While the majority of Canadians will be focused on the Winter Olympics on Pyeongchang, South Korea, parents and athletes from Saskatchewan will be focused on another kind of games.
The 2018 Saskatchewan Winter Games kicked off over the weekend in North Battleford, with approximately 1,800 athletes competing in 17 different sports.
As a big sports fan, and “athlete” myself, I would encourage all of the athletes to enjoy it.
Getting an opportunity to represent your district at the winter games is not something that should be taken lightly.
As someone who was always a decent athlete but never great at any one sport, I can tell you getting a chance to go to an event like that would have been amazing.
Not only is it an experience that most people never get to have, but it is a great networking opportunity where these kids can meet and compete against other athletes, some of whom they may have never seen before.
With today’s technology, meeting other athletes from other parts of the province could mean making a friend for life.
Or at the very least it allows you to compete against the top competition in the province, which can serve as a measuring stick for some athletes.
Learning where you stand and how to be better is a great learning experience for life.
It will definitely make you a better athlete but it will also make you a better person.
Learning from your mistakes, and learning how to grow is a major part of life, you may not realize it as a teenager, but trust me, when you get older you will realize, learning and adapting are major parts of living your life.
Of course, it can also serve as a stepping-stone for some athletes.
Just ask the late Sandra Schmirler, who competed at the 1976 Saskatchewan Summer Games in swimming, before going on to be the Olympic champion in curling in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.
Or Colleen Sostorics, who competed in the 1996 Saskatchewan Summer Games in athletics, before going on to becoming a three-time Olympic champion in 2002, 2006, and 2010, with the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team.
Or Humboldt’s own William Dutton, who competed at the games in 2002 in speed skating, before competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, also in speed skating.
You could even ask Humboldt’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton, who never actually competed at the Saskatchewan Summer Games, but did compete at the 2005 Canada Summer Games in athletics, before becoming an Olympic bronze medalist in athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
All of these athletes have come through the youth games system, all went on to compete in the Olympics.
The thing the athletes have to remember is just because you are at the Winter Games competing in one sport, don’t close the book on the others.
You don’t have to go far to look for motivation.
Both Schmirler and Sostorics not only competed in a different sport, but they competed in summer games, before moving over to winter sports.
It can happen to them and it can happen to you.
Don’t forget that.
But most importantly don’t forget to have fun, this is an exciting time for you.
