APRIL 2016

CHEF DE MISSION FINAL REPORT 2016 WINTER GAMES

Team Alaska Shawn Maltby Chef de Mission

Team Alaska would like to thank the 2016 host society for their hospitality and preparation for the 2016 games. We all know that the host society puts in long days and nights and this was obvious with the success of the games. It takes many great volunteers to pull the games off and the volunteers were a great part of making the games a success and making Team Alaska feel welcome.

Section I – Evaluation of Performance of the Host Society

Registration and Accreditation Was pre-Games registration convenient and functional? Did the accreditation system at the Games work well? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The pre-Games registration system was helpful to get Team Alaska registered.

 My suggestion for the GEMS with pre-registration is to get rid of the “apply“ button. It gave you two options, Ok and apply. The apply button cleared the entire application.

 During the approval process, it would be nice to have a “select all” button so we aren’t clicking on every athlete.

 We need to have the email address of parents/legal guardian. Athletes entered their own email addresses which made it hard to communicate with most of our families (since athletes rarely check their email).

Welcome/Arrival Services Was the arrival of your team handled in a timely manner with a minimum of confusion? Provide comments or recommendations.  Team Alaska left Alaska on time with two charters even though delays were expected in Kangerlussuaq with bad weather in . There was not a member of the host society on the ground in Kangerlussuaq, which would have been nice to welcome the teams. The volunteers and airport staff that were on the ground did an outstanding job making us feel welcome and keeping the team calm, considering the delays  Leaving Kangerlussuaq enroute to Nuuk, was smooth and went well. Upon arriving in Nuuk, it would have been nice to have a staff person other than the contingent guiding us to the bus.  Luggage handling upon arrival went fine. There were several bags that were missing for a few days, but eventually were found and delivered. Future games should look at different luggage handling for mission staff and special guests, as bags were left on the ground in front of the airport and we physically had to go through each bag at another location of arrival to find bags.

Opening Ceremonies Did the Opening Ceremonies do a good job of kicking off the week? Were they well organized and choreographed? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The Opening Ceremonies went well for the 2016 games once we were able to get in. In the future I would include the athletes for all of the ceremonies. We were not able to see the cultural part of the ceremonies, which would have been nice to see.  The gathering point for the opening ceremony was small for all contingents and became hot quickly. I also thought that we were required to arrive really early for staging. The less time standing around the better.  Conclusion of opening ceremonies were chaotic and could have been handled different. utilize the MC to give instructions for exiting the building.

Team Accommodations Were accommodations sufficiently spacious or too crowded? Well located or too spread out? Were there sufficient washrooms and shower facilities? Was cleaning during the Games adequate for the maintenance of hygiene? Was security in the accommodations area functional and effective? Provide comments or recommendations.

 Housing was gender specific which was great. We thought there was plenty of space in the rooms for the athletes and coaches.

 The shower plan was a bit odd, as many had to shower at venues and stand outside in the cold waiting on transportation with wet hair. One shower facility had the boys and girls right next to each other which is not optimal.

 Security in accommodations was fantastic and brought issues to us right away to correct.

Food Service Were the hours of operation/serving sufficient and convenient? Was the quality of food adequate? Was enough food available to meet your team’s needs and appetites? Did the box lunch program work well? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The hours of operation were good and the volunteers were wonderful.  Would have liked to see better options for grazing  The salad bar was a hit and very good.  The box lunch program was chaotic and had several issues with. It was eventually worked out. Having us turn in forms the day before didn’t work and honestly wasted food as we were turning forms in for anything just to make sure we had food.

Awards Ceremonies Provide comments or recommendations on awards ceremonies both at venues and at the main awards venue.

 The awards ceremonies were well organized. Having the ceremonies after the competitions was effective and saved time.

Information Technology/Communications/Computer and Network Services Evaluate how the Games’ IT system and staff, communications system and computer and network services performed and provide any comments or recommendations.

 Team Alaska didn’t use the computer during the games because it wasn’t compatible with our equipment. We used our own laptops.  The printing at the mission office was not good. Our laptops were not compatible with the printer and never got it fixed, so we never printed anything.  The cell phones we had were small, and did not work all the time and we had many dropped calls and tough time reaching each other. Maybe the cell towers were overwhelmed.

Mission Offices/Services/Accommodations Were the Mission Offices located in a place that facilitated the work of the Mission Staff, and were the offices conveniently reached by coaches? Were the Mission Offices sufficiently spacious and adequately furnished? Were the supplies provided adequate for the Mission Staff to do its work? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The location of the Mission Offices was located nicely to the competition venues. They were more than large enough and laid out nicely. The volunteers in the mission headquarters were more than helpful and did a nice job.  Mission staff housing was ok. In the future it would be nice if our entire mission staff were housed together. The chef and asst chef were housed at different location than the other mission staff.

