Friday, December 22, 2006
Team building activities
I should start by saying that team building activities, for those of you who are not aware, are a chance for work groups to get out of the office, do something fun and get connected with each other on a new level. That was the goal for my work group last week when about 55 of us invaded the local rec centre to have fun and learn about the health and wellness benefits of physical activity. This goal was not the first thing on many peoples' minds when we first received the meeting request. Many people were thinking something along the lines of, 'I am NOT going to wear my swim suit. What are they thinking, swimming, swimming, damnit I'm not going show up in my swim suit in front of all of these people.'
I have to admit that while this particular rec center has a great pool, and we have been many times as a family, the idea of showing off my physique to my new colleagues was not high on my list of to do's.
So when the organizing manager sent a follow-up email that talked about a mystery activity and also mentioned the fact that we did not have to worry about seeing a couple of the older guys in their 'Brazilian Thongs' we were put at ease; at least somewhat. What was the mystery activity, would it be fun, would I be good at it.
It turned out to be an indoor soccer mini-tournament. It has been about 15 years since I played the game, and those of you who know me in a sporting capacity can probably envision my competitive nature exploding in the EKCC (COTR) intramural indoor soccer league in days gone by. The most vivid memory I have of my two games of indoor soccer is the body check I threw on some poor unsuspecting opponent and him flying through the air in a fully laid out single forward one and a half with a half twist. Had he landed on his feet and held the landing it would have been one for the Olympics. The fact is he didn't land on his feet, but rather squarely on his back with a great breath exploding from his lungs with an audible "POOF" sound. Thankfully he wasn't hurt and the game continued. I was a bit turned off by the whole thing, being used to hockey, with full padding and the ability to rub opponents out into the boards. This was an entirely new paradigm for me of allowing people their personal space in an very demanding sport was not easy. I feared that I would return to my aggressive old time hockey style of indoor soccer and possibly injure one of my new co-workers.
My fear was unfounded however, and during the first two minute game I scored two goals and found I had the lungs to play both offense and defense. It was in the second two minute game that the carnage began with a collision that brings to mind what might happen when a freight train going full speed in one direction hits a street sign that has somehow ended up in the middle of its path. Another image that comes to mind, which is closer to the actual event, is that of Paul Sr. from American Chopper running flat out in one direction and Nicole Ritchie running in the other. I'm sure you get the idea. The odds are pretty long that Nicole Ritchie would remain on her feet after that. So with a referral to a Chiropractor, a bandage and good stiff drink that was the first casualty.
The next bit of blood was drawn by... well... me; though it was really not my fault. As the game progressed certain people started to stand out as "stars" as other proceeded to only stand - like statues to the ancient indoor soccer mediocrity. Some put me in the former category while I would say I was somewhere in the middle. Anyhow, on with the carnage. One of the stars, I would say the star, who is the coach of his kids' indoor and outdoor soccer teams was putting on a bit of a display of ball handling. He dipped and he rolled, he zigged and zagged and he even did the occasional dipsy doodle. It was with this dipsy doodle that he thought he got by me it was only after his face bounced quite hard off my shoulder and his backside contacted the turf that he realized his doodle wasn't all it was cracked up to be. That was the second casualty and though he continued in the game, I felt terrible and was unable to score after that because my concentration was lost. I couldn't even run the length of the field anymore. In hindsight I may have been a bit winded as well as were the rest of the crew.
It was this lack of wind that made the clutching and grabbing start. And all of you NHL fans know that it is the clutching and grabbing that brings the injuries. A couple of people ended up on their faces on the turf and a few on their butts. But the worst of all, the one that brought the game to a stop (for a short time anyway) was the popping sound of a medial cruciat ligament tearing. This one was a dowsy and did not begin with any contact at all. At least not with another person. The poor woman who dislocated her knee had just said to her boss, "I am too tired to play anymore." to which he replied, "Oh, just go stand in the corner out of the way and you'll be fine." Had she heeded his words we would not have had to solicit the help of the first aid crew, wheel her out in a wheel chair and send her home for at least the next week or two. That was a real downer and the pace of the game slowed as we all knew it would be only a matter of time before the next real injury happened.
