Sports Night is Over

Photo by Alan

We had our last night of Sports Night with Cornerstone Church last Thursday. Our team turnout wasn't very good. I guess no one on our team liked volleyball.

When we first started out last fall our attendance was among the highest for European Handball. That continued on through floor hockey, our best sport.

But, when it came to volleyball not a lot of people on our team liked it. Out of the three sports we played I think it's the one that requires the most basic skills. If you can't volley or bump then you're pretty much lost.

The group above were pretty much the only guys on our team who showed up regularly. It made it a little more difficult against the other teams who usually had four guys and two girls on the court. For us, we had three and three.

Still we held our own. Our players were pretty solid overall. No really strong players, but no really weak ones either. That certainly helps a lot.

We were in last by a few points coming into the last day. But, I believe we may have pulled into a tie for second with the green team after pulling off a few victories.

I think all the teams won one sport so that was good. The green team started off winning at European Handball. We won in floor hockey. And the red team pulled it out in volleyball.

Tropicana

Back row: Johnson, Anthony, Sang Hee, Steve, Sang Woo

Front row: Me, Winnie, Andrew, Rupert, Wendy

Tropicana... that's the name of our Gym Night/Sports Night team. Grace (who's not actually in the picture because she had to leave early because Sopheak hurt his ankle) suggested that name and the team picked it. We have orange coloured shirts, so it seemed appropriate.

Gym Night is organized by the folks at Cornerstone Church up in Markham. They're the same people that organized the Ultimate League I was in in the summer.

I've been going to Gym Night for at least five years now if I remember correctly. I think we've been up at the Unionville High School gym for at least three or four years now. We play different sports over the course of the winter. The three main ones are European handball, volleyball and floor hockey. Often we'll throw in dodgeball and sometimes soccer or badminton. It's fun and you get a little exercise for a couple of hours once a week.

Rouge Park Hike

A couple of weeks ago I headed over to the Rouge River Valley near the zoo to take in the fall colours. It's not too far from the city centre and the trails there are pretty decent. One thing I like about them is that, while there are paths that are surrounded by trees on both sides, there are also open areas where you can see the blue skies as well. For taking pictures that's really nice. I love how the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows are met by the striking blue of the sky.

This is the second year I've come here. I went last year too. The overall conditions were a bit better then. It was a little overcast this time and I'm afraid I headed over there a little late in the day. There were more shadows than I would have liked. My bad. As well, I think it's a recent phenomenon, but in certain years the leaves on the trees appear to be "dirty". They aren't the bright yellows, oranges and reds you'd be accustomed to seeing. Often they'd have dingy, brown spots on them. Not very appealing, but you have to make the best of what you're given.

It's funny... whenever I go somewhere with the express purpose of photographing it, I don't enjoy it as much as if I were to go without my camera. Instead of just taking in the beautiful scenery, I'm scouring it looking for opportunities to take the perfect shot. Sometimes I have to take a step back and tell myself that I can do both while I'm out there.

Anyway, it was still nice to get out there for one last splash before the leaves fall and everything turns cold and grey. I really enjoyed the few hours I was out hiking. It gives you time to clear your head and forget about any pressing issues. I encourage everyone to do something where they can get out and take a break from the rigors everyday of life. Many people live lives that are past the point of being stressful. It's important for your well-being to take your foot off the gas, get out of the fast lane and sit by the side of the road and let the craziness go by.