Team Saskatchewan preparing for NAIG

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According to Lorna Arcand, the Chef de Mission for Team Saskatchewan, the work needed to be done to get Team Saskatchewan ready for the next North American Indigenous Games is 75 per cent done.

"There's lots of things going on," Arcand said.

The 2002 North American Indigenous Games will be held in Winnipeg from July 25 to Aug. 4.

One of the athletes already named to Team Saskatchewan is Alexia Piche-Hatche, a volleyball player from La Loche. Piche-Hatche, who competed for Team Saskatchewan in 1995 and 1997, is currently on a full athletic scholarship to Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga., and competes for her school in NCAA Division II volleyball.

Another Team Saskatchewan member is Michael Linklater, a basketball player from Thunderchild First Nation. Linklater is currently playing college basketball with the Brandon Bobcats in Canada West University competition.

Jamie Fiddler of Prince Albert has also been selected to represent Saskatchewan in Winnipeg next year. Fiddler competes in the 800, 1500, and 3000 meter track events.

Also among those already selected to the team is Chris Bear from Ochapowace. Bear, who will be part of Saskatchewan's junior men's fastball team, played in the Canadian Midget Fastball Championships this summer, and was the only First Nations athlete in that tournament.

Although a handful of athletes have already been selected, Team Saskatchewan is far from being finalized, according to team track and field coordinator John Fitzgerald.

"Well, we've only had one trial so we're still working on it," said Fitzgerald.

"We've got more trials coming up in February, and we had a clinic. We're trying to put the team together."

Although the games themselves are only a week long, Arcand said, "I want people to know that the participation of our young people in the North American Indigenous Games is more than a one week vacation for a few. The selection process, training, and development and the fundraising effort at the provincial tribal council and local community levels all combine to provide a healthy alternative lifestyle for all involved.

"It's important to know, the years between Indigenous Games, the training and development, [with] Team Saskatchewan, 95 percent of the participation of Team Saskatchewan takes place right here at home, here in Saskatchewan," she added. "Only seven days is at the games. But without realizing it, kids are participating in a year round positive project. It is not only the kids, but 300 volunteer mission staff as well."

And, with being an athlete comes responsibilities for the athletes to not only live healthy lifestyles, but also be better role models in their communities as well.

"We also have a monitoring process where we monitor our athletes as far as we promote them to stay in school, stay free of alcohol and drugs, and just live a good life," Arcand said. "We're working with the communities and the education authorities to assist us with that."

A new feature at next year's games, Arcand said, is the inclusion of Special Olympics and Paralympic athletes in the competitions, a decision only recently made by NAIG organizers.

"We have Kyle Prettyshield who works out of the FSIN Abilities Clearinghouse, who's going to be co-ordinating a team for us, [and will] be working with Special Olympics Saskatchewan and the Gary Tinker foundation."

Two of the athletes already named to the Special Olympic contingent of Team Saskatchewan are Prince Albert swimmers Jason Ballentyne and Rose Brass.

"I don't know too much about them," admitted Arcand. " But I sat in on a meeting that Kyle had with the Special Olympics group, and those are two athletes that will have a place on the team. Because of the time constraints, we're only taking athletes that already have experience at national level of competition, and they already have their coaches, they already have their training, but at least we're getting our foot in the door in that area."

A majr part of sending any large team to a competition is raising funds to help get the athletes there.

"Of course, fundraising and marketing are a major priority for us," said Arcand.

"We have a very interesting program that we're just beginning right after Christmas. It will be a Team Saskatchewan phone card program, and we'll be marketing Team Saskatchewan through the sale of Team Saskatchewan phone cards. I think it's going to be a major initiative . . . The message we'd really like to get out to the public is, support Team Saskatchewan and our junior aged athletes through the purchase of Team Saskatchewan phone cards."

Another more elite fundraiser will be a gala dinner, fashion show and silent art auction, to be held in Saskatoon sometime in March or April.