听 听 听 听 听 听 Newly married wrestling coaches Monte and Wendy McNaughton could certainly be dubbed a power couple after their performance at this year's Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg. The duo - who live in Carlyle - coached Team Saskatchewan's boys' and girls' wrestling teams to 4th place overall and also helped Saskatchewan's wrestling squads bring home one silver medal and five bronze medals.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was pretty exciting,鈥� says Wendy. 鈥淚t was our first time coaching as the McNaughtons. We've been coaching against each other for five years and now, we're finally together.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t's exciting to be a part of it,鈥� says Monte. 鈥淎nd it's exciting to have our name attached it it.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淔our years ago, I was at the Canada Summer Games with a wrestler,鈥� he adds. 鈥淏ack then, it was quite a big deal as a spectator, so this time, being there as a coach, it was really inspiring and new.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏efore this, I'd never attended the Games before,鈥� says Wendy. 鈥淚'd seen a lot of the coaches who were there before and taking a chair next to them as a coach was really exciting.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 听The 2017 Canada Summer Games were held July 28-August 13 in Winnipeg. And as two of Saskatchewan's four-person coaching squad for the province's top male and female wrestlers, the McNaughtons helped lead 11 male wrestlers and 10 female wrestlers from throughout Saskatchewan.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e had 10 girls and 11 boys,鈥� says Monte. 鈥淭hey were from Saskatoon, Regina, Weyburn, Swift Current, Warman and Prince Albert.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭here were four (wrestling) coaches,鈥� he adds. 鈥淲e were two of them. The other coaches were Dan McGee from the University of Regina and Brook Smith from P.A. Our team manager was Kristine Ursu, formerly of the U of R.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 听鈥淲e drove to Regina and rode the bus with the team,鈥� says Wendy. 鈥淲e left Regina on August 5th and came back on the 13th.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲e had one camp in Regina prior to the Games,鈥� says Monte. 鈥淭here wasn't a whole lot of time together as a team until we got on the bus. We really counted on their home coaches to get the wrestlers ready and they did a great job.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淢onte coached quite a few of them at Westerns,鈥� explains Wendy. 鈥淎nd a lot of them we knew from coaching, but it was still daunting trying to pull a team together that quickly.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hey competed in 11 different weight classes,鈥� she adds. 鈥淪o it was an exciting and exhiliarating experience for both of us.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 The competition was dual format, explains Monte. 鈥淭wo competing teams sit across from each other on benches, ranked from the lightest-weight wrestler to the heaviest-weight,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t's one match after another after another.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hat was one of the biggest adjustments for me as a coach,鈥� says Wendy. 鈥淐ompeting back to back like that, doesn't give you a lot of time to talk with each of the 10 or 11 athletes you're coaching.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut it's a really exciting challenge, too,鈥� she adds.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Competing in the Axworthy Health and Recplex meant that even as experienced coaches, the couple had to adjust their coaching game somewhat.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he size and sound of the crowds was a big adjustment,鈥� says Monte. 鈥淎nd we were coaching althletes we don't normally coach all of the time, so there may be some key words we'd use that they might not know.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淲hen we coach at high school tournaments, there are 10 mats. At the Canada Games, it was one mat,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was pretty loud with all of the spectators in the stands, so our wrestlers couldn't always hear what we were saying.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ut we knew it was going to be a grind and a marathon of a week,鈥� adds Monte.
听听听听听听听听听听听 Both McNaughtons say the closing ceremony was an experience not to be missed, even after an exciting, exhausting week of competition.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淚t was hot,鈥� says Wendy. 鈥淎nd it took a long time to get everybody lined up. We spent almost two hours standing around waiting. But then, once you enter the stadium, you realize you're part of something huge.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎nd there were so many people from Saskatchewan in the stands, cheering us on.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 Monte agrees, adding: 鈥淗onestly, by that time, everybody was burnt out and worn out. But then, my mom started texting us - she was watching on TSN. And Katrina LeMay Doan was there and there were so many people from Saskatchewan cheering us on.鈥�
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥� It was really cool to be on the field with all of those fans in the stands waving us on,鈥� he adds.
听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭he takeaway is that wrestlers from rural Saskatchewan do really well. We are good at this and we can hang with the big leagues.鈥�
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