Northern Stores and Keeper Athletics team up to deliver “Fun in Athletics” to remote communities.
Thousands of children in Southern Ontario are used to the sight of minivans offloading brightly coloured equipment and teams of IFTA development officers organizing fun physical activities in their school gyms. But just how would these activities take place if your school gym had burnt down and there was no road to the town where you live? For many of us that might sound a little difficult but that is exactly the problem that faced OTFA coach Scott Haines last week when he took the “Fun in Athletics” program to the Northern Community of Pikangikum.
On Monday 8th December 2008 Scott set out from Sioux lookout with his partner Elsie Derouin in a car loaded with equipment provided by the Ontario Track and Field Association (OTFA), 200K later they reached the last town which is Red Lake but they did not stop. Continuing a further 120K north until the road finally ran out, Scott and Elsie were met by Jimmy Keeper who is the assistant to the local education director and in this case Jimmy was also to be the Taxi driver. Scott explains that in the northern communities it is common for people to have more than one job and helping each is the only way to get things done.
The locals call time of year is called the ‘freeze up’ and it provides the first opportunity for overland (or ice) access for many isolated communities. The ice is still not thick enough to carry a regular road vehicle but it will take a Skidoo, so the equipment was loaded into a sleigh closely followed by Scott and Elsie who braved -20C to travel alongside it! Twenty minuets later a rather frozen team arrived in Pikangikum and went straight to work in the local school.
Guidance councillor & Sports Co-ordinator Kurt MacRae assisted with a tour of the facilities explaining that Pikangikum school burnt down a year before so classes are currently held in portables meaning there is no main hall or gymnasium facility. Scott was keen to emphasize this is where the Fun in Athletics program really comes into its own because the portable equipment is designed to be used in almost any location.
The next morning Elsie and Scott started work visiting each class in turn and laying the equipment out on the floor enabling each child to take part in an “Agility Challenge” and in some cases the children even braved -20C to throw foam javelins outdoors! Scott noted many children chattered away in their local language of Ojibway but laughter and smiles are an international language so he is sure they were having fun!
After three days work 354 students from SK to Grade 8 had enjoyed a fun experience of sporting activity. School Principal Mick Starruck stated “This program had exceeded his expectations” and Scott was keen to point out that this is just the start because there are many more events and aspects to these programs so he is keen to schedule a return visit and if possible include other regional communities such as Deer Lake and Sandy Lake when the ice roads are completed.
The project was delivered by Keeper Athletics as a pilot for the Northern Stores who are interested in programs such as Fun in Athletics which have a positive benefit to their communities. Over the past few years IFTA development officers have visited the Sioux Lookout region working with Scott assisting with training and organising inter-school “Fun in Athletics” competitions. Further support has been given by The Ontario Track and Field Association who donated equipment.
Just as it is the Northern custom for everyone to chip in to get things done Keeper Athletics will need assistance from their many community partners to take these fun sports programs to as many of the remote communities in Ontario as possible. IFTA and OTFA are pleased to be associated with this initiative and will continue to support Keeper Athletics with their good work in the North.
Scott Haines Head Coach Keeper Athletics (IFTA Affiliate)
Scott Haines is the Head Coach at Keeper Athletics OTFA Track Club based in Sioux Lookout. Scott has worked in partnership with IFTA for over two years to implement IFTA programs in the Northern and Native Communities.
In 2005, Keeper Athletics, an OTFA affiliated club, was created to inspire, instruct, and facilitate opportunities for young peoples in Northern Ontario in the arena of Athletics. The club’s name is dedicated in honour one of Canada’s most accomplished Olympic distance runners, Joe Keeper. Keeper was 4th in the 10,000m event in the 1912 Olympics. He competed 3 times against famed Canadian Distance runner, Tom Longboat and won twice!
Scott Haines has been involved in Track and Field and Cross Country for over 25 years as a competitor and a coach. As a collegiate runner in the United States, he was able to run in USA World Cross Country Championship Trials. Scott has been a professional teacher in Northern Ontario for the last 5 years where he has coached runners to qualify for regional, provincial, and national athletics championships. Scott is a keen supporter of IFTA programs and has introduced the concept to a number of schools and communities in Northern Ontario.