitude to their teammates, their coaches, their families, their fans.

What a great season. No scandals involving HIV infected players having unprotected sex. No talk of racism. No “bad-boy” behaviour at Regina nightclubs.

The fans who conducted themselves so well in Regina and Toronto – painting the latter city green — in the pregame and postgame celebrations are to be commended. Thank you for not tarnishing a great moment in our sporting history.

The players – whether they are Saskatchewan born and bred like Scott Schultz or from the southern US like Fred Perry – love to represent our province. I recall a time when some football players thought coming to a whistle stop like Saskatchewan was the end of the world.

Maybe players will feel differently from now on. It is pretty evident that this year’s team has been a part of something very special. Something they may never again experience.

We in Saskatchewan are fortunate to have a team that represents us all – not just one city. The Riders unify us and define us.

In the CFL it is still possible for athletes to connect with their fans. Our gentlemen wearing green and white are a far cry from some of the spoiled, egotistical millionaires who make their living in professional sports.

If you are an athlete, please remember one thing. Your primary responsibility is not to yourself – but to the young people who look up to you. Be the role model they so desperately need. Demonstrate good sportsmanship and class in everything you do. And, if in the heat of the moment you forget to do this, suck it up and apologize. And then change your behaviour. Your fans will forgive you.

Maybe you’ve heard about the line brawl involving 8 year olds in a Triple A Novice tournament in Guelph. I could write a year’s worth of blogs on elitism and parental over-involvement in minor sports. Where did children learn to act like this? It doesn’t take much imagination. Thanks to the miracle of the mass media, we can watch brawls involving adults just about any time we like.

But . . .I digress.

Back to the Riders.

The Grey Cup win wasn’t pretty. It was downright ugly in fact. It was a defensive battle that had few highlights.

But team sports should never be about the achievements of one individual. Not even Jamie Johnson, who had three interceptions.

I’ve seen NFL broadcasts. I’ve listened to the way commentators wear out names like Tony Romo and Tom Brady – as if there were no other individuals on the field. What about the rest of the players who are working their butts off?

Kerry Joseph was visibly shaken at the end of the game. In fact, it was difficult to tell from his expression if his team had just won — or lost. I said to my husband, “I think he realizes just how close he came to letting victory to slip through his fingers.”

My husband said, “No, I think he’s overcome by the way his teammates lifted him up.”

Lifted him up.

And that’s what you’ve done for all of us, Roughriders.

You’ve lifted US up.

Posted in On Sports | 1 Comment »