LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Sports fans and players had a variety of activity options to choose from this past week as the Beavertail Jamboree got underway.

Thomas Roche, centre, eyes the hoop during a basketball game on March 9 as part of the Beavertail Jamboree in Fort Simpson. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo

The volunteer committee that organizes the festival organized basketball, hockey and traditional games tournaments.

First up was a four-on-four basketball tournament which started March 8 and ran wrapped up the evening of March 10.

"So far so good," said Nathan McPherson, the village's recreation co-ordinator, about that tournament at its midway point.

He helps run the basketball and hockey tournaments.

The first night saw lots of teenagers sitting along the edge of the rec centre basketball court watching the action.

The games saw players in their mid-teens taking on adults, including Thomas Simpson School basketball coach Neil Barry.

The half-court tournament was added to the jamboree lineup two years ago. This year it was expanded to be full-court games after hearing from players, McPherson said.

Prizes were handed out to the top three teams. The team that finished first won $240.

Aboriginal games between Bompas Elementary School also took place this week at the rec centre.

The Dene games on March 10 included stick pull, stick raise, finger pull and snow snake. The next day, Inuit games including one-foot high kick, two-foot high kick, head pull and arm pull were held for Thomas Simpson School students.

The warm weather last weekend, when the temperature on March 8 was above zero, caused the rec centre to close off the rink and shut down the fans. McPherson said that meant there wasn't any activity going on on the ice.

But as the temperature dropped through the week, he said it looked like the men's rec league hockey tournament would at least start on time on March 12.

All the registered league players in the village were divided up among four teams for the four on four event.

The hockey tournament, a long-time fixture of the jamboree, may not finish over the weekend given predicted weather conditions.

The temperature is forecast to climb to 3 C on Friday according to Environment Canada.

"Friday and Saturday I'm a little concerned about because the weather is supposed to be ridiculous. If that happens, we'll just continue it next week when the weather is colder," McPherson said.