Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

Whitehorse (Mar 10/00) - Having more than a thousand youths descend on your town, for whatever reason, is an intimidating thought.

The first item that has to be taken care of is sleeping arrangements. For Whitehorse 2000 Arctic Winter Games organizers that meant transforming four local schools into villages, shipping 900 bunk beds up from down south, and turning classrooms into dorm rooms.

One of the largest villages sleeps 790. Most of the NWT team is housed there and the village 'mayor,' Linda Armstrong, admits it's been interesting.

"Because we can't give each sport or contingent their own rooms, they're spread around and mixed with other teams," said Armstrong.

"That kind of forces them to interact with each other and to make friendships."

Rumours of practical joking abound amongst the kids, but Armstrong would only say she suggests it's a good idea her charges "check their sleeping bags before getting in."

Yellowknifer Jared MacNeil is on the NWT peewee hockey team. He took the village mayor's comments a little further saying he tries to "sleep with one eye open."

"The village is full of pranksters. Someone was putting hair gel on us when we were sleeping and people are finding things like smushed bananas in their sleeping bags," said MacNeil.

"You know something is going to happen, you just don't know when or what."

For NWT basketball player Crystal Milligan, the athlete's village experience has allowed her to learn about other cultures. "We're getting a sense of what it's like in their countries," said Milligan.

"We're all here for the same purpose and that's to compete in our perspective sport -- but I've found we all trained and prepared differently."

Peewee hockey player Andrew Hunter noticed that their Russian bunk-mates didn't have the top-knotch gear they enjoyed but that they were just as competitive.

"I have a lot of respect for (the Russian team). They may not have the best equipment, but they sure have the ability," said Hunter. As for the village experience, Hunter isn't sure he likes it very much.

"It's fun but it's sort of like a prison because the coach won't let us go anywhere," said Hunter.

The 2000 Arctic Winter Games closing ceremonies are on March 11.

Following that, the 314 NWT athletes, coaches and chaperons will be returning home to their own beds.