Teri Gamble was no stranger to the Tony Cote Games, competing in them as a teenager and even coaching U13 girls’ volleyball nearly a decade ago. Recently, though, motherhood has brought her back to the provincial multisport event.

The moment her children took interest in participating in sports, Gamble made the decision to join with them.

“My kids were the reason I wanted to be a part of coaching,” shared Gamble. “Watching my kids play the sports they enjoyed and build friendships along the way brought me a lot of joy.”

“When my kids got old enough to participate, I submitted my name to coach the girls U13 softball team, which my daughter was a part of. After that, I’ve been submitting my name ever since for both the Winter and Summer Games.”

It was no different when registration came around for the 2024 Tony Cote Summer Games, which took place in Lac La Ronge from August 10-16.

Gamble took the helm of the Prince Albert Grand Council’s U15 girls’ softball team, which meant coaching her youngest daughter.

“It was challenging for me, because in-between innings, my daughter would ask me to show her how to correct her stance. Sometimes I would have to give myself a timeout and let my daughter know that it’s time for me to be coach and I have to focus on the other girls. I would make sure to focus on all the girls on the team, not just mom and daughter.”

At the same time, Gamble was trying to watch her other two children compete in their own events, U17 girls’ and U17 boys’ softball.

“I tried to juggle my schedule so I could go and watch both of their games. Unfortunately, I would only catch the first or second half because I had to be back coaching warm up.”

Despite the challenges behind the scenes, Gamble was still dedicated to the U15 players she was leading, many of whom she had coached at the 2022 Tony Cote Games.

That previous relationship meant the PAGC team was very familiar with Gamble’s guiding principle as a coach: Succes should be celebrated whether a medal is involved or not.

“Our end goal was to make it top four and make playoffs. If we got a medal, our thought was that it would be a bonus to us.”

That attitude earned the team a 1-2 record in the round robin and brought them to the bronze medal game where, at first, nerves and excitement got to the team a little bit. However, things turned around after Gamble reminded the players to focus on enjoying themselves.

“Everyone started having fun and cheering each other on from the dugout…they were getting into game mode and that’s when the whole team knew we were ready.  They motivated one another and toward the end game of the game they were so inclusive,” explained Gamble.

The team’s support for each other paid off with a 17-3 victory and the bronze medal. An accomplishment that made the sacrifices worth it for Gamble

“Teaching and coaching at the same time was a challenge, but the girls would pick up [on skills] so quick, it made me so proud. It was amazing how they came together.”