Out of my depth and perhaps out of my mind, floorball with the Aberdeen Oilers was fast, fun and fierce.
Greeted at the doors of Sheddocksley Sports Centre by head coach Michal Zacik, I really didn’t know what was in-store for me.
However, after placing a stick in my hand and letting his team mates loose – I realised how deep the deep end was.
This delve into floorball was organised as part of a deeper look into some of the unconventional sports available in the north-east before Covid hit.
Those plans were put on hold, but with organised sports back up and running – and the Netflix back catalogue exhausted – perhaps now is the time to try something new.
‘Well-oiled machine’
My session with the Aberdeen Oilers was intense, with plenty of passing and shooting drills.
The team really lived up to their Oilers name – skilled and elusive, they moved about the hall like a well oiled machine, each player knowing where to be and when.
Meanwhile I was shepherded over to a quiet corner of the sports hall where the basics that underpin the sport could be drilled into me.
The game itself, which is the biggest indoor sport in the Czech Republic and enjoys an enduring popularity in many other European countries, is similar to ice hockey.
With limited contact and a distinct lack of ice, the players do not require protective gear and push each other end to end throughout the match.
Each team fields six players including a goalkeeper, and making use of speed and quick transitions try to score as many goals as possible during three 20-minute periods.
Game time
After my brief training session picking up the basic and joining in with drills, it was game time.
Possession switched faster than you could blink and goals rattled into the back of the net as the play raced from end to end.
Standing in the box, admittedly goal hanging, the ball dropped to my stick, and with just seconds to spare I hurried the ball goal-wards. Whether it went in or not is not something we need to dwell on.
Pleased with my stint with the championship-winning side, I heroically substituted myself to take in the game as a spectator.
From the stands – and with my newly-found knowledge – it became clear just how good the Aberdeen Oilers are. I couldn’t help but think they had taken it easy on me as they sprinted around, hunting down space and the ball with an eye on that goal.
All you need is a stick and ball
Keen for other people to give a sport he loves a try, head coach Mr Zacik said: “I have been coaching this team for about six years now, after initially joining as a player back in 2008.
“Playing as the goalkeeper for the team I got injured and then went on to coach the team, since starting coaching I have been loving it and just want to keep doing it.
“We are open to anybody who wants to come down.
“The sport is really safe and it is just one of the reasons I love it so much, and a reason why I think more people should join in.
“Or at the very least people should come and give it a go, its so quick, safe and fun to play.
“The hardest part is finding out about the sport, all you need is a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and a pair of trainers then you’re ready to go.”
The team has won the Scottish Floorball League five times since the club started and regularly competes at a national level is hoping talented individuals from across the Granite City can help keep them at the top.
The 33-year-old added: “We are consistently ranked among the top teams in the UK, I’m proud of all my players and always thankful of them.
“After all they are the ones who leave their lungs on the pitch.”