LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Youth, some balanced precariously and others filled with confidence, zipped around the Fort Simpson arena July 23 on rollerblades.

Reese Smith, second from left, tries to explain to Jaicee Tsetso how the items on the ground should be arranged while teammates Roman Cli, far left, and Nylaina Tsetso, far right, watch. The memory game, which was played at the multi-sport camp in Fort Simpson on July 24, challenged youth to work together as a team and communicate effectively. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

After a few minutes of free-skating, Jackie Thompson and Colin Stipdonk organized the group into a game of British Bulldog on rollerblades. The activity is just one of the ways a series of multi-sport camps, which are a joint partnership between the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and the Mackenzie Recreation Association, has been encouraging youth in the region to stay active during the summer.

Thompson and Stipdonk, who are summer students with the department and the association respectively, have led multi-sport camps in four communities so far this summer including Jean Marie River, Whati, Trout Lake and Fort Simpson. Thompson has been leading the camps for three years while Stipdonk is in his fourth or fifth.

"Making sure the kids are having a great time," is Stipdonk's favourite part of the camps, he said.

Stipdonk enjoys passing on his sports skills to the youth. During the Fort Simpson camp from July 21 to 25, badminton was the sport Stipdonk most liked instructing.

Interacting with the youth is Thompson's highlight. Because she and Stipdonk have been running the camps for so many years, youth recognize them when they come to their community and know they are there to play games with them.

The camps are all about engaging youth through various sports and activities, she said.

"Watching the kids be active and having fun being active," is what Thompson said she enjoys about the camps.

Youth in each community tend to have different favourite activities. In Fort Simpson it was mini-World Cup. In the game, all the players shoot balls at the same goalie at once trying to score. The last one to score is out. The game continues into further rounds until, through the process of elimination, one person wins because they were the most successful scorer.

Nylaina Tsetso, 10, shared Stipdonk's favourite sport in Fort Simpson – badminton.

"Because you have to throw the birdie and then you have to try to hit it with the racket," she said.

Tsetso and her sister had a record of being able to hit a birdie back and forth between each other 10 times before it touched the ground. For JC Larter, 10, it was all about Dr. Dodgeball, "because there's a line of balls that we have to knock people out with," he said. Both Tsetso and Larter agreed the camp was really fun.

In Trout Lake, swimming in the lake was the most popular activity. As many as 12 youth came out for the free-swim sessions. Swimming was also king in Jean Marie River during the camp that was held at the same time as the Dehcho First Nations' annual assembly in June.

Other Deh Cho communities that may have multi-sport camps this summer include Wrigley and Fort Liard.