Monthly Archives:September 2015

Two young female NWT athletes, Raine Mingo and Emma Carey,  had the opportunity to attend the Play to Lead Summit in Edmonton over the weekend. 

The Canadian Tire Jumpstart Foundation’s Play to Lead initiative is making a significant impact by empowering young women to develop leadership skills and promoting gender equality and diversity in sports.

Both athletes were able to take part in sessions that helped develop their leadership skills while building lasting relationships with like-minded peers.  When asking Raine to reflect on the summit, she said “I had an incredible time at the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities Play to Lead Summit in Edmonton.  I’ve learned lots of new things and ways to bring back the sense of confidence and inclusion in the female athlete world.” Raine is appreciative of the valuable knowledge and strategies she gained at the conference, emphasizing the importance of confidence and inclusion for female athletes. This demonstrates the impact that Play to Lead has on participants’ understanding and ability to create positive change in the sports community.

Additionally, Emma was thankful for the personal growth and motivation she gained from the workshops.  ” All the workshops provided valuable lessons and motivation, benefiting my personal growth as both an individual, athlete and coach.  It is my wish to enhance my own abilities and empower young female athletes to pursue their passion for sports and promote gender equality and diversity in sports in the NWT”. It is heartening to see that Emma aspires not only to enhance her own abilities but also to empower other young female athletes in the North to pursue their passions and advocate for gender equity and diversity in sports.

The Play to Lead Summit not only offers valuable lessons and motivation but also encourages athletes to become change agents in their communities. By equipping young women with the tools they need to be leaders, Play to Lead is fostering a more inclusive and equitable sports environment.

✨ Beverly’s journey at the Play to Lead Summit was nothing short of inspiring! 🌟 She had the incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and share her passion for empowering female youth. 💪🏼✨ Witnessing the transformative power of mentorship and leadership, Beverly is determined to break barriers and create a brighter future for the next generation of strong, confident women. 🌸👩‍👧 Let’s join hands and uplift our girls, because when they thrive, we all thrive! 🌟💫 #PlayToLeadSummit #EmpoweringFemaleYouth #BreakingBarriers #BrighterFuture #weareallteamnt

Table tennis, often a fun pastime with family and friends, also offers significant health benefits. Instead of the traditional workout routine, you can simply don your favourite sweatpants, head to your basement or sunroom, and engage in an invigorating game of table tennis. Both your body and mind will appreciate the change.

If you’re a table tennis enthusiast or a beginner, here are the top health benefits that will keep you motivated:

1. Enhances Reflexes: The fast-paced nature of table tennis significantly improves your reflexes, including both gross and fine muscle movements. Improved reflexes can help you avoid accidents and navigate daily life more efficiently.

2. Boosts Hand-Eye Coordination: A good table tennis rally stimulates mental alertness and concentration, enhancing your hand-eye coordination. This skill is crucial for various exercises and everyday tasks like writing and cooking.

3. Burns Calories: Table tennis, like all physical activities, burns a considerable number of calories. It’s an enjoyable and engaging way to work up a sweat without the monotony of a treadmill.

4. Low Impact Exercise: Unlike running or weightlifting, table tennis is a low-impact exercise that’s gentle on your joints, making it an ideal choice for those with back issues or a history of sprains.

5. Promotes Social Interaction: The compact nature of table tennis allows for meaningful conversations during the game, providing a fun alternative to screen time and enhancing your social life.

6. Increases Flexibility: Despite appearances, table tennis requires a fair amount of flexibility. From stretching across the table to retrieve a ball, it helps stretch your muscles after a sedentary day.

7. Sharpens the Brain: Known as the “world’s best brain sport,” table tennis stimulates various brain areas, enhancing hand-eye coordination, strategy planning, and prediction skills.

8. Improves Balance: As you strive to return every ball, you’re also giving your balance a significant workout.

9. Builds Strength: The repetitive low-impact movements in table tennis help build muscle in your arms, shoulders, and back.

10. Enhances Heart Health: Extended periods of physical activity, like an hour-long table tennis match, are excellent for maintaining a healthy heart.

11. Aids in Dementia Treatment: Research by the Sport and Art Educational Foundation suggests that table tennis can activate various brain areas, improving awareness in dementia patients.

