What a wonderful opportunity to remember and reflect … thank you CKC for this. This is the story of a young kid from rural Nova Scotia, a kid who grew up on the shores of Lake Thomas swimming all summer and skating all winter; my three siblings and I were active and outdoors because sitting around in the house was not an option. First life lesson … others can and will decide about how you spend your time.
The Cheema Aquatic Club had just started a short drive away in Waverley and my parents took the four of us there to see what it was all about. This was 1969 and I was 11. We paddled out of an old airplane hangar with boats and paddles that had been donated by other clubs in the area. Second life lesson … share your knowledge and material things with others, followed closely by “make the most of what you have.”
Hard work, dedication and passion gave that kid an opportunity to travel the world, compete with the best, and realize a lifetime of benefits – so many of those benefits I still enjoy today.
The first lesson I really remember related to this sport was to stay in the middle of the boat otherwise there would be more swimming than paddling … life lesson – there are consequences to your actions.
We were so fortunate to have a remarkable Head Coach and role model at Cheema. Frank Garner was our mentor; someone who had been successful both in this “new to us” sport of Canoe/Kayak (or Canoeing as it was called at the time), but also on the football field at St. Mary’s University.
As he became more knowledgeable as a coach, we all improved, and as we improved, so did Frank. Within eight years, he coached the local kids to a National Burgee. Still to this day that accomplishment is mind-blowing in so many ways. He and I advanced as a team – Canada Games, Junior Worlds, World Championships, and the 1976 Montreal Olympics. So started a relationship initially of coach/athlete that evolved over the years to mentor/mentee, and eventually to trusted advisor / friend. Frank led by example; he expected us to be on time, to work hard, to be respectful to others, and to control what you can control. When I think of the many life lessons that came through involvement in my sport, these were also the lessons our parents taught us or modelled for us … discipline, hard work, fairness, consequences of your actions, commitment, sacrifice, and dedication. Our parents, teachers, other coaches, and Frank expected effort and commitment – the standard for that was set early. You did not walk away because things got challenging; we were resilient for sure. Life lessons were learned – you reap what you sow.
While gender issues have existed since the dawn of women participating in sport, I was not aware of them at Cheema, at least not while Frank was involved. Frank brought his inclusive and accepting ways to his coaching – he did not expect any less of us as females perhaps because there was a group of us who excelled early … in C15 and in C-4s. We all trained together in small boats and there was no differentiation in the program for the females or the males. But clearly there were gender biases that were part of Canoeing, for at the 1976 Olympics, there were two races for women and nine for men. Life lesson – life is not always fair.
My examination of the gender issues I experienced led me toward my masters research in ethical issues in sport. That experience opened doors for me to teach in the Kinesiology program at my alma mater, Acadia University in an Ethics class as well as a course in coaching.
So many of the lessons learned through sport have carried over into my work life. I have enjoyed 30 years of university lecturing at Acadia University in Wolfville, NS. My work has been influenced by the hard work learned on the water, morality and trying to do the right thing, and the fundamental belief that if sport is delivered in a way that all children and adults can enjoy themselves and benefit in the multitude of ways sport enhances our lives, then that is the greatest win anyone could hope for. Life lesson – winning does not always mean coming first.
I will be forever grateful for what sport has brought to my life, and cannot possibly capture all that Frank did for me, what my parents and family did, my close friends, my community of Fall River/Waverley, and what the Cheema Aquatic Club provided, not only to me, but to so many young people. Thank you to my sport of Canoe/Kayak for providing such great learning opportunities. Who knew that that first day I sat in a kayak, 56 years ago, that today I would be reflecting on all you brought to my life. And to those who are reading this and coaching young children, please reflect on what you want those participants to get from their Canoe/Kayak experience. Travel, medals and winning are all great, but for many, those are not the outcomes they will realize. More will experience other benefits. Under your leadership they will have a chance to be active, to meet new friends, to potentially find their passion, and participate in a sport that they can do for the rest of their life. They too will learn many life lessons through sport … I just hope they will be positive lessons that they will reflect on years later.
Written and submitted by Ann Dodge, MPE