Camaraderie is top of mind at N.L. Summer Games, organizers say

Team Indigenous is having a great time participating in the Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games, says co-ordinator Mike Alexander. (Submitted by Mike Alexander)

While young athletes are vying this week for podium finishes at the Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games, organizers say the highlight is seeing moments of camaraderie and growing friendships amidst the competition.

Hundreds of young athletes from across the province have converged in Bay Roberts in Conception Bay to compete in the annual competition, to play in sports like soccer, badminton and ball hockey.

The games kicked off on Aug. 10 and conclude on Saturday.

"It really is a wonderful opportunity for the gathering of these young athletes," said Judy Morrow, co-chair of the NL Summer Games organizing committee, who described the games as "the largest multi-sport competition that we have in our province."

With nine different sports, the games bring together athletes from 10 regions, including Team Labrador and Team St-Pierre-Miquelon.

Morrow said the games aren't just about medals but also the connections young athletes are making as they create lifelong memories. They might not realize it at the time, she added, but will look back on the fun time they had.

"What we try to, you know, impart to these young athletes is the fact that it's not always about winning. It's not always about, you know, the medals," Morrow said.

"It's about participation. It's about having fun. It's about the camaraderie. It's about making new friends."

Morrow said it takes a lot of people to hold the summer games, including 500 volunteers who help provide athletes with food, transportation and accommodations, while also fielding responsibilities like public relations and keeping score.

"It's quite an undertaking, when you've got about 1,500 athletes and coaches and managers coming to your town for competitions such as this," she said.

Mike Alexander says it's important to make sure Indigenous children get to participate in sporting events like the N.L. Summer Games. (Submitted by Mike Alexander)

Morrow said one of the biggest highlights of the games was Paralympic swimmer Katarina Roxon — who was making a stop in N.L. before heading to Paris for the upcoming Paralympics — lighting the torch during the opening ceremony.

"She said that her career started at the 2004 Marystown Newfoundland Labrador Summer Games. And here she is now, you know, a fifth time off to the Paralympics," said Morrow.

"There's some remarkable stories that can come out of all of this."

Making connections

Mike Alexander, regional co-ordinator of Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Circle of Newfoundland and Labrador, said Team Indigenous is having a great time.

"They didn't win any games but they played really well, competed hard," he told CBC's Labrador Morning.

One highlight so far has been the camaraderie between the teams, Alexander said, like when Team Mount Pearl/South won the male ball hockey competition and invited Team Indigenous to take photos with them.

"So that was pretty special for a lot of the kids," he said.

Judy Morrow, co-chair of the Summer Games organizing committee, says athletes are making lifelong memories during the games, whether they know it at the time or not. (Submitted by Judy Morrow)

Alexander said the regional team members tend to know each other in advance of the summer games and that's where Team Indigenous is different. "Team Indigenous draws upon Indigenous children, youths, from all across the province, many of whom did not know each other, maybe had never met each other before," he said.

Still, Alexander said competing at the summer games is an important experience for young Indigenous athletes.

"They make new friends. They get to celebrate the fact that they are Indigenous and their heritage in the province. And they get to experience the N.L. games, which is really an important thing for all of our youth," he said.

There is a financial burden on teams who have to travel to compete, said Alexander.

"We don't have the same budget level to be able to bring these kids together, give them an opportunity to train and play together. But we do the best we can with the budget we have to work for."

Alexander's goal is to ensure Indigenous children have the opportunities to experience the N.L Summer Games and not necessarily put together the strongest team that will wrack up medals.

"It opens their eyes to new possibilities and potentially new goals, whether they be in a specific sport or maybe not even a sport that they tried," he said.

He said the first contingent of athletes — numbering about 760 athletes — have already left Bay Roberts and the next group of teams were set to arrive on Wednesday.

As of Wednesday morning, the Mount Pearl/South team was in the lead with 52 medals, followed by Avalon with 36 medals and Central with 30.

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