UNLEASHING WOMEN’S POWER THROUGH SPORT
Play to Lead enables young women to develop the skills, confidence and relationships to become leaders, while improving gender equity and diversity in sport. The hybrid program unites a group of female athletes and their coaches, empowering them to reach their full potential and fostering a powerful network of girls in sport in Canada.

Jumpstart is launching the second year of the Play to Lead program. During the Summits, athletes will have the opportunity to network, develop leadership skills, and form friendships. After the Summits, the program will continue online, with athletes participating in regular virtual sessions and completing assignments to support their learning. Coaches will mentor the athletes, helping them apply their learnings during practices and games.

Participants from the Northwest Territories will be:

Emma Carey
Raine Mingo

Mentors: Beverly Pilgrim, Thorsten Gohl

“I feel honoured to be playing even a small part in empowering our young female NWT athletes to become role models and leaders within their sport. Through the Play to Lead conference, I am looking forward to networking with other sports leaders and gaining knowledge and tools as to how I can continue to guide these young women to be the best version of themselves. Not only as athletes but also as women in everyday life. By empowering these girls we are giving them a say in what they need, and allowing them to help mold and create a better future for themselves and those behind them. I believe that you can only be what you can see in this world, and I want to help create an environment where these young women can see dynamic women in every aspect of their sport.” – Beverly Pilgrim, supporting the youth and mentoring them throughout the project.

More information on the Play to Lead project can be found on the Jumpstart website.

Jumpstart Play To Lead Summit | Class of 2022-2023

Sport North cordially invites our athletes to participate in an upcoming social media campaign: “NWT Sport Strong; The South Steps Up”

The Concept: Sport North is seeking athletes across all age groups and skill levels to share images and narratives of their training routines in the southern regions during this period. Participants are requested to complete the attached questionnaire. Sport North will then transform the responses into an engaging, reader-friendly format, accompanied by the submitted pictures, for sharing on our social media platforms.

If you like to fill out the form, please send it to: wweaver@sportnorth.com

We are excited to announce that we are planning to create some engaging content for the upcoming National Coaches Week, which is scheduled from September 16th to 24th. We believe that this is a wonderful opportunity to express our gratitude and appreciation towards our coaches who have significantly impacted our lives.

We would be delighted if you could participate in this initiative. Here’s how you can contribute:

1. Send us a picture of you with your coach along with a brief paragraph describing how your coach has impacted your life. This could be a memorable incident, a lesson they taught you, or how they inspired you.

Coach’s Full Name:

What sport do they coach?

Community:

Athlete’s Full Name:

Position/Team/Club/Sport:

Community:

Questions and Answers

Answer at least 4 of the following questions (your total submission should be a minimum of 250 words):

1. What does your coach do that makes them a great coach?

2. Write a memory/story about your coach.

3. What lesson(s) has your coach instilled in you?

4. Pick three words that describe your coach. Explain why you chose each word.

5. What is something that reminds you of your coach?

6. Other than the sport they coach you in, what sport would you like to watch your coach try?

7. If you had to pick a karaoke song to describe your coach what would it be? Why?

8. What is an important skill your coach has that makes them a good coach?

9. Why do you want to say “thanks, coach”?

2. Create a short video expressing your gratitude towards your coach. Don’t forget to say #thankscoach at the end of your video. This will not only make your coach feel special but also inspire others to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of their coaches.

We will start publishing these videos from September 16th, marking the beginning of National Coaches Week. Please note that the deadline for submissions is August 31st. Send your content to thor@tabletennisnorth.ca.

You can say thank you to all our coaches if you like, including Steve, Akiko, Beth, Bob, Thorsten, Katie, Emilia. For more information about National Coaches Week, you can visit the official website: https://coach.ca/national-coaches-week

We look forward to your participation in this initiative. Let’s come together to celebrate and thank our coaches for their invaluable contribution to our lives.

We hope that you and your families are safe. Here is an overview on websites that help you navigate through these difficult times in our Territory. If you have any other pages or information the we should include, send us an e-mail to info@tabletennisnorth.ca.

Alberta’s NWT evacuation side: Alberta reception centre locations and supports for Northwest Territories wildfire evacuees.

Financial Support during fire evacuation

Cabin Radio’s LIVE fire coverage – Find the latest information on the ongoing fires in the Territories with Cabin Radio (September 6, 2023).

