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  • A winning journey


    Duane Rollins

    There is no obvious reason for that. Maybe I’m a glory hunter (stay with me here)? I first started to really absorb sports through my own eyes in the mid-1980s. I can still recall being absolutely transfixed watching the Los Angeles Olympics as Canada won medal after medal. My childish mind didn’t realize that the reason Canada was doing so well was because a boycott had weakened the field considerably. No, it just loved watching Canada win. When the games ended I wanted to watch Canada win more so I would seek out TV coverage of sports that most kids my age had little to know interest in in. The only requirement was that the red and white were involved.

    That brings us to that faithful day in 1985 when I saw a Canadian soccer team on my television. This was perfect -- my English meeting my Canadian. Obviously I watched.

    Canada beat Honduras 1-0. You may be familiar with the game in question.

    Yes, I started at the top.

    And now I’m here. It’s been an interesting journey.

    As my friend Daniel Squizzato has written, emotionally attaching yourself to the plight of 11 men or women chasing a ball in short pants is completely and totally irrational. It has no real meaning. The result of a game cannot significantly make a difference in your day to day life.

    It has no tangible value.

    Except that it does. Caring about something – and that something doesn’t have to be sports for everyone that’s just the focus here – is what gives life value. Perspective is required, of course, but we should never question how much richer our lives are for being part of the community that has decided to emotionally invest in Canadian soccer.

    This point was driven home to me this week when I received news that a dear friend had passed away. That may seem strange to some that a death would make me appreciate something like soccer more – the accepted narrative is to say that death drives home the frivolity of all but the most basic things – but what it’s made me realize is that the value of life is living it.

    Jason wasn’t a soccer fan. He’d probably think it a bit odd of me to eulogize him on a soccer web site, actually. What Jay was, however, was someone who was passionate, who believed in the importance of community and family and who was always positive, even when things seemed bleak.

    Sounds a lot like the Voyageurs, eh?

    I’m a better person for having known him and I’m a better person for having found a community of likeminded people that have decided to care about something.

    By the time you read this there is every chance that the game will be over. There is also every chance that Canada will not have gotten the result that we wanted them to get. However, there is no chance that we will have lost.

    Lost the game, sure. But, truly lost?

    Nah, we won when we took the journey.

    Allez les Rouge



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