Wood entering fourth year as Canada Games coach

SACKVILLE, NB Sackville is invariably well represented on the New Brunswick Canada Winter Games teams, primarily in air pistol competitions, and athletes have brought home several gold as well as silver and bronze medals.

Tony Wood, a correctional officer with Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), is coach of both the local shooting club and the Canada Games team and this year will be leading a strong squad that boasts no fewer than four local young people Charlie Hicks, Jonathan Cormier, Matthew Slipp and Stephanie Bonin.

The 50-year-old coach has been interested in shooting since childhood and in 1988 joined the local Sportsman Association and immediately set himself a goal of making the provincial shooting team which he did in 1989, competing in the Canada Games in Granby in 1989. He shot in events throughout the Maritimes and Maine over the next couple of years.

Meanwhile, a call went out for coaches for the junior air pistol team for the 1991 Canada Games team. Wood began to upgrade his coaching certification with the help of the local association and the provincial body and ultimately attained his Level 3.

Three local members managed to land spots on the provincial team in 91, including Jamie and Michelle Bickerton and LeeAnn Wheaton. Michelle established a new record in her group and the two girls teamed up to win bronze.

Since that time, Wood has served as Canada Games coach in 1995, 1999 and 2003 and will head up this years team along with Raoul (Rusty) LeBlanc of Memramcook as they head out for Whitehorse looking for gold.

So what do young people have to do to become involved in this sport in Sackville? They need only to contact Tony Wood who serves as president or Peter Ripley, the secretary-treasurer to discuss joining. Wood says the annual fee for juniors those from age 13 to 21 is $30 while the cost for seniors is $50.

We suggest they come to us and go through an orientation program before deciding whether they prefer air pistol or air rifle shooting, he says. After this decision is reached, they may purchase their weapon of choice through the club at a very good price. Wood says some youngsters prefer to shoot recreationally while others choose to become competitive in the sport. He says he is more of a competitive coach while LeBlanc brings a balance with his more laidback approach.

The number of young people participating in this sport varies between 10 and 20 each year with both boys and girls involved. Many are involved in other sports as well as shooting.

Trevor Koot brought home bronze in 1995, and in 2003 Erin Sloan was good for a silver and she joined with Inga Hansen for a bronze in team shooting.

Before newcomers choose a weapon, they are put through a fairly rigorous program of safety learning the proper method of handling guns while the parents are also encouraged to attend during this initial phase.

Training each week, which was held in the weight room at Tantramar Regional High School, has has been moved to St. Edwards Roman Catholic Church now decommissioned and a separate club has been organized in Dorchester.

Secondly, the newcomers are introduced to fun shooting, trying out different firearms air pistol and air rifle and also introduced to kneeling and prone shooting techniques.

Finally, the young people are introduced to local competitions, moving onto the provincial level. Each athlete is permitted to move at his or her own pace, some being far more talented than others. The more accurate shooters are urged to try out for the Canada Games team.

Wood says that Michelle Bickerton, to date, has been the most successful shooter to graduate from the local club. She later was recruited to shoot for the Royal Military College team where she attended and toured the world, doing very well in the process.

Woods two children Nathan and Amanda naturally developed into sharp shooters, being members of the 1999 Canada Games team while he considers Trevor Koot, Erin Sloan and Inga Hansen to be among the better graduates of the local program.

Shooting is a very disciplined sport, says coach Wood. Mental concentration and the ability to focus for short and repeated periods of time are requisites of a successful athlete in this sport.

Noting that shooting is an individual sport even though each is part of a team, Wood says self-discipline is vital for success.

In our program the young people learn shooting skills, discipline, safety and conditioning, the latter being very important if the athletes are to move ahead.

Meanwhile, the coach has high hopes of bringing home more medals during the next week or so. The Canada Games will begin on Feb. 22 and Sackville will again have strong representation.

So the Sackville Shooting Club provides yet another opportunity for young people, and those not so young, to share fellowship, learn the finer points of a sport, and develop some self-discipline at a reasonable cost.