Maine has 2,600+ lakes and ponds…without names. Waters you’ve never heard of because we just don’t talk about them, or don’t have the language to identify them aside from typical Mainer directions of “off the logging road with the orange flagging tape.” Someone down the line may have deemed waters too insignificant for denotation, or simply wiped identity when words sounded too complex to fit in maps. Or maybe we were too distracted with 6,000+ other lakes and ponds full of beauty to explore what we didn’t know. 

There’s so much we can’t put words to, can’t look up in research to prepare expectations for an experience — and that’s a beautiful space to become acquainted with through fly fishing.

I grew up in the woods of Maine as a curious kid who memorized birds and turned over logs in search of salamanders. My mother supported time outside by traversing streambeds and climbing trees in stride. She introduced me to fishing, borrowing her father’s spinning rod to cast over culverts and into granite pools of her own childhood romping grounds, sharing encounters with slimy and spotted brook trout. She inspired curiosity to learn by seeing and doing, by feeling until the words took form and knowledge was gained. There was always something new to see if you looked for it. 

Fly fishing became the adolescent iteration of nature-based obsession, this time as an excuse to see then-boyfriend and explore new water. It also became a meditative balm for growing pains, disappointments, uncomfortable changes, and other challenges that come with growing older. For every hardship, there were welcoming waters ready to soothe the soul. Interpersonal relationships became more complicated and uncertainties more visceral —fly fishing offered a shared language to release stress and be reminded of connectedness. 

As imperfect humans, we never stop changing and growing, despite the stagnation we may find or create for ourselves. There is always a different way to think about something, a skill to improve, a feeling to explore and fly pattern that just might do the trick. Every angler who picks up a rod and reel is signing up for a life of learning and deep connection to the wild places around us. You learn to fight harder, think deeper, and wade more thoughtfully across rivers and streams once you get to know their unique character and potential. 

These days, I’m thankful for the solitude a riverbank can provide to parse what is happening around us. We are suddenly facing what we don’t know regularly, feeling its impact, and wondering what to do. There have always been waters we don’t know by name — to be swimming in them daily is a different learning curve entirely. My hope is that we may all find solace by embracing ultimate truths: we can learn, we can do better, we can be mindful, and we can take a small step while we envision destination. A little time on the water just might help us see what is possible, and remind us of all we still have to be grateful for.

A note from the author: Bri Dostie is Founder of Confluence Collective, providing educational and mindful interactions on the water for those who don’t fit the fly fisher archetype. As a sport most often associated with older white men, there is much we can do to create a more accessible and inclusive culture on the riverbank to ensure the benefits of fly fishing are available to all with curiosity. 

While COVID-19 has postponed many group fly fishing events, be sure to visit the Confluence Collective website for more information on what you can do to learn and stay fishy in quarantine: www.confluencecollective.org and follow on social media for regular updates. Stay well, Maine!

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, I grew up in a family of five. And, by that, I mean a family of five skaters; my Dad was a hockey player and my mom is in her 40^th year of coaching figure skating.

Growing up, spending time skating on outdoor rinks with my parents, my brother and my sister were prominent moments in my life. I started playing hockey around eight years old and was a figure skater until 10^th grade, when I decided to focus my attention on hockey. If you’re serious about a sport, there will come a time when you have to fully commit to it if you want to get better and play at the highest level.

A pivotal step for me in this process was spending my 11^th and 12^th grades in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, where I lived with a billet family and played AAA Midget hockey. After two good seasons, I began getting some attention from WHL teams and colleges in the U.S. Then, I found myself at another crossroads: Do I play in the WHL, or go to college?

My older brother played in the WHL for the Red Deer Rebels, had a great junior career and was drafted in the first round of the NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. So, I attended Kootenay Ice training camp, made the team and gave up my college eligibility. After one season, I was traded in the expansion draft to the Everett Silvertips, where Kevin Constantine and the coaching staff really turned me into a professional. We lost in the WHL finals but had a good season, setting many league records as an expansion franchise.

