06/29/2025
Hi everyone. Well, we gave it a try, but it is time to officially retire the Last Mountain Athletic Club. Practices were lively and full of energy this year, with large turnouts. Results in school track proved it: our competing athletes past and present earned school and district records and collected aggregate awards. Your hard work shows what focused training and competing can achieve.
Unfortunately, club meets were not well attended this year. I had hoped we would become a more competitive club this past winter, but instead we saw very low numbers of competitors participating; the lowest in all my years of coaching club, in fact.
There were a few athletes and families who truly embraced the value of competing at club meets, and I want to thank them for their commitment. Travelling to meets means early mornings, entry fees, and family time given up, and I understand those demands are real, but those meets were essential. A club team is not a club team if it only practices, it's a fitness group. Club meets are where skills are tested and growth happens, and without that consistent piece, our program could not completely fulfill its purpose, and my capabilities as a coach could not be fully utilized, either. I believe those who did compete in club meets will know exactly what I am talking about. It took place during our trackside chats watching university athletes fly by, or in talks on the bleachers about believing in yourself. It happened while discussing your goals and answering your questions about how to open doors and create paths to a bright future. Those moments meant everything to me as your coach, and I will never forget them. I believe in you then, now and always. It was an honour to be with you in Saskatoon, Regina, Lloydminster and the halls of WDS.
The club may be done, but I AM NOT. My attention as a coach will now turn to school athletics. Our cross country team has just enrolled 124 runners, a new William Derby School record, and I am eager to coach more athletes who embrace the values of leadership, teamwork, gratitude, service, determination, grit, honour, and legacy. Athletes who are willing to try.
So many kids tell me, “I can’t run!” to which I reply, “Maybe not today, but what about in a week, a month, a year, or TWO years from now?” I coach running, sure, but more importantly I coach BELIEF in oneself. If you believe in yourself, running comes easy, it just takes time. I am going to prove that by going on my own little journey, inspired by this year's Grade 8 class (stay tuned). 😉
Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mount Everest, once said, “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” If that speaks to you, make sure your child participates in cross country this year and beyond. We will climb many hills and obstacles on the school cross country team, both literally and figuratively. Times will improve, sure - but so will attendance, marks, leadership, attitude, gratitude and respect. These are qualities that can be instilled through sport. Our hallways and classrooms will reveal it.
Families who wish to stay involved in club track and field can contact me for recommendations in Regina, as some have done already. I know several programs that expect and reward strong commitment.
If someone is ready to complete the coaching courses and would like to revive Last Mountain Athletics Club, let us meet and discuss how that might look. - Coach Edwards
