The Hockey Life
The Final Competition
PART FIFTEEN: THE FINAL COMPETITION
The next day, Dylan was lucky. The Hawks were away for a game, so he didn’t have any reasons to get jealous. We greeted each other when we got to the UC just like any other day, so I figured we could just forget about the day before. I was grateful for that. We actually needed to focus, because it was the thirteenth day of the internship, and the program only gave us fourteen days. The last day was the final competition which would help decide who would get to continue to work with the Hawks organization and who was done. We needed to prepare.
“As you know, tomorrow is the last day of this internship for you…well, for most of you. All of the days you’ve already survived and all the information you’ve already learned was just leading up to tomorrow, which is the final competition for you all. You will split up into pairs for the competition. Essentially, you will all go through a course. It will start out in the ticket booths. Your teams will sell tickets to five customers (per member of the team) as quickly and efficiently as possible. On the way to the ice, you will then each help out one customer by directing them to their seats and anything else they might need to find. You will go to three different cameras and prep them for a game. When the players head out on the ice, you will film fifteen seconds of footage on one of those three cameras. Next, you will prepare the ice for a game. Once it’s ready, you will make sure all players are hydrated. You will fix a glass panel when it comes undone, then return to the bench. You will replace a stick or two for players who break them, then you will do an ankle wrap for a player. You’ll refresh the ice once more and then you’ll be finished. The competition will be timed, but getting the best time won’t necessarily guarantee a win for your team. You will also be evaluated, so if the quality of the work of a team is significantly better than the work of the team with the best time, then they could get the win.” Brad’s words were a lot to take in, put every one of us interns listened to them carefully. “Today, you have nothing new to learn. Obviously the players aren’t here for you to help now, and neither are the people that we have chosen to be the “customers”, but you have the freedom to work on whatever you want.”
We all did just that. Dylan and I attempted to figure out good strategies for the next day, but we came up with nothing, unfortunately. We had done well throughout the weeks, so we would just have to wing it and hope for the best. We worked on the same things we had already learned for a while until it was time to leave.
Tess and I had hockey practice, but other than that, we didn’t do much else with our day. The day went by pretty slowly, probably because we spent it anticipating our tomorrow. For Dylan and I it consisted of the last day of the internship and the competition. For the two of us and Tess, it also consisted of the New Years Eve party at Jonathan Toews’ place. I spent the whole night just thinking, and I didn’t get as much sleep as I needed for the next day, but there was nothing I could do about it. In the morning I woke up at the same time I always did and I just made sure to have plenty of coffee before I headed to the UC.
When I got there, a million different thoughts and feelings rushed through me all at once. I realized that it was the last day of the internship, and that made me a little sad. Although it technically was like school or work, to me it was really enjoyable. I didn’t really want it to end. On top of that, I was also really nervous. I was confident that Dylan and I had what it would take to do well, but the other interns were talented too. All it would take to lose would be one little mistake.
Dylan and I soon found out that we were going last. I didn’t know if that was good or bad. I guessed it was both. We would get to learn from the other teams’ mistakes and we would know what we had to beat, but we also would have to wait around and get even more nervous. I was afraid it would make me over think things too much.
We waited for what seemed like hours until the other teams were done and it was our turn. So far, Puck Bunny’s team was out. Their time had been beaten and they hadn’t done all that well with the customers. Alex’s team had done very well, though. They were our only competition at that point.
Dylan and I headed to the ticket booths and got situated inside. We each had our own lines of five customers. Once everyone was in place, Brad counted down for us.
“3...2...1...GO!”
We did a good job with the tickets. When it came to selling things, we knew how to be quick, but we also didn’t really make any big mistakes. It didn’t take long for us to move out of the booths. We each were confronted by “ customers” who were unfamiliar with the UC and didn’t know how to find their seats or the bathrooms. I got done a little faster than Dylan, so I went for the cameras. We had decided that if one of us fell behind, the other should just keep going. Dylan caught up quickly, though. We got our footage on the cameras of our choices and headed to the ice. We prepped it and made sure every player had plenty of water and Gatorade. Both on cues, Seabs broke his stick and Hoss had a helmet problem which we worked together to replace/fix. We both helped fix a glass panel when it popped out of place. Patrick Kane played the part of the guy who needed his ankle wrapped, so we headed to the locker room like we would during a game and we did our best to fix that. Dylan let me take the lead on that one, since I knew a little more about the subject than he did. I was going to school to be a trainer, after all. Once that was done, we raced back to the ice and made sure it was perfect once more, and we were done. My adrenaline was still pumping when I sat down with the rest of the interns to hear the results.