After the season, I was hoping to get drafted to the NHL or at least be invited to a training camp. On draft day, my phone rang. It was the San Jose Sharks. I hadn’t been drafted, but they invited me to attend their rookie camp.

Following camp, they offered me a contract. I didn’t have an agent at the time, and my mind was racing. I still had another year of junior hockey left, a major consideration. Later that day, without an agent, I signed my first NHL contract at 19 years old. I was off to play for the organization’s AHL team, the Cleveland Barons.

I ended up playing professional hockey for 12 years, spending time in Russia, Finland, Germany, and Sweden. Eventually, my playing days ended, but I wanted to stay involved with the game. I started making phone calls and exploring options. Then, I finally got my coaching break, and my family and I made our way to Wheeling, West Virginia.

During my second year there, the Maine Mariners franchise was born, and I wanted to be considered for the head coaching position. On February 14^th, Danny Briere called to tell me I was his guy! We were back on the move again – this time up to Portland.

In my life, I have embraced so many different mentors: my family (Wayne, Rosemary, Colby, and Tiffany), Kevin Constantine, Jay Varady, and Daniel Briere, to name a few. They helped shape me into the player I was and the coach I am today. My involvement in the game has allowed me to meet so many people from all over the world. But, best of all, I was able to meet my wife and start a family.

Being involved in hockey is something I never take for granted, and I wouldn’t change my journey for anything!

Ropes courses, railbikes, and alpaca yoga. There’s no shortage of adventure around here, and it’s been my goal to discover and write about all of it on fitmaine.com. From challenging hikes and spectacular summits to easy-going sunset paddles followed by a brewery stop, I want to try all of it.

But I wasn’t always so head-over-heels for the outdoors. Frankly, there was a long stretch of time when I wasn’t all that into physical activity of any kind. I didn’t grow up hiking in the White Mountains or kayaking in Casco Bay. I didn’t learn how to ski until I was 30-something. And on the occasions I did exercise, it took the form of short, panting stints on the treadmill at the gym while watching reruns of Unsolved Mysteries.

I’ll spare you the details of how I ended up in a half-marathon training group in Chicago. Suffice to say the experience – run-walking along the lakefront every week with a fabulous and supportive group of people – altered the trajectory of my life. No big deal.

I ended up moving from Illinois to Maine a month after crossing that half marathon finish line, still partly shocked that I’d done such a thing. You can guess what happened next.

Maine has a way of luring out our inner adventurer. It also helps to have a friend who invites you snowshoeing or hiking or who lends you a surfboard and a wetsuit and gets you to try surfing for the first time in the middle of November. That’s pretty much what happened to me.

What started as an occasional weekend jaunt to a destination randomly chosen from my Maine Gazetteer eventually turned into weeklong camping trips, morning workouts on the beach, and a basement packed with paddleboards, bicycles, skis, snowshoes, a kayak, no less than three toboggans and a newly acquired unicycle. I became outdoorsy. Active. The kind of person who delights in bungee trapeze, island camping, and cross-country skiing in costume. And I do that kind of stuff all the time because, years ago, I met people who were kind enough to say, “Hey, we’re going to do something cool this weekend. Come along.”

I started Fit Maine as a place to record those adventures and encourage everyone else to throw caution to the wind and try them, too. Because these are the things that fond weekend memories are made of. It also happens that doing lively, active stuff is an excellent way to exercise. (But I don’t usually call it “exercise.” I call it “doing fun stuff that also happens to be good for our bods.”)

Things really came full circle last year with the start of the Fit Maine Social Club. (I call it a “fit casual” social club, which to me means “let’s cross-country ski through an apple orchard and then go eat nachos after.”) We explore new places and try new things—and make new friends along the way. It’s my way of saying, “We’re going to do something awesome this weekend. Come along.”

