Here we are smack dab in the middle of the Saskatchewan Summer Games, so it is too early to spread and share any assessments regarding performances and results or how well managed the events have been, or how poorly some things may have been handled.
That all comes later.
What we can discuss at this mid-point stage of the Games, is the ongoing need for our residents to remain supportive, positive and welcoming.
We must keep in mind that for some poor misguided visitors to our city, this may be their first-time in the energy capital of Saskatchewan and we want to ensure them a positive experience. We can’t do that with frowns of frustration or by sending out negative vibrations, after all, this is not a Donald Trump election campaign, it’s the Summer Games in a sunshine capital.
We hope our first wave of athletes and their families and friends, are now preparing to head back to their respective homes in towns, villages and cities across this special province, with positive thoughts about how they were treated while they were our guests.
For many, it will be a return to their pre-Games reality, maybe without a medal or even a close finish for a bronze, but still, retention of a solid, positive chapter of their time in Estevan. With a little luck, and a little promotion, they may come back for another visit under a different circumstance and hopefully they will be greeted with a similar feeling of goodwill and a welcoming attitude.
We want to say a fond farewell to our special athletic guests we’ve come to know over the past few days, and hope they and their families, coaches and friends will retain the aforementioned positive memories.
For the athletes and their entourages who are now just arriving, welcome to Games Central and get ready for some fun. We’ve probably learned a few lessons after handling the first platoons and have made adjustments to make your experience an even better one.
Race, throw, paddle, swim, and smash to the best of your capabilities and, above all else, have a great time.
Our residents have made many commitments and placed hundreds of volunteer hours and hundreds of thousands of dollars into these six days of intense athletic activities, so we don’t want visitors to depart with negative impressions. We’ve worked too hard to let that happen.
If negativity is encountered, we also know our Games officials are broad shouldered and sensitive enough to accept the criticisms if they are delivered in a thoughtful and meaningful fashion. They will want to fix, not fight, so we feel certain they will accept any feedback you care to offer in the spirit of sportsmanship and fairness.
We hope to see a few new provincial athletic records set. We hope to see grinning faces on podiums. We expect to see a few tears of joy and, yes, tears of sadness, since that is what this competition is all about too. Many well-remembered lessons are gained from failures. Not getting something done is how we learn to move forward.
So, once again, we bid a fond farewell to our first round of participants and fans and welcome aboard our new-found friends for Phase 2 of the Saskatchewan Summer Games.
Enjoy the experience, enjoy our city and what it offers and don’t forget to say hello wherever you go because there are a lot of new friends out there just waiting to connect as only fellow Saskatchewanians do.
After all, these are the Saskatchewan Summer Games, not the Estevan Summer Games.
