Youth skaters indulge their need for speed this weekend in Saskatoon

Article content

It’s a big event, for smaller but fast-growing athletes.

Article content

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Youth skaters indulge their need for speed this weekend in Saskatoon Back to video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

The Canadian Youth Short Track Championship — West is bringing around 100 kids aged 11 to 13 into the city this weekend. It’s a heaping taste of competition with skaters from around western Canada.

Article content

Tim Comfort, a Saskatchewan Amateur Speed Skating Association provincial coach and technical director, says with a chuckle that yes, there will be a heap of nerves, even though the event’s about more than competition.

“They won’t describe it as social and cognitive, though they’d enjoy the social, but they’d be totally nervous about skating with people from B.C., Alberta, the Northwest Territories,” Comfort said Friday. “Like any other kid, they’d be nervous.”

But there’s more than just competition.

On Friday, skaters gathered for video, sessions on safe sport, and on-ice instruction with coaches from around western Canada.

Article content

Article content

The event runs Saturday and Sunday at Merlis Belsher Place.

Comfort says the goals are “Social, emotional, cognitive, competitive. Since they’re so young, we want to have a very high level of competition, but also have them meeting people from other provinces and learning something about the sport.

“We want everybody to have a good time, and to have very high levels of competition. Medals are fine, and I hope we get some in Saskatchewan — I think we should — but they’re young, and it’s a broader emphasis.”

There’s no all-encompassing national meet for kids in this age group. A national meet for eastern provinces is also being held this weekend.

Comfort says the 100 or so skaters here will compete in six different categories — 11, 12 and 13-year-old boys, and 11, 12 and 13-year-old girls.

Article content

Two dozen skaters from Saskatchewan are on hand, from every club in the province.

“It’s a very big development event for small clubs like Prince Albert and Melville,” Comfort said. “It’s important for those clubs, and to have high-achieving skaters attending these meets.”

Racing begins at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and wraps up Sunday at 4 p.m.

kemitchell@postmedia.com

twitter.com/kmitchsp

The news seems to be flying at us faster all the time. From COVID-19 updates to politics and crime and everything in between, it can be hard to keep up. With that in mind, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox to help make sure you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.