Coach's Thoughts     August 1/1999   It was in 1997 at the Western Fair that I first met the Bluewater Tug-of-War club. My first impression was that the group had a good approach and attitude to their sport with lots of potential to do better. Soon afterwards I became their coach, a position which I take great pride in today. This now international club takes great pride in representing its community. The work these athletes put into training to represent their community surpasses anything done by most amateur sports or lots of professionals. The results of 1998 and 1999 achievements are proof of that. Our community has been very supportive of our club and I firmly belive that this support is the key to our future success. We need your continued help and encouragement. With this sport being recognized by the International Olympic Committee these are exciting times for the sport of Tug-of-War and without being over confident our teams are the best in Canada. In addition to training two or three times a week the club engages in fund raising to support our international travel. Bluewater is not a closed club and requires members in all capacities, pullers, committee and club members, etc. Tug-of-War is a hard physical exacting sport demanding dedication and selfsacrifice from all who participate in it. It is very much a team sport which requires a high degree of discipline and control from each individual in the interest of the team. There are many good teams but no individual stars. However, there are individual skills that take time to master and once these have been learned the pullers who keep pulling and training become outstanding competitors. The sport used to be the sport of physical giants but not any more as now there is much more emphasis on fitness. This has come about because competitions are more demanding being run on a round robin system. There are all sorts of international competitions like World Championships, World Games, European Championships and Oceanic Games. The involvement and participation of women has added another dimension to the sport. In our club we are blessed with many excellent competitors both ladies and men. We also have young pullers, teenagers and school children. The dedication of our experienced members plus the involvement of the youth should guarantee the future of the Bluewater Tug-of-War Club. We now have training facilities that compare with any other club in the sport. If you believe in the principle of sportsmanship and wish to develop both mind and body with a true team spirit, tug-of-war offers you the perfect opportunity. Back to Newsletter Index