Coach Chris Crooks has devoted the last six years to helping the youth of Cambridge Bay and beyond learn not only to wrestle, but the skills to cope with anything life might throw at them.

SA国际影视传媒淲e found out it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 just a recreational activity,SA国际影视传媒� says Crooks, who picked up the mantle of coach of the Cambridge Bay Wrestling Club (CBWC) along with his wife and son when there was a mass resignation in the community in 2018. 

SA国际影视传媒淚t has helped with school attendance, reducing suicidal ideation and leadership skills,SA国际影视传媒� among many other benefits for school-aged children in the community, he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e try and use wrestling as a medium for mental health, recreation and sport.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been able to get more and more funding... to take our youth all across Canada... weSA国际影视传媒檝e exposed them to quite a bit... it's also a huge piece for people down south understanding the difference of living in fly-in communities,SA国际影视传媒� Crooks adds.

In July, the club took 20 Nunavut wrestlers and eight coaches from five communities to a week-long camp in Rocky Mountain House, Alta. 

SA国际影视传媒淭he club feels it is important to support wrestlers who age out of competition and help them make the transition to coaching,SA国际影视传媒� explains Crooks, SA国际影视传媒渉ence why we took eight coaches.SA国际影视传媒�

It is also Crooks' intention that these coaches will then continue supporting and coaching in their home communities, as opposed to southerners that come and go. 

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e trying to make it as sustainable as possible,SA国际影视传媒� he says.

With this goal in mind, Crooks has taken the idea of the camps a step further to expand them into other Nunavut communities with a territory-wide tour this fall. 

SA国际影视传媒淪o the thought... is to recruit local people, Inuit basically, in these communities to continue that program.SA国际影视传媒� he explains, adding that this approach has already taken off, with former students now leading programs in Arviat, Rankin Inlet, Pangnirtung and Iqaluit.

SA国际影视传媒榃eSA国际影视传媒檙e funding other communities right now,SA国际影视传媒� explains Crooks. SA国际影视传媒淪o what weSA国际影视传媒檙e trying to do is take the funding model from Cambridge Bay to other communities.SA国际影视传媒� 

He says the funding is a mix from mostly territorial government departments, community fundraisers, as well as some donations from Agnico Eagle and various other sources.

From horseback riding in the Rockies, to hiking and visiting museums, travel goes hand-in-hand with learning experiences. 

SA国际影视传媒淏eing in these isolated communities, itSA国际影视传媒檚 hugely expensive [to travel]... they get exposed to different ways of thinking, different experiences than in their own communities,SA国际影视传媒� Crooks says of the opportunities to venture south.

Valuable life skills, such as teaching finances in relation to grocery shopping, as well as doctor and educator visits for family planning and learning about alcohol and drugs, are additional components to the wrestling training. 

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a comfortable conversation,SA国际影视传媒� says Crooks. SA国际影视传媒淚t gives them the opportunity to talk about their culture and life without any shame... talk about their community and take pride in it. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of leadership teamwork and conflict resolution... weSA国际影视传媒檙e also counsellors and mentors...

SA国际影视传媒淲e try to develop a sense of teamwork, and a sense of family, so they can reach out when they need to... So weSA国际影视传媒檙e beyond just taking the kids out for wrestling,SA国际影视传媒� he says.

SA国际影视传媒淸The camps] are tough. TheySA国际影视传媒檙e tough physically, theySA国际影视传媒檙e tough mentally, as well as being away from home. WeSA国际影视传媒檝e found they need a lot of support to keep from breaking down... itSA国际影视传媒檚 beyond just going out and training.SA国际影视传媒�

A structured environment

Crooks says that when emotional breakdowns happen, itSA国际影视传媒檚 often because of grief related to suicides or other premature deaths back in the athletes' home communities. The realization that a friend or family member is no longer around to hear about their achievements and activities sometimes comes as a shock, as does returning home afterwards.

SA国际影视传媒淪ometimes it comes after good experiences... thatSA国际影视传媒檚 when it hits them the most," says Crooks. "So that happens, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 cathartic... we do a lot of discussion about life and getting them through, and sometimes itSA国际影视传媒檚 easier if youSA国际影视传媒檙e away from your community.

"WeSA国际影视传媒檝e done a lot of discussions for life when they go back. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of structure in the camps, and at home itSA国际影视传媒檚 not like that at all, but what can you take from camp to implement in your life and self.SA国际影视传媒�

One of Crooks' two organizations, Wrestling Nunavut, recently received a grant from Wrestling Canada to create an instructional Inuit wrestling and freestyle wrestling video and manual. The video used local Inuit wrestlers and the manual will be translated into Inuktitut (North Baffin and South Baffin dialects), Inuinnaqtun and Inuvialuit.

The funding will also enable Crooks and his coaches to visit nine communities in the territory to run clinics. This is critical, as travel between Nunavut communities is so cost-prohibitive that it's often cheaper to fly select participants down south.

Nunavummiut can take part in the following community wrestling clinics on these (approximate) dates:

-Kugluktuk, Sept. 11-15

-Rankin Inlet, Sept. 15-17

-Arviat, Sept. 17-19

-Baker Lake, Oct. 6-9

-Chesterfield Inlet, Oct. 9-12

-Iqaluit, Oct. 18-20

-Iglulik, Oct. 21-24

-Clyde River, Oct. 24-27

-Pangnirtung, Oct. 27-30