Cambridge Bay (July 28/03) - As a reporter for a small town paper in Newfoundland, Ted Schabell interviewed the young Carl English, now signed on with the Indiana Pacers, and got to know how young people can succeed against all odds.

Schabell says this knowledge, along with his own sports background, will guide him in his work as recreation director.

News/North:When we first talked you were telling me about moving to the North from Newfoundland. How is it going?

Ted Schabell: I've been here for three weeks now. It's been adventurous. I really enjoy working in a small community. I come from a small community as well, Placentia, NF. It has some of the flat layout like what you see here in Cambridge Bay. And some of the out-lying areas where I like to hunt, such as the Cape Shore (in NF) that is almost exactly like some of the layout that's here which is quite striking.

N/N: Tell me about some of your plans for the youth in the community, how you plan to involve them in activities.

TS: One of things I want to do here is not assume everything is the same down south as it is in the North. So one of the initiatives I want to put in place is a needs assessment survey. Too many times when workers come up from down south we have a tendency to assume that we know what the needs are just because we have an educational background. That's not my position. I want to bring out a more unified community in our approach to recreation, and wellness in the community. I'm dealing with a different culture. I don't want to assume I know everything. It also gives the hamlet, and the government a sense that they know the needs of Cambridge Bay.

N/N: Were you impressed with the groups that were there when you arrived? Were you surprised?

TS: Not surprised. I think I was expecting probably more summer programming. But dealing with the culture, there's a lot of family pride and uniqueness. You could compare it to the Newfoundland May 24 weekend, except up here it's all summer. Where the families go out to do their camping and do their fishing. If I had to sum it up I'd say from the time school is out to the beginning of September we have an extended May 24 in Cambridge bay that lasts from June to August.

N/N: I want to ask you about your reporting background. Any stories that stand out in your mind?

TS: There are a few. One time I had a guy from the Cape Shore, I was profiling him and he had two other brothers that were there -- Carl English was one of the guys I was interviewing, and his brother Kevin who was older, and his younger brother Michael.

The story that has haunted the Cape Shore, yet leads the community pride out there, is that these guys had been brought up other families in the community. They lost their parents to a fire when they were very young. Through it all, being somewhat separated in different homes, they grew up to be good guys. Carl grew up to play for the University of Hawaii and recently went into the NBA draft. For me to do that story, it was a little difficult.

N/N: Why do you say that?

TS: Being an athlete myself, I grew up having strong family ties. For me not to have parents there to support me, to bring me from A to B, and then to look at those guys, and to actually be there to see the basketball net that Carl English shot at was just made of two by fours and some plank with some rocks laid on top of it so it wouldn't move on the Cape Shore road where half the time the wind is blowing around 60 km an hour -- where do you get your accuracy? You shoot up a basketball in a 60 km wind in the middle of the Cape Shore road which was mostly blocked from snow and impassible. You wonder how did this kid get his accuracy throwing his ball in the wind?

There's no doubt he's talented. But it was just the family side. Looking at where I came from, we had the support base.

N/N: You had a family.

TS: Yeah! If I wanted sneakers, I said 'Mom, I need a new pair of sneakers.' They didn't have that, to reach out and ask for anything they needed. That's why I feel for the children here, as well. I have that sense of where kids come from and where they can go. I know Carl English. I know where he came from. I know his family well. I know where people can go if they have the opportunity to do so. The children in Cambridge Bay need that same opportunity.