Thankfully no one else was hurt, physically anyhow. The goalies on each of the five teams had some very soar ego's as did the executive manager and captain of my team. We scored two goals in 26 minutes of soccer. In the end I am not certain if anyone felt any "closer to each other" but we do know who can't play for fun and who doesn't let up. And, I know that I can play indoor, but only for 4 minutes with any intensity.
by Chad
I have to admit that while this particular rec center has a great pool, and we have been many times as a family, the idea of showing off my physique to my new colleagues was not high on my list of to do's.
So when the organizing manager sent a follow-up email that talked about a mystery activity and also mentioned the fact that we did not have to worry about seeing a couple of the older guys in their 'Brazilian Thongs' we were put at ease; at least somewhat. What was the mystery activity, would it be fun, would I be good at it.
It turned out to be an indoor soccer mini-tournament. It has been about 15 years since I played the game, and those of you who know me in a sporting capacity can probably envision my competitive nature exploding in the EKCC (COTR) intramural indoor soccer league in days gone by. The most vivid memory I have of my two games of indoor soccer is the body check I threw on some poor unsuspecting opponent and him flying through the air in a fully laid out single forward one and a half with a half twist. Had he landed on his feet and held the landing it would have been one for the Olympics. The fact is he didn't land on his feet, but rather squarely on his back with a great breath exploding from his lungs with an audible "POOF" sound. Thankfully he wasn't hurt and the game continued. I was a bit turned off by the whole thing, being used to hockey, with full padding and the ability to rub opponents out into the boards. This was an entirely new paradigm for me of allowing people their personal space in an very demanding sport was not easy. I feared that I would return to my aggressive old time hockey style of indoor soccer and possibly injure one of my new co-workers.
My fear was unfounded however, and during the first two minute game I scored two goals and found I had the lungs to play both offense and defense. It was in the second two minute game that the carnage began with a collision that brings to mind what might happen when a freight train going full speed in one direction hits a street sign that has somehow ended up in the middle of its path. Another image that comes to mind, which is closer to the actual event, is that of Paul Sr. from American Chopper running flat out in one direction and Nicole Ritchie running in the other. I'm sure you get the idea. The odds are pretty long that Nicole Ritchie would remain on her feet after that. So with a referral to a Chiropractor, a bandage and good stiff drink that was the first casualty.
The next bit of blood was drawn by... well... me; though it was really not my fault. As the game progressed certain people started to stand out as "stars" as other proceeded to only stand - like statues to the ancient indoor soccer mediocrity. Some put me in the former category while I would say I was somewhere in the middle. Anyhow, on with the carnage. One of the stars, I would say the star, who is the coach of his kids' indoor and outdoor soccer teams was putting on a bit of a display of ball handling. He dipped and he rolled, he zigged and zagged and he even did the occasional dipsy doodle. It was with this dipsy doodle that he thought he got by me it was only after his face bounced quite hard off my shoulder and his backside contacted the turf that he realized his doodle wasn't all it was cracked up to be. That was the second casualty and though he continued in the game, I felt terrible and was unable to score after that because my concentration was lost. I couldn't even run the length of the field anymore. In hindsight I may have been a bit winded as well as were the rest of the crew.
It was this lack of wind that made the clutching and grabbing start. And all of you NHL fans know that it is the clutching and grabbing that brings the injuries. A couple of people ended up on their faces on the turf and a few on their butts. But the worst of all, the one that brought the game to a stop (for a short time anyway) was the popping sound of a medial cruciat ligament tearing. This one was a dowsy and did not begin with any contact at all. At least not with another person. The poor woman who dislocated her knee had just said to her boss, "I am too tired to play anymore." to which he replied, "Oh, just go stand in the corner out of the way and you'll be fine." Had she heeded his words we would not have had to solicit the help of the first aid crew, wheel her out in a wheel chair and send her home for at least the next week or two. That was a real downer and the pace of the game slowed as we all knew it would be only a matter of time before the next real injury happened.
Thankfully no one else was hurt, physically anyhow. The goalies on each of the five teams had some very soar ego's as did the executive manager and captain of my team. We scored two goals in 26 minutes of soccer. In the end I am not certain if anyone felt any "closer to each other" but we do know who can't play for fun and who doesn't let up. And, I know that I can play indoor, but only for 4 minutes with any intensity.
by Chad
