Each December, looking back on the year that was is a bitter-sweet task. While it can be nice to think of the high points in our life, too often we get caught up in looking ahead to the New Year and thinking of how we can be better. But when I think about the year in sports in Fort St. John and the Peace region, the negatives don’t exist.
The high points leap off the page when I think about the best times of the year. From the Fort St. John Huskies overcoming a tough start to the 2018-19 season to winning their second straight NWJHL championship in March (and looking even better than the year before in the process), to Brayden Sims winning the Canadian Winter Games gold medal in boxing, these accomplishments not only will be remembered for years to come but represent the best of what people in Fort St. John can accomplish.
The NEBC Trackers won the provincial title for the first time, the NPSS boys rugby team won their rugby league for the first time, and a record number of local kids went on to play in the WHL. The Fort St. John Elks turned heads at the Canada Winter Games in speed skating, Sheryl Jakubowski won world Special Olympics gold, and Sterling Middleton and his team showed there’s literally nothing they can’t win and accomplish.
This is by no means a complete picture of the outstanding sporting achievements in town this year, nor did the year in review section of this paper touch on everything — no matter what place you finish, if you did your best and improved, it’s a highlight worthy of recognition that should make you proud.
Year after year, amazing things are being accomplished in the Peace region, and our athletes remind us what can be done through sport, regardless of the sport.
That’s not to say there weren’t some disappointing outcomes. The Fort St. John Flyers hosted the much anticipated Coy Cup, which saw the Flyers lose in the final and capped off a very disappointing season. It didn’t stop there, as the team followed that up with news the team would be taking the 2019-20 season off due to lack of player availability and commitment.
It was a sombre reminder that in the midst of so many groundbreaking achievements, amateur sports are really hard to host, put on, and succeed at. It’s a testament to the countless volunteer hours put in to each organization, and the dedication by the athletes and coaches — in the gym, on the rink, and on the court — that the high points are able to be what they are.
Then there are the many fundraisers and charity causes put on by sports groups, and the money that was donated to each cause. Sports aren’t only about ourselves and the people competing, but about all the people who are a part of and affected by each game, practice, and tournament.
Yes, 2019 was a great year in sports, but we can’t help but look ahead. Not only is there plenty of exciting things already planned and to look forward to — from the BC Winter Games, to the opening of new parks and facilities, and things we can’t yet imagine — but we can learn from the past year to help us be better in 2020.
The path to success has been laid out, so has the way to overcome adversity and bounce back from failure and disappointment. But what’s most important is that we get back up and try, regardless of the outcome.
Whether it’s playing in your local bowling league, practicing your swing on the driving range, or playing in a national tournament, sports and athletic activity matter. This Christmas, I encourage each one of us to be proud of our accomplishments, and to be excited about the ones to come.
Email sports reporter Dillon Giancola at sports@ahnfsj.ca.