“Alright, we’ve made our final decision,” Brad said, his fellow evaluators standing on either side of him. “Each team has done very well, and so has each of you individually. This has been an amazing experience and it has been made clear today that you all have learned a lot. However, only one team can win.” I was wiggling my leg at a quick pace at that point. I was very impatient. I just wanted to hear the results.
“The times are as follows: 16:37 for Brittany and Max,” (Brittany was Puck Bunny’s actual name, which I never used when talking about her to anyone), “15:32 for Lena and Dylan,” (that wasn’t too bad), “and finally, 15:29 for Alex and Tyler.” My heart dropped from my chest to my stomach. I couldn’t believe it. I was sure at that moment that we had lost. I hadn’t been able to see everything, but from what I did see, Alex and Tyler had pretty much matched Dylan and I in skill. The three second time difference was all they needed to win and they got it. I watched them celebrate in their seats with envy burning in my heart, even though I wanted to be happy for them.
“Don’t get too excited you too. We’re not done. Because the times between you and the Dylan and Lena duo were so close, we decided to take the evaluations into account. While you both did almost equally well altogether and there were only little differences, there was one thing that stood out to us. Alex and Tyler: when you did the second to last activity of the challenge and wrapped the ankle, I think you both were a little worried about time. You did an okay job, but you were a little rough and too quick about it. Even in timed situations, you have to keep in mind that when it comes to health, things have to be done efficiently. Lena and Dylan were very careful and gentle, and they slowed down a little for the task. I think they remembered that it was supposed to be a simulation so they tried to keep it as close as possible to a real life injury that needed to be tended to. Because of this, the three of us have decided to award Dylan and Lena with the win. Congratulations!” What? We really won? Against the amazing Alex? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from Brad.
“As the winning team, you two will be called back from time to time to help with tasks similar to the ones you have already worked on. You might even be called in for actual job opportunities and you will possibly have chances to travel to away games and work during those in said opportunities. Lastly, you both get tickets to a game next month. As for the rest of you, you will also get tickets to a game and you will always be welcomed back here at the United Center. I want you all to know that each of you are very talented, dedicated individuals. I’m very proud to have selected you six to be a part of my internship program this year, and I hope I’ll see all of you back here again in the future. I have confidence that you all will go a long way, and I hope you had an enjoyable experience here.” Dylan and I were amazed and excited, but we tried to hide our overbearing emotions. We mingled with the other interns and told them that they did a good job. We said our goodbyes to them and went to the locker room to say our goodbyes to the players, even though the real goodbyes would be said once the party taking place that night was over. We each got gifts from Brad containing funny award certificates, photos from our experiences including a couple framed photos with the team, and our tickets, of course. We also each got a shirt and a personal card from Brad.
“Well done, you two,” I heard a familiar voice say to Dylan and I in the locker room. It was the captain.
“Thanks,” we said simultaneously. We had heard it a few times already by then.
“I’m glad that you guys are going to be coming back here often,” he continued.
“We probably won’t be back ever. I’m tired of this place,” I joked.
“What?”
“I’m just kidding! I love it here! I’d love to get a personal trainer job here. But for now I’ll be coming to games whenever I can and hopefully we’ll get at least one more job-like experience here,” I said.
“I’m sure you guys will be called back here a lot,” Jonathan assured us.
“He’s right, you know. I wouldn’t be surprised if you did get that personal trainer job, you did a great job on my ankle,” Patrick said, joining the conversation.
“That doesn’t really count, your ankle wasn’t hurt,” I replied.
“Don’t be so humble, Lena. Your skills in the trainer department were what got us the win,” Dylan told me. We all talked for a few minutes until we realized that we really needed to get going. I left the UC feeling happy, even though I knew it might be a while before I’d be back there again. I couldn’t wait to tell Tess the great news, but even more than that, I couldn’t wait for 7pm to roll around so we could head to the New Years party. It was going to be the perfect way to end the year.