Cultural Program and Facilities Did your cultural delegation feel that they were an integral part of the Games? Did they have enough performance opportunities? Too many? Did your Unit members attend entertainment events? What is your impression of their experience? Provide comments or recommendations related to the Cultural program only. See Entertainment Program section below for other comments.

 We had a small delegation this set of games. Our sole performer had a great time and did a great job at the galas and performed at other events as well to include a foster home for kids.

Forms and Publications Evaluate the effectiveness of forms provided by the Host Society and any publications of the Host Society; including Ulu News, directories, sport schedules/programs, results, posters, etc.

 Would be nice if the host society developed an application for all updates to include bus schedules, schedules, dining times, etc…  Sports schedules in the GEMS system were not accurate with what the “academy” had and became confusing for some.

Media Describe the media coverage you saw in the host community, both print and electronic. Provide comments or recommendations.

 Media did a nice job broadcasting the games and results. All interviews were not all focused on Alaska but did a great job telling the story of the other contingent’s success.

Medical Services/Polyclinic Was the medical staff helpful? Did they provide quality care? Was the location of the polyclinic convenient and the hours it was open sufficient? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The medical crew did a nice job keeping our athletes/coaches healthy. They operated very professionally and the location of the polyclinic was located nicely! All of our athletes that visited the clinic/hospital were in and out quickly

 We traveled with a medical mission person and she was busy. There were some venues that the medical staff was at best first aid responder. Would like to see more advanced medical at more of the venues for comfort of the injured.

Results Were accurate results produced and disseminated in a timely manner? Provide comments or recommendations.

 No complaints on the results side. Appeared that all were updated regularly and ran smoothly.

Security Did the security arm of the Games work effectively? Were the security people helpful? Did you note any security lapses that affected members of your team? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The securities at the games were good. All staff was professional.

Social Program Were there sufficient opportunities for your young people to socialize with their peers from other delegations? Were social functions well run and well supervised? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The were not well attended the first two days.  With the schedule changes due to arrival delays, the social aspect was affected as the athletes didn’t have a ton of time to socialize.  We would like to see the more promoted if you choose to do it. Maybe pick a time in the schedule where everyone can attend. We had many teams not able to make it due to them playing games.

Transportation at the Games Provide comments or recommendations on the internal Games transportation system.

 Buses were confusing for some. Many athletes got on buses that were pay only. Never were kicked off and often locals paid the bus fare which was amazing.  Many athletes chose to walk.

Web Presence/Website Did the Host Society’s website and web presence function in a way that was helpful to you, your team, and parents from your area? Provide comments or recommendations.

 The host society website was clean and the academy was user friendly

Closing Ceremonies Did the Closing Ceremonies provide a fitting ending to the week? Were they of an appropriate length? Did they keep the spirit of the Games going? Provide comments or recommendations.

 Like Opening ceremonies, I thought we were put in the holding area early and had a long wait to walk to closing. The closing ceremonies were again orchestrated well with arrival to it (no waiting). Program was good at one-hour long. The host society did a nice job of keeping the contingents involved within the closing.

Send Off/Departure Was your team’s departure handled smoothly with a minimum of confusion and hassle? Provide comments or recommendations.

 Team Alaska’s departure was spread out over many hours, and all went smooth.

Section II – Comments and Recommendations Pertaining to the Unit

General Unit Management Provide a brief description of how the Unit was managed. Include any recommendations on changes to previous methods of operation that worked well. Include copies of organizational charts, job descriptions, etc

 Team Alaska is managed by the Chef De Mission and the Assistant Chef De Mission and governed by a board of Directors from all over the state of Alaska.

 All management decisions are made by the Chef de Mission and the Assistant Chef.

 The Chef de Mission develops the general plan of the Games and works with the Assistant Chef and the mission staff to carry out all duties associated with the coaches and athletes. The mission staff assists the team members to deal with issues around all aspects of the games.

 During the Games all mission staff focus on their respective sports and will meet daily after the morning Chefs meetings to talk about issues that arise, schedule changes, meal issues, and any other pertinent items that arise.

Intra-team Communications Describe the system of communications within the team at the Games and provide any comments or recommendations.

 Team Alaska has daily meetings to help communicate all pertinent information associated with Team Alaska. All mission staff are required to attend and meet with their assigned sports on a daily basis after the morning meetings.

Cultural Delegation Selection Describe the selection system used by your contingent. Provide comments or recommendations.

