The new school year is off and running in the NWT.
More than one parent may have played SA国际影视传媒淚t's The Most Wonderful Time Of The YearSA国际影视传媒� on full blast when dropping their child off on day one, but if you were to talk to some students, it's a wonderful time of year for a different reason.
A new year means a new scholastic athletics season and NWT School Sports has prepared as best as it can.
And it's coming fast as the Elks Outdoor Soccer Tournament, the traditional kick-off to the school sports season, is mere days away from getting underway in Hay River on Sept. 22.
Tobi Taylor-Dusome, the acting president of NWT School Sports, said it's a quick turnaround for everyone who plans on sending a team to Hay River.
SA国际影视传媒淵ou have to get the coaches lined up and you have to hit the field quick,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
The Elks tournament is just the start of what is usually a busy season for school sports in the NWT in terms of territorial championships. Two weeks after the soccer finishes up, the NWT Cross-Country Championships hit the trails in Fort Providence on Oct. 7, which then rolls into the Spike It! volleyball tournaments in Yellowknife. The junior tournament is scheduled for late October while the senior tournament will happen in early November.
Hay River will host the NWT Badminton Championships in December, as it usually does each year, followed by the cager basketball tournaments in February in Yellowknife. Super Soccer will have its junior and senior tournaments in April and May respectively and it all comes to a close in Hay River with the NWT Track and Field Championships in June.
There are other big regional events around the NWT each season, such as the Lawrie Hobart Memorial Volleyball Tournament in Fort Smith and the Paulou Ittungna Memorial Volleyball Tournament in Inuvik, both happening on the same weekend in October and both considered good warm-ups for the Spike It! Tournaments.
SA国际影视传媒淚t's such a short season, but we get a lot done in that time,SA国际影视传媒� said Taylor-Dusome. SA国际影视传媒淥ne thing leads into another and there's never a dull moment.SA国际影视传媒�
While athletics are fun and every opportunity is made to give students a chance to play and take part, it's important to remember that they are student athletes and student comes first.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey need to keep up with their studies and the grades need to be kept up,SA国际影视传媒� said Taylor-Dusome. SA国际影视传媒淚t's important that they understand the importance of being a well-rounded student and in talking with my colleagues around the territory, they agree with that.SA国际影视传媒�
The other big thing Taylor-Dusome put importance on is the ability to have fun and enjoy the experience of competing with their school at an event.
SA国际影视传媒淲e're trying to create active and healthy students and we want them to enjoy themselves,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 always love seeing the greatness that sports brings out in our kids from the friendships to the memories made to the awesome sportsmanship we see.SA国际影视传媒�
