Guest blog by Amanda McConnell, program manager of Ehrlo Sport Venture Library.

I just returned from Leh, India where I delivered hockey equipment and took part if a addictions program centered on hockey. I put together some interesting facts from my time in India:

• Kate and Amanda at the Indian National Team tryout



• We spent many afternoons skating on a frozen part of the Indus River which flows through Tibet, into Jammu and Kashmir (the region I was in in India)and Pakistan. It is one of the seven sacred rivers in Hindu culture.


• We were guests of honor at an Indian National Team tryout, a match that saw the Indian Army team vs the Jammu Kashmir team. It was played on a pond, the penalty box was a lawn chair and there were no boards, just small pieces of wood around the rink to keep the puck in. The players and referee would often step over it and stay in the play.


• Tea is served to the referee’s during halftime. In fact, tea is served several times a day and was often brought to us while we were coaching at the pond.


• One hockey stick is worth approximately one months’ salary for many people in the region.


• We spent much of our time in a house on a police compound which was located on part of the military base. We slept on sleeping pads on the floor and spent many of the nights listening to the compound dogs bark at the stray dogs (there are a lot in the area) or at donkeys who wandered into the yard.



• Coaches and kids saying goodbye

  It was an INCREDIBLE experience! The people in the region are amazing and their love for hockey is astounding. It means so much to them and is relatively new to the area.