++ While our grand adventures are on hold right now and we’re sticking close to home, we can still plot out all the adventures we’re going to have in the future. Find loads of ideas on fitmaine.com ++

I knew I wanted to play basketball ever since I could remember. Sports and physical activity was always something I was surrounded by growing up. I remember shooting outside with my parents and sister often and noticed that the sport came so naturally to me and that it was something that I enjoyed doing. I first became involved when I was in Elementary School, but it was not until the 8th grade that I realized that basketball was something I wanted to pursue and play for a long time. 

It is difficult for me to explain the effect basketball has had on my life, but I will give it a go. The relationships I have built, the knowledge I have gained, and the lessons I have learned are only a few of the many positive effects basketball has had on my life. Being a part of the Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) basketball program over the last three years has allowed me to grow as a student-athlete, teammate, leader, and overall human being in more ways than I can describe. This opportunity has helped me create lifelong friendships and memories, as well as make me appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes into being a student-athlete. My coaches have been the mentors and guidance I needed to get through tough times and grow as a person and player. A phrase that has stuck with me since my sophomore year is “you are your only limit.” At the time, I did not realize the effect that quote would have on me, but helped me grasp the importance of pushing through hardships and adversity, and continue to be open-minded to the opportunities that could allow me to grow and succeed. 

I could not think of one proudest moment because there are a couple that immediately come to my mind. The two that I think of first are becoming the all-time leading scorer for SMCC and being named captain of my team. I am extremely grateful for being able to become the all-time leading scorer at this program and accomplish this goal during my third season. Basketball has never been solely about scoring for me, but I do believe that this accomplishment can set an example of how hard work and dedication can pave the way for success. Secondly, being named captain by my teammates is one of my proudest moments. The fact that these ladies put their trust in me to lead this team is something I will always be thankful for. Without my teammates, my coaches, and my family, I would not have had the opportunity to experience these moments. 

Growing up in Brunswick, I had a passion for the game of baseball.  Like many boys growing up, I had a dream of playing professional baseball.  It wouldn’t take long to realize that I did not possess the athletic skills to make that happen but I knew I wanted to be a part of the great game of baseball, so I pursued a career in sport management. As a student at Southern New Hampshire University, I saw the Sea Dogs would be hosting a job fair to hire part-time seasonal help for the 1996 season.

I thought it would be a great way to get a foot in the door and gain some experience.  I got hired to work in the concession stands… my first job in sports was pouring sodas and selling hot dogs at Hadlock Field.

After completing an internship with the Detroit Tigers at their spring training facility in 1998, I returned to the Sea Dogs working part-time as a ticket office associate. At the end of the season, the Sea Dogs had a full-time job opening in the ticket office and they offered me the position of ticket office manager. Landing a full-time job, in baseball, in my home state was honestly a dream come true.

I have now been with the Sea Dogs for 24 years and have done a little bit of everything over the years. In 2006, ten years after I was selling hot dogs for the team, I was promoted to assistant general manager. Now as Vice President of Communications and Fan Experience, one of my favorite duties is to coordinate the internship program.  I find my story of starting at the bottom and working my way up to be an inspiring story for many of the interns looking to get their own careers started.

For me, the best part of the job is seeing 7,000 fans on a nightly basis having a good time as a result of the hard work our front office has done. It’s very rewarding.  

I firmly believe that if we’re having fun as a staff, then our fans will have a good time when they come to the ballpark. That’s why I’ll be the first person to jump into a Star Wars or Superhero costume for a theme night.  It’s all about making sure the fans have a good time.

I’m fortunate that I get up every morning and enjoy going to work, my office is a ballpark… something I try not to take for granted and truly appreciate. The Sea Dogs have become a huge part of who I am.  

Slugger the Sea Dog made an appearance at my wedding, where we also served Sea Dog Biscuits.  When my son was born, I asked the hospital staff if we could have a room that overlooked the ballpark. My son was less than six hours old, when I held him and we watched our first Sea Dogs game together from the window at Maine Medical Center.

