Day One
A quiet flight got us into Vancouver on a cloudy day with an occasional appearance of the sun. Once settled into our our hotel, we walked along the seawall to nearby Stanley Park. In the shadow of old growth redwoods and fall colours, we worked out our jet lag with a friendly kickaround. We were all thankful that the forecasted rain held off, save a few drops (Tomorrow does not look so good.). The excellent location of the hotel allowed everyone to get their supper within easy walking distance and then settle back into the hotel for a few hours of homework and free time.
Day Two – Game Day
We woke to rain showers and dressed for the worst. By the time we got the the lobby it had subsided. Our first game, played on field turf at the impressive UBC sports complex versus Hillfield-Strathallan College, went very well. Approaching the game with a new alignment, we were able to make some space for our captain, Ryan Lehman, and he distributed the ball well; striker Francesco Capretti netting two goals and narrowly missing his hat trick. The final score was 4-1.
In the second match, we came up against a strong Crescent School side. They were hungry after a poor perfomance in their morning game, and came out strongly. Solid positional defence, anchored by Mark David and punctuated by some lightning forays into the attack from Alex Caplan, we held off the charge, and we settled into an even match through the first half. In the second half, Crescent managed a goal, and despite numerous chances, that’s the way it ended, a 1-0 loss.
We headed back to the hotel still dry; having been fortunate again, not to be hit by the rain. We were assured that it would hit on the next day, though, and we were headed for the natural grass pitches of the host St. George’s School. A win tomorrow would put us through to the top division competition. The boys are playing well; several players raising their game to a new level – we’re looking for a good result.
Game results are posted online at http://www.stgeorges.bc.ca/CAISsoccer2009.asp
Have you ever been randomly chosen from a circle of adults to create a monologue on the spot? Have you ever had to convey the text of a Greek myth without saying a word? Or maybe, you have been asked to create a documentary drama in two hours with a group of strangers? That was the nature of the “Power of Leadership” theatre conference that I attended in Anaheim, California, recently. Hosted by the Educational Theatre Association of America (EDTA), this professional development opportunity offered hands-on workshops ranging from commedia dell’ arte, how to create a documentary drama, Disney costuming secrets, to even a master’s class in the Michael Chekhov psychological gesture technique.
This week in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) National Senior Boys Soccer Tournament takes place, hosted by St. Georges School. This is a premiere sports event for Canadian independent schools, having taken place for almost 30 years. Twenty teams from Canada’s east to west coast will be in Vancouver, host of the coming Winter Olympics, for the event.
Many schools can boast producing Rhodes Scholars or Olympic athletes. But it is not often that a school has the distinction of including a Nobel laureate among the ranks of its alumni.
Today’s activity was a real experience for me. Ms. Wearing told us we had a surprise assignment. After recess she told us we were playing field hockey. We have been reading a book that takes place in Afghanistan and in the book they talk about field hockey. She showed us a video on it and then we had to go outside and we had a chance to play.