The next day, Dylan was lucky. The Hawks were away for a game, so he didn’t have any reasons to get jealous. We greeted each other when we got to the UC just like any other day, so I figured we could just forget about the day before. I was grateful for that. We actually needed to focus, because it was the thirteenth day of the internship, and the program only gave us fourteen days. The last day was the final competition which would help decide who would get to continue to work with the Hawks organization and who was done. We needed to prepare.
“As you know, tomorrow is the last day of this internship for you…well, for most of you. All of the days you’ve already survived and all the information you’ve already learned was just leading up to tomorrow, which is the final competition for you all. You will split up into pairs for the competition. Essentially, you will all go through a course. It will start out in the ticket booths. Your teams will sell tickets to five customers (per member of the team) as quickly and efficiently as possible. On the way to the ice, you will then each help out one customer by directing them to their seats and anything else they might need to find. You will go to three different cameras and prep them for a game. When the players head out on the ice, you will film fifteen seconds of footage on one of those three cameras. Next, you will prepare the ice for a game. Once it’s ready, you will make sure all players are hydrated. You will fix a glass panel when it comes undone, then return to the bench. You will replace a stick or two for players who break them, then you will do an ankle wrap for a player. You’ll refresh the ice once more and then you’ll be finished. The competition will be timed, but getting the best time won’t necessarily guarantee a win for your team. You will also be evaluated, so if the quality of the work of a team is significantly better than the work of the team with the best time, then they could get the win.” Brad’s words were a lot to take in, put every one of us interns listened to them carefully. “Today, you have nothing new to learn. Obviously the players aren’t here for you to help now, and neither are the people that we have chosen to be the “customers”, but you have the freedom to work on whatever you want.”
We all did just that. Dylan and I attempted to figure out good strategies for the next day, but we came up with nothing, unfortunately. We had done well throughout the weeks, so we would just have to wing it and hope for the best. We worked on the same things we had already learned for a while until it was time to leave.
Tess and I had hockey practice, but other than that, we didn’t do much else with our day. The day went by pretty slowly, probably because we spent it anticipating our tomorrow. For Dylan and I it consisted of the last day of the internship and the competition. For the two of us and Tess, it also consisted of the New Years Eve party at Jonathan Toews’ place. I spent the whole night just thinking, and I didn’t get as much sleep as I needed for the next day, but there was nothing I could do about it. In the morning I woke up at the same time I always did and I just made sure to have plenty of coffee before I headed to the UC.
When I got there, a million different thoughts and feelings rushed through me all at once. I realized that it was the last day of the internship, and that made me a little sad. Although it technically was like school or work, to me it was really enjoyable. I didn’t really want it to end. On top of that, I was also really nervous. I was confident that Dylan and I had what it would take to do well, but the other interns were talented too. All it would take to lose would be one little mistake.
Dylan and I soon found out that we were going last. I didn’t know if that was good or bad. I guessed it was both. We would get to learn from the other teams’ mistakes and we would know what we had to beat, but we also would have to wait around and get even more nervous. I was afraid it would make me over think things too much.
We waited for what seemed like hours until the other teams were done and it was our turn. So far, Puck Bunny’s team was out. Their time had been beaten and they hadn’t done all that well with the customers. Alex’s team had done very well, though. They were our only competition at that point.
Dylan and I headed to the ticket booths and got situated inside. We each had our own lines of five customers. Once everyone was in place, Brad counted down for us.
“3...2...1...GO!”
We did a good job with the tickets. When it came to selling things, we knew how to be quick, but we also didn’t really make any big mistakes. It didn’t take long for us to move out of the booths. We each were confronted by “ customers” who were unfamiliar with the UC and didn’t know how to find their seats or the bathrooms. I got done a little faster than Dylan, so I went for the cameras. We had decided that if one of us fell behind, the other should just keep going. Dylan caught up quickly, though. We got our footage on the cameras of our choices and headed to the ice. We prepped it and made sure every player had plenty of water and Gatorade. Both on cues, Seabs broke his stick and Hoss had a helmet problem which we worked together to replace/fix. We both helped fix a glass panel when it popped out of place. Patrick Kane played the part of the guy who needed his ankle wrapped, so we headed to the locker room like we would during a game and we did our best to fix that. Dylan let me take the lead on that one, since I knew a little more about the subject than he did. I was going to school to be a trainer, after all. Once that was done, we raced back to the ice and made sure it was perfect once more, and we were done. My adrenaline was still pumping when I sat down with the rest of the interns to hear the results.