I am incredibly grateful that I’ve had an opportunity to live out my dream of working in baseball with such a wonderful, classy organization as the Portland Sea Dogs. 

Sports have been an important part of my life since I was eight years old, and I am fortunate to have been given the opportunity to engage in a variety of sports: basketball, soccer, track, and lacrosse. However, basketball has always had my heart and basketball, especially, has played a significant role in shaping me into the person I am today. The game of basketball has taught me countless lessons. Through competition and practice, I have learned to push myself beyond my perceived limits, to work hard on and off of the court to be a leader and earn the privilege of playing. It has taught me how to process the inevitable failures and turn each one into an opportunity to grow and learn. Over the course of my playing career, I have had numerous coaches that have helped develop me as an individual and these coaches are professionals that I try to emulate as a veteran member of my team and as I move forward towards my chosen career path. The passion and competitive nature of basketball has driven my passion for my professional career. As I progress towards completing my undergraduate degree, I hope to use the many valuable lessons I have gained as a student-athlete as a future Athletic Trainer and Coach. And I hope that I can be the type of role model and influence on future athletes that my coaches have been to me.

My participation in athletics has also taught me to persevere and overcome adversity. During my sophomore season of college basketball, I incurred a season-ending injury to my ACL. As upset as I was at first about the loss of my playing season, I realized that I could reframe my situation – that while I could not control the circumstances of my injury, I could control my mindset. During that season, rather than feel sorry for myself, I took it as an opportunity to watch and learn from the sidelines and my understanding and awareness of the game grew because of it. As ironic as it is, my injury helped make me a better player and teammate. I observed and learned how to read the game, and how to be coach on the floor. Overall my communication and leadership skills improved, and I was able to bring those back to competitive play once I returned from injury. For all that basketball and sports have given me, it has gone far beyond competition. Sport has brought mentors, challenges, highs, lows and some of the greatest friends and teammates into my life. I am forever grateful for my ability to participate in athletics.

As a #hockey player, there is no better environment or experience that can match what the Maine Pond Hockey Classic offers in this, the great state of Maine. In what will now be our fourth year in a row participating in the tournament, it’s a weekend that I look forward to each winter. For me, this event is about more than just hockey. I have a group of friends and former teammates that make the trek up from Philadelphia and Boston to spend the weekend on a lake catching up and playing hockey in what seems to be one of a handful of times each year that we get to see each other.

From year one, we were hooked. Walking down the path from the Snow Pond Center for the Arts at sunset and seeing close to a dozen games taking place simultaneously was a sight to see. The sound of skates carving up the ice, and pucks bouncing off sticks, wooden boards and nets, was music to our ears. Hockey, and sports in general, can really bring people together and I can see that not just with our team but all who participate year after year. I’m excited at how this event continues to grow year after year with the hard work of the tournament director Patrick Guerette, the volunteers, sponsors, and all who play a part in putting this together because it’s all for a great cause as it benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA at the Alfond Youth & Community Center of Greater Waterville.

For us, this has become more than just a weekend with the boys — its has become a tradition.

And maybe, just maybe, this year we will make the playoffs!

I have played sports all my life. I am a very competitive person, and as an adult, I didn’t have an outlet to continue a competitive athletic career in sports. That is until football came into my life! At 25, I was recruited to play on the Maine Freeze. I have also played on the Maine Rebels, and I play on the Maine Mayhem Women’s football team now!

Football is like no other sport I have played. I feel like it is one of the most competitive sports, and the camaraderie is amazing. We must have complete trust in everyone who is on the field, and everyone must do their job to ensure success!

Football has become part of who I am. I have coached football and have been a football official. I play the game, and I’m also the President of the Maine Mayhem. Having the ability to provide the opportunity for others to participate in the sport is amazing!

The Maine Mayhem is looking for female athletes to share this opportunity to play football! Register for our upcoming tryout at https://www.mainemayhemfootball.com/join-the-team/