Lying Down on The Job

Pre-Christmas match, kids excited, expectant, ebullient. They took to the ice and warmed up, going through the familiar drills with unquestioning concentration. Mimi and Fraser are unlike alot of the kids, as they figure skate too they are, even at a very young age well aware of the needs to stretch properly during a warm up and here is Mimi lying down, ready to start some stretching as dad snapped a frame or two.

The match started and dad an off ice official on the rail watching closely, 6 minutes in 0-0 then that moment you dread, the line of the oldest kids were skating 15 - 18 year olds, virtually men, big, strong, powerful, fearless they charged from end to end. A speculative puck into the corner and a race for it, a stumble, both skaters down and one horrifically collides with the boards, like a rag doll bouncing off, almost in slow motion it seemed.

No movement, I suspect most people still watching the action as the puck was fired back up the ice and the skaters raced off, no bad thing!! I dropped everything camera included, I never saw any more of the game, a neck stabilised, feet elevated a skater able to speak despite obvious extreme pain. Orientated in time, place and person when I asked, I was relieved to hear, extremities wiggling, no question an ambulance required. The wait seemed like an eternity I never heard anything else other than the talk with the boy, no crowd noise nothing. eventually a first aider from the area arrived and took over the chat, I think the skater was glad as I am sure he found my chat crappy!!!! Paramedics arrive and with unerring good humour manage the situation brilliantly and after some deep intakes of gas and air moved to a stretcher and swiftly off to hospital.

I don't know what the final score was, honestly I don't care either, it was only then I realised how very cold I was having been down on the deck too. Cold to my soul, wet too; a very hot shower and a change of clothes helped but still chilled as I saw the collision over and over in my minds eye.

It is the case that if you play extreme sports there is an inherent risk of injury. I was a ski racer, I raced GS and downhill, fearless and invincible as a teen, my prospects shattered by a horrific knee injury. I raced mountain bikes after my skiing career was curtailed however an unrelated back injury has led to my now being banned from my bikes by my physio!!! Does the twins participating scare me? Well if I am honest scare is not the right word but I do worry; but they love it, they are very good at it and I would never deprive them of the opportunity.

So a sad end to the day, I am sure that will be a season ending injury for the lad in question but that doesn't matter as long as his young body heals properly, the virtue of the young is that they heal quicker than us old farts and and I send him my positive thoughts and good wishes tonight, there but for the grace of God go we all....