Sarah Holland
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 24/99) - Yellowknife is a centre for Northern sporting events, and both coaches and players alike always enjoy the hospitality and tournaments put on by our fair city.

Janie Hobart is Fort Smith's recreation facilities programmer and a coach with the Fort Smith Junior Curlers. Every year, the junior curlers, ranging from ages five to 17, travel to Yellowknife for the NWT Junior Curling Championships. And every year the coaches and athletes have a great time, according to Hobart.

"The kids get so excited for the tournament. We fly to Yellowknife and in the past we've stayed in both hotels and billeted. This year we're planning to billet again," says Hobart.

"The kids like Yellowknife because it's bigger than Fort Smith, and they shop and eat out. Generally, there are just more things to do.

"We also try do more cultural things with the kids. If possible, we get a tour of the legislature and the kids really enjoy going to the museum."

Fort Smith has a new curling rink with three sheets and there are over 100 members of the curling club, according to Hobart.

"Our youngest curler is five years old, and our oldest curler, well, he won't tell us how old he is." Even though Fort Smith has a new rink, the crew still enjoys coming to curl in Yellowknife.

"The Yellowknife arena has eight sheets, so quite a few games can be played at once and that's why the tournament is held there. The facility is excellent and the hospitality of the curling club has always been excellent, they're very friendly."

Michael Botermans, a teacher in Rae, has also spent a lot of time at sporting events in Yellowknife.

"I've attended 95 per cent of all tournaments in Yellowknife over the past 10 years," says Botermans.

"In Super Soccer, we've won 10 championships, and I've been involved in all age levels, from 12 and under to the senior teams."

And although Botermans and the athletes live close enough to Yellowknife to visit fairly regularly, they still have a good time when they come for tournaments.

"We enjoy it very much. It's always a good experience and we're always received very warmly." Yellowknife also provides the teams with the opportunity to visit with other out-of-town friends.

"We have a lot of friends not only in Yellowknife, but also in Fort Resolution, Rankin Inlet, Inuvik, Fort Simpson, all over. You end up meeting the same people at the tournaments and build relationships with them."