“Alright, we’ve made our final decision,” Brad said, his fellow evaluators standing on either side of him. “Each team has done very well, and so has each of you individually. This has been an amazing experience and it has been made clear today that you all have learned a lot. However, only one team can win.” I was wiggling my leg at a quick pace at that point. I was very impatient. I just wanted to hear the results.
“The times are as follows: 16:37 for Brittany and Max,” (Brittany was Puck Bunny’s actual name, which I never used when talking about her to anyone), “15:32 for Lena and Dylan,” (that wasn’t too bad), “and finally, 15:29 for Alex and Tyler.” My heart dropped from my chest to my stomach. I couldn’t believe it. I was sure at that moment that we had lost. I hadn’t been able to see everything, but from what I did see, Alex and Tyler had pretty much matched Dylan and I in skill. The three second time difference was all they needed to win and they got it. I watched them celebrate in their seats with envy burning in my heart, even though I wanted to be happy for them.
“Don’t get too excited you too. We’re not done. Because the times between you and the Dylan and Lena duo were so close, we decided to take the evaluations into account. While you both did almost equally well altogether and there were only little differences, there was one thing that stood out to us. Alex and Tyler: when you did the second to last activity of the challenge and wrapped the ankle, I think you both were a little worried about time. You did an okay job, but you were a little rough and too quick about it. Even in timed situations, you have to keep in mind that when it comes to health, things have to be done efficiently. Lena and Dylan were very careful and gentle, and they slowed down a little for the task. I think they remembered that it was supposed to be a simulation so they tried to keep it as close as possible to a real life injury that needed to be tended to. Because of this, the three of us have decided to award Dylan and Lena with the win. Congratulations!” What? We really won? Against the amazing Alex? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing from Brad.
“As the winning team, you two will be called back from time to time to help with tasks similar to the ones you have already worked on. You might even be called in for actual job opportunities and you will possibly have chances to travel to away games and work during those in said opportunities. Lastly, you both get tickets to a game next month. As for the rest of you, you will also get tickets to a game and you will always be welcomed back here at the United Center. I want you all to know that each of you are very talented, dedicated individuals. I’m very proud to have selected you six to be a part of my internship program this year, and I hope I’ll see all of you back here again in the future. I have confidence that you all will go a long way, and I hope you had an enjoyable experience here.” Dylan and I were amazed and excited, but we tried to hide our overbearing emotions. We mingled with the other interns and told them that they did a good job. We said our goodbyes to them and went to the locker room to say our goodbyes to the players, even though the real goodbyes would be said once the party taking place that night was over. We each got gifts from Brad containing funny award certificates, photos from our experiences including a couple framed photos with the team, and our tickets, of course. We also each got a shirt and a personal card from Brad.
“Well done, you two,” I heard a familiar voice say to Dylan and I in the locker room. It was the captain.
“Thanks,” we said simultaneously. We had heard it a few times already by then.
“I’m glad that you guys are going to be coming back here often,” he continued.
“We probably won’t be back ever. I’m tired of this place,” I joked.
“What?”
“I’m just kidding! I love it here! I’d love to get a personal trainer job here. But for now I’ll be coming to games whenever I can and hopefully we’ll get at least one more job-like experience here,” I said.
“I’m sure you guys will be called back here a lot,” Jonathan assured us.
“He’s right, you know. I wouldn’t be surprised if you did get that personal trainer job, you did a great job on my ankle,” Patrick said, joining the conversation.
“That doesn’t really count, your ankle wasn’t hurt,” I replied.
“Don’t be so humble, Lena. Your skills in the trainer department were what got us the win,” Dylan told me. We all talked for a few minutes until we realized that we really needed to get going. I left the UC feeling happy, even though I knew it might be a while before I’d be back there again. I couldn’t wait to tell Tess the great news, but even more than that, I couldn’t wait for 7pm to roll around so we could head to the New Years party. It was going to be the perfect way to end the year.
@hockeygirl07
Thank you so much! :)
11/1/14