FHumpires.com
Why I Umpire
February 18 2010
As I write this my flight to Vienna has just crossed the English Channel and the sun is rising on the horizon racing to meet us. The villages and cities of France pass below with the criss-cross of their street lights marking them. The tournament is two days away and I feel a surge of emotion as I get closer to my destination that compels me to pull out my lap top and write these words. There is something ever so humbling seeing the world from 12,000 meters, and I am reminded how small I am in the grand scheme of things. I think of all the places I’ve seen as a direct result of traveling to tournaments and the effect it has had on me.
There is of course the thrill of umpiring hockey - I can’t deny that - and a love for the game. When it is played well it is, to me, one of the most exciting sports in the world. Every person I know that is involved in the sport is obsessed with it; you have to be it is so obscure. Despite being the third or fourth most played game on the planet, most people who play it toil in anonymity. Those who seek it out to watch have some connection to it, be it as players or families of those who play. Even in Europe where the game is wide spread I am surprised to find that most people aren’t even aware of it’s existence. It is not uncommon for people to have to travel far from their homes to even find a game.
There are also the friendships that I have forged over the past 18 years. In the age of the global community and the internet where staying in touch is so easy I can count friends on almost every continent in the world. It is rare to find more genuine and friendly people than those who play hockey. When my wife (at the time not even my fiancé) came to join me at a tournament in Ireland, the organizers, TD and UM were so gracious to her I couldn’t help but feel touched. They arranged a pass for her so she could get into the facility, and my fellow umpires made sure that she was never alone in the stands. When we went out to dinner they insisted on her joining us and made her part of the group. As a result she was able to gain a unique insight as to why I do what I do and where the passion comes from.
I have to say, however, that the travel above all else has had the most profound effect on my life. I have changed so much from my journeys that I can’t imagine who I would be if hockey wasn’t a part of my life. If you have traveled to different parts of the world you realize the beauty and grandeur of every corner of it, but for me, most importantly, I feel a connection with my fellow human beings. Despite almost infinite cultural differences the vast majority of people are the same; they share the same emotions and dreams. When I travel I appreciate my life at home more and as a result life is just a little more wondrous, more savoured.
What began as a sport to get back into shape has become a driving force in my life. There isn’t a day that I do not think about or do something with umpiring hockey. It has been the source of great joy and incredible frustration, and only something you are passionate about can have that effect.
Europe clouds over beneath us as we get closer to Austria, and in the distance mountain peaks poke through the fluffy blanket. They are very different from the Rocky Mountains of my home; yet another reminder of how big our planet is, how vast and how diverse. Umpiring hockey has made all this possible.
I am a lucky man.
Comments
- DeToro
06:53pm, 02/21/2010
I enjoyed your trip.
