After having been the host city for 2006 BC Northern Winter Games (BCNWG), it’s difficult for many people in 100 Mile House not to get excited when there’s talk of local athletes heading off to compete in any event of the BC Games family.
For those who competed at the 2006 BCNWG and the many volunteers who poured their hearts and souls into the event to make it a success, thinking about the 2012 BC Winter Games (BCWG) in Vernon on Feb. 23-26, ignites a special fire.
We, in 100 Mile House, know of the many benefits this fortunate city will realize when the BCWG finally unfold, including the opportunity for their own athletes to shine under the supporting gaze and blood-pumping applause of a home-town crowd.
In the background, volunteers who were once strangers to one another will become friends and that friendship will extend to the many visitors who will be brought to Vernon throughout the Games.
Ian Briggs, co-coach of the Cariboo-North East Zone 8 judo team and head coach at the Kokoro Judo Club in 100 Mile House, has taken athletes to previous BCWG in Vernon and he can’t wait for his 2012 team members to experience the many wonderful things he knows await them.
“They’re treated like little heroes by the games committee and it’s just a really great experience. They get to go to other sports events and cheer on their zone team members.
“There’s a dance and all kinds of other special things for them and they see what it’s like to be a part of something big.”
Briggs adds experiencing a BC Winter Games is often all it takes to hook youth at that level of competition and spur them on to seek more.
“It can be a good motivator for what the next step is, and for lots, it would be the provincial team. Then it could be nationals and Olympics.”
Briggs shares zone team coaching duties with Shannon Zwiers from Prince George and their 21-member roster includes three athletes from Briggs’ Kokoro home club: Aidan Fentiman, Aaron McDermid and Paige Hall. They earned their place on the zone team through competition at Zone 8 Championships held in late November.
Fentiman says he’s excited about going to the BC Winter Games and is working hard to prepare himself.
“It’s a big event and you have to train a lot harder than usual. I’m working mostly on getting my techniques down.”
Fentiman was also a member of the 100 Mile House boys curling team, which tried out for a berth in Vernon. They placed second, but not high enough to advance. If they had, however, Fentiman says it would have been difficult to choose which sport he’d compete at.
Hall is equally excited. She’s been practising judo for three years now and her largest competition to date has been a regular tournament held in Prince George. She’s serious about doing well at the Winter Games and started training for the zone competition early.
“I worked on my technique and on strengthening I’m keeping up with the same training now.”
Hall says she’s expecting a lot of good things from the experience.
“I’m looking forward to learning and to meeting new people from all over B.C. Going to a big event like this will be a good experience for me.”
Competing as a BC Winter Games team will require some mental adjustment by the Kokoro Club members, Briggs says.
“Some of the kids on your team are the ones you compete against in normal conditions. This is part of the progression for this level of athlete. At each level, they have to change gears.”
The Vernon 2012 BC Winter Games are expected to include 1,914 athletes, officials and coaches.
