The view of the notes that make all the difference during a live play-by-play webcast in Princeton Arena.
It’s the start of hockey playoffs and our local team did not advance. That means my seventh season as the online play-by-play webcaster for the KIJHL Princeton Posse has come to an end. It actually ended a week ago with the final regular season home game for the team. I was “on the fence” as to whether or not I wanted to see the team go into the post season.
While part of me would have been excited about being able to do some more home games, another part of me would have been less excited about the same thing. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this past season. In fact, this was easily one of my most favourite hockey seasons of being the internet voice of the Posse. It also went by rather quickly.
I can explain both, actually. The part of me that was sort of glad to see the season end is the one that gets a bit itchy when the end of February arrives. The first round of playoffs would have extended the season into early March. We are already seeing spring-like weather in mid-February so by early March I’m thinking of something other than hockey.
As for why the season zipped by so quickly…well, time flies when you are having fun. Plus, the regular season was only 47 games as opposed to the previous five seasons that had 52 regular games. I know, that may only be a difference of two or three homes games, but the shorter season did seem to virtually vaporize before my eyes.
It will very likely take me a couple more weeks to notice the loss of webcasts in my weekly routine. I say that because the home game schedule this past season had a few two week gaps that broke up the season for me and prevented it from becoming a weekly occurrence. I actually think that kept me focused as I was a little off balance as a result.
I think if I had weekly games to attend for the play-by-play I may have settled into a routine and by January it could have made me complacent. Having a ‘sporadic’ and ‘irregular’ schedule kept me on my toes. Or at least that’s how I looked at it. I think the new-to-me webcast booth also helped keep me feeling ‘special’ each game upon my arrival.
I think it was last season that the former ticket booth from outside the arena was converted into a broadcast booth inside the building. My last season was actually the 2013/14 one and at that time the games were being sent out through the internet from a booth that was above the announcer’s booth. It was cold and cramped is all I remember about it. The new one isn’t.
Aside from having a great time this past season, there is one really big bonus for me when I do the webcasts. It helps me get through winter. I have issues with snow and frightfully cold weather and for some reason, being in a box overlooking a large layer of ice on a concrete floor gets me through it. There is no doubt in my mind that I enjoyed every minute of it.
I give full credit to Geoff and Lance for getting me back in the box and Kendall for ensuring I kept coming back. Also I give kudos to Mark for supporting the program and the entire Posse organization for recognizing the importance of webcasts. But, as is usually the case, the most important people involved were the parents and family members who tuned in. It was really for them I was doing it for and from the sound of some of the feedback that was received, they liked it. That’s all I can ask for. Thanks for a great season in the webcast booth!
While part of me would have been excited about being able to do some more home games, another part of me would have been less excited about the same thing. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this past season. In fact, this was easily one of my most favourite hockey seasons of being the internet voice of the Posse. It also went by rather quickly.
I can explain both, actually. The part of me that was sort of glad to see the season end is the one that gets a bit itchy when the end of February arrives. The first round of playoffs would have extended the season into early March. We are already seeing spring-like weather in mid-February so by early March I’m thinking of something other than hockey.
As for why the season zipped by so quickly…well, time flies when you are having fun. Plus, the regular season was only 47 games as opposed to the previous five seasons that had 52 regular games. I know, that may only be a difference of two or three homes games, but the shorter season did seem to virtually vaporize before my eyes.
It will very likely take me a couple more weeks to notice the loss of webcasts in my weekly routine. I say that because the home game schedule this past season had a few two week gaps that broke up the season for me and prevented it from becoming a weekly occurrence. I actually think that kept me focused as I was a little off balance as a result.
I think if I had weekly games to attend for the play-by-play I may have settled into a routine and by January it could have made me complacent. Having a ‘sporadic’ and ‘irregular’ schedule kept me on my toes. Or at least that’s how I looked at it. I think the new-to-me webcast booth also helped keep me feeling ‘special’ each game upon my arrival.
I think it was last season that the former ticket booth from outside the arena was converted into a broadcast booth inside the building. My last season was actually the 2013/14 one and at that time the games were being sent out through the internet from a booth that was above the announcer’s booth. It was cold and cramped is all I remember about it. The new one isn’t.
Aside from having a great time this past season, there is one really big bonus for me when I do the webcasts. It helps me get through winter. I have issues with snow and frightfully cold weather and for some reason, being in a box overlooking a large layer of ice on a concrete floor gets me through it. There is no doubt in my mind that I enjoyed every minute of it.
I give full credit to Geoff and Lance for getting me back in the box and Kendall for ensuring I kept coming back. Also I give kudos to Mark for supporting the program and the entire Posse organization for recognizing the importance of webcasts. But, as is usually the case, the most important people involved were the parents and family members who tuned in. It was really for them I was doing it for and from the sound of some of the feedback that was received, they liked it. That’s all I can ask for. Thanks for a great season in the webcast booth!
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