 The Cultural delegation was selected based on the technical package and the comfort of the Cultural Coordinator.

Finance Describe how the Unit raised the funds necessary to finance its involvement in the Games. Complete the charts provided at the end of this section.

 Team Alaska received a state grant from the State of Alaska, and relies on corporate donations.

Forms, Publications, Team Booklets/Manuals/Handbooks Provide one copy of each form, publication or manual developed and used by this Unit.

 Team Alaska does a code of conduct manual, an athlete hand book. Team Alaska also has each athlete, coach and mission staff sign a choose respect campaign as part of a partnership with the State of Alaska to stop domestic violence.

Insurance Describe the insurance obtained for the Games and provide recommendations.

 Team Alaska prepared a secondary insurance policy for the athletes, coaches, and staff for the games.  The copy of the insurance policy was sent to the Host Society.

Media Describe the media coverage provided by media located within your Unit for the Games, and describe how you promoted it. Provide comments or recommendations.

 Team Alaska had a media mission staff person that did all media to include our daily news letter, arranging athlete appearances at the morning press conferences, and arranging media appearances. Social media was a huge success for Team Alaska.

Medical Services What sort of medical services did you provide within your team? Provide comments or recommendations.

 Team Alaska had a medical mission staff member that focused on the high risk sports. She spent a ton of time wrapping ankles at the facility as well as .

Sports Provide a brief summary of the Unit’s involvement in and any comments or recommendations on each sport.

Alpine Skiing  Great Venue

Arctic Sports  A major part of Team Alaska. The event and venue were very well run.

Badminton  Nice venue although loud from volleyball

Basketball  Great venues. Nicely ran

Biathlon (Ski)  Team Alaska carried a full team. A very well run and beautiful venue was a big part of our success.

Biathlon ()  Again a very well-run and organized venue.

Cross Skiing  Team Alaska carried a full team. Very well run event and course was great.

Dene Games  Team Alaska carried a full team. One of our strengths. A great week of sportsmanship

Ice Hockey  Excellent venues .We weren’t able to make it over due to weather delays and storms.

Snowshoeing  Team Alaska carried a full team and a great venue. No complaints

Snowboarding  Team Alaska did not carry a full team. Venue was adequate.

Futsal  Great facility and outstanding games.

Table Tennis  Great venue for this and was enjoyed by all.

Volleyball  Team Alaska carried a full team in both male and female. Competition was great. For the most part the schedule allowed for the male and female teams to cheer each other on.

Wrestling  Great event and venue.

Transportation Describe the logistics of transporting your team to and from the Games.

 Team Alaska chartered two 737planes from Anchorage Alaska to Kangerlussuaq. On the way home, we chartered the same two planes from Kangerlussuaq to Anchorage. One plane was scheduled to land in Iqaluit on the way to kangerlussuaq but weather pushed them direct to kangerlussuaq. On the way home a plane did land and retrieve hockey bags. All went smoothly

Team Selection Process Describe the process used to select team members including specifics on the trials process. Complete the attached form.

Team Selection went through tryouts or videos of play. Due to the size of Alaska and the cost of travel

 It is impossible for all selections to take place in person. Most teams are selected in the fall leading up to the games with the exception of cross country skiing and alpine, which are done in the months leading up to the games.

Team’s Website Describe your team’s web presence and how you used the Web and the Internet to facilitate your administrative tasks. Complete the attached form.

 Team Alaska does most of our communication via our website (www.teamalaska.org) . All tryouts, selections, and pertinent information regarding Team Alaska is posted. Also we utilize social media to include facebook and twitter.

Section III – General Comments and Recommendations Directed to the International Committee

Executive Summary and Recommendations Provide a synopsis of the general observations and recommendations that the Chef has made in the body of the report.

HOST SOCIETY  The 2016 Host Society did a great job organizing the games and making them a huge success. Adding Line to the staff was a huge addition.  The volunteers were able and more than happy to assist anything we needed. What a great group to work with.

Arctic Winter Games International Committee Provide any recommendations on how the AWGIC could improve the assistance provided to the Units involved in the .

 Team Alaska would like to thank the IC for their support and especially Ian for again running a very smooth set of games and keeping it all together.  Team Alaska believes that the technical meetings are important as we move forward in the future of the Arctic Winter Games. We would like to know what and how you implement items from those meetings.

Section IV – Charts

ARCTIC WINTER GAMES UNIT INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

2016 GAMES TEAM ALASKA

Participation Summary Games Athletes 240 Coaches 37 Mission Staff 14 Chaperones 2 Cultural 1 Total 294 Communities Involved 50+