Cabin Radio’s NWT Fire map – This map uses satellite hot-spots, existing burn area and even the North Slave fibre line’s location.

NWT Highways – This map is interactive; click on it to see important information about specific transportation routes.

NWT Live Fire Map – Updates on the wildfires in a live interactive map.

Nasa’s Fire Map – Fire Information for Resource Management System.

NWT Fire – Latest resource on fires in the Northwest Territories.

NWT Public Safety – Information on NWT wildlife, air quality, fire bans, notices, orders, evacuation and more.

NWT Evacuation Information – Information for evacuees.

Cabin Radio Guide to Financial Assistant – Guide to financial assistance and other supports for NWT evacuees.

Cabin Radio Guide to Evacuation Centres – Guide to evacuation centres and places to stay for NWT evacuees.

Cabin Radio Guide to Evacuation Transportation – Guide to evacuating by air, road for NWT communities.

Flight radar – Follow the air tankers and fire boss aircraft (not every aircraft is shown on that map)

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Hay River Fire updates – The Town of Hay River’s updates on the fires in the community.

Fort Smith Fire updates – Updates from the Town of Fort Smith on the fires in the community.

Yellowknife evacuees – Cabin Radio’s guide to support you.

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Yellowknife Airport – Arrival and departure of commercial flights in Yellowknife.

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Big River (Fort Providence) Gas Station

Opening Hours: 7am until 11pm
Contact information: (867) 699-4301, manager@bigriverservices.com

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Check some of the articles on these pages as they have some valuable information.

CBC North

Northern News Services Limited

Cabin Radio

True North FM

List of RADIO STATIONS in your community (not sure how accurate they are, but definitely worth knowing).

The 2024 Arctic Winter Games will be hosted in Alaska, United States. Participants must have a valid passport. Here is some more information that can help you.

Here is an enriching and comprehensive guide about Passports: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/passport.html

Application form for a new passport: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/forms.html

Can you renew your passport? Find out here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/renew-adult-passport.html

Here are the links to service centres in, or close to, your community.

Yellowknife
Fort Simpson
Fort Smith
Hay River
Inuvik

If you are outside the Territories due to the wildfire evacuation, check out the list of offices located in your area and select the Province of Territory from the list below: https://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/tbsc-fsco/sc-hme.jsp

Chandra has been part of the first steps of the Territorial Sport Organization in the Northwest Territories and is deeply missed in the North and in our hearts. We are so happy that the Fair Play Award at the Canadian Table Tennis Championships will in his name.

In tribute to the late Chandra Madhosingh, the Fair Play Award at the Canadian Championships will henceforth bear his name. Chandra’s contributions to the sport were immense and multifaceted, spanning roles as a player, coach, official, and administrator. 

His absence is deeply felt, yet his legacy stands tall, a testament to his enduring impact on the sport. Chandra’s influence permeates the very fabric of Canadian table tennis, his roles having encompassed player, club coach, provincial coach, national coach, international umpire, and even President of Table Tennis Canada in the 1980s. He also served on the ITTF’s Media Committee and was elected as a member of TTCAN’s Board of Director in 2019, over three decades after his presidency. 

While Chandra may no longer be with us in body, his spirit endures, forever woven into the heart of Canadian table tennis. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Canadian Table Tennis Championships Fair Play Award 

The Chandra Madhosingh Fair Play Award is a prestigious recognition bestowed upon a player who exemplifies the highest standards of sportsmanship and “fair play” behavior throughout the competition. This award is not merely about the skills or the performance of the player in the game, but it is about the player’s attitude, respect for rules, respect for opponents, and the spirit of camaraderie. 

The process of nomination for this award is carried out by the umpires, who closely observe the conduct of each player on and off the table. These nominations are then forwarded to the Referees and Competition Manager, who make the final selection. This award serves as a testament to the player’s integrity, promoting the essence of fair competition and respect in the Table Tennis world.

The Canadian Press added the cancellation of the 2023 Canadian Table Tennis Championships to their news cycle.

https://www.thestar.com/sports/canadian-table-tennis-championships-in-hay-river-cancelled-due-to-n-w-t-wildfires/article_5ab39b20-daaa-5ed8-be50-df473d5e9645.html

Canadian Table Tennis Championships in Hay River cancelled due to N.W.T. wildfires

Hay River bows out of hosting Canadian Table Tennis Championships due to wildfires