Athletes’ Village provided a home away from home for competitors
Athletes’ Village during the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games was an important hub for the athletes ranging in age from 11 to 20 years attending the athletic competition in Swift Current.
Volunteers transformed classrooms at O.M. Irwin School and the Swift Current Comprehensive High School into male and female dorms for the duration of the Games. During the second half of the Games at total of 57 classrooms at the two schools were utilized as athletes dorms, with 33 classrooms and 596 beds at SCCHS, and 24 classrooms with just over 320 beds at Irwin School.
Shelby Budd and Carrie Chambers served as the Co-directors of Athletes’ Village during the Games, and supported by a large group of volunteers they helped provide a safe home for the athletes during their time in Swift Current.
“I said it’s like managing two hotels, with a whole bunch of teenagers in them,” chuckled Chambers during a behind the scenes tour of Athletes’ Village on August 16.
For most competitors who have attended Games, they traditionally comment that one of the biggest parts of a Games experience is the food and the Athletes’ Village. So for the athletes in Swift Current they were able to participate in activities such as yoga, Zumba, karaoke, as well as relax in an Athlete’s Lounge with a large television.
“For us we’ve been providing our space, so it’s what they make of that space,” Chambers noted. “Its been really cool to see the activity around the place and the kids seem really happy with what’s been going on.”
And obviously, running an Athletes’ Village smoothly is often impacted by a variety of unknowns.
“There’s just so many moving parts to this thing,” Budd said. “I think at one point I thought oh well this should be simple - we’ll put these bunk beds in and then these people will sleep. That would be great.”
“It’s just there’s so many pieces to this big machine that is the Games.”
The majority of their challenges were with things that were out of their control, such as toilets flooding and shower trailers that were hooked up but malfunctioning.
“Those things that are going to happen anywhere all the time, but when you have 900 people using them all the time, I mean they’re going to happen more often. So being on top of those things you’re trying to be really proactive and keep things running smoothly and keep it all together. But when you can’t predict or don’t know when that’s going to happen, then those would be those things,” Chambers said.
Those situations were complicated because they predictably did not occur at convenient times, and often required early morning or late night attention.
However, they noted the Chinook School Division maintenance and facilities staff went above and beyond to assist at Athletes’ Village.
“The whole entire staff from Chinook, to the Games staff to all of the volunteers have, I think, just done an amazing job of not only providing what we need to provide for the Games to run, but then also that step above to make sure everyone’s feeling comfortable and are enjoying the experience.”
The volunteers on site played an important roll in ensuring a safe environment for the athletes. These volunteer security workers were tasked with checking badges of all people at the village, and every individual, including the athletes needed identification badges to be in the village.
Chambers said she was impressed by the young athletes and how they were aware of the importance of those helping make the Games environment a positive one.
“The kids have been fabulous,” Chambers said. “And saying thank you to our volunteers and making sure that they’re recognizing that it does take volunteers in order to make things like this run. The kids get that and so they’ve been very successful.”
“It’s a great place to volunteer in because you have an opportunity to see those kids when they come back with the medals around their necks. And they’re so excited to share how their day went,” Budd added.
“That’s one of the things that I’ve loved about being in here. We might miss out on what’s happening out in the fresh air, but lots of those kids will swing in and have a conversation when they get back, or you’re meeting them in the hallway,” Budd admitted.