Reflections

As I sit here with a jug of Gatorade and box of saltines (thanks stomach bug) I'm slightly panicked that this time next week I'll be on a plane on my way to Sweden!  So how did this all happen?  I've done some detailed posts on this in the past so here (click here to read my very first post) so here is the readers digest version:

I started officiating my senior year of college for extra cash.  When I graduated and got a "real" job, I wasn't going to continue until I fully understood how expensive it was to play hockey in the Philly area.  I figured I could ref on the side and basically make enough money to pay for my hockey dues.  Opportunities started to present themselves and I became more entrenched in the officiating community.  Several development camps later I earned my IIHF license in 2008 and was selected for my first IIHF assignment that fall, the 4 Nations Cup in Lake Placid.  It was there that I worked my first USA vs Canada game - that will always be a very special memory.  I started my current job at the Hartford right after I got home from 4 Nations.  The following week, Matt Leaf at USA Hockey emailed me and asked if I'd be able to go to China for 2 weeks in February for the World University Games.  I was a little nervous going in to ask my boss for two weeks off in a job that I had literally just started but fortunately the Hartford has a generous PTO policy and my boss at the time understood this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and allowed me to go.  That tournament allowed me to get on the IIHF's radar and now I'm fortunate enough to be headed to my 6th tournament.

I was working this past week with another female official who has a ton of potential.  She was asking a little bit about my upcoming trip but then she asked me a really tough question - what has been my favorite tournament?  That is such a tough question because every experience has been amazing in its own unique way.  China will always be special just because it was my first IIHF tournament abroad, I got to travel with one of my closest friends in the officiating community and it was such a unique place that I would have never gone to on my own.  The next tournament was in France, this was my first official World Championship tournament.  It was a lower level tournament so while the hockey wasn't great it was in such a cool city.  After that tournament one of my best friends came over and we traveled to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam together.  I think this was definitely my favorite "post tournament" travel experience.  In 2012 I was selected for my first A level tournament, u18's in Czech Republic.  That was special in and of itself as it was the first time I got to see the top countries in a world championship.  Ottawa 2013 was just amazing - my first senior A pool, in a country where hockey is religion and again I got to travel with one of my best friends.  Budapest was another A level u18 championship in another phenomenal location.  It was after this tournament that I got to visit an IIHF friend in Zurich, which really shows how fortunate I am to have friends all over the world.  Finally here we are, getting ready to head to Sweden for my 2nd senior A level championship.  While I am stressing about being ready to leave in a week, I can also reflect on how lucky I am to have had all of these experiences and can only be left to wonder what will make this tournament unique!

Next post will include my travel details, which were just emailed out yesterday!