Photo By Chuck Cannon | Thomas Wood flips a tire during the Fort Polk strongest youth contest, hosted by the...... read more read more
By CHUCK CANNON
Guardian editor
FORT POLK, La. — Youth affiliated with the Directorate of Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s Child and Youth Services Sports Program gathered on Fort Polk’s Perez Field March 23 for the installation’s strongest youth competition.
Participants ranging in age from 7 to 15 battled in five events: The tire flip, sand bag stack, weighted sled pull, timber toss and hanging pull up.
First- and second-place trophies were awarded to winners in each age group: 8-9, 10-11, 12-14 and 15 and older. Boys and girls competed against each other except for the age 15 and older group, which separated the sexes.
DFMWR CYS Sports Director John Stromberg had one of his staff members lead the kids in calisthenics before the competition kicked off to avoid issues such as pulled muscles. The move paid off as all of the youth made it through the morning’s activities unscathed.
While the day’s events were primarily head-to-head contests, one group of family members and friends showed their unity by wearing their own created uniform.
The Woods, Thomas, Kate and Mae, and the Smiths, Christian and Bethany, each sported black shirts and multicolored tie-dyed bandanas.
“We thought it would be fun to have matching uniforms,” Mae Wood said. “Mom chose the bandanas for us.”
Most of the Wood-Smith team said they were all about having fun and enjoying what turned out to be a beautiful spring Louisiana day. However, the senior member of the group, Thomas, said he had an ulterior motive.
“I want to show everyone how strong I am,” he said. “I’m pretty stout. The tire flip will probably be my best event.”
Mae was the oldest female competing and said she liked measuring herself against the male competitors her age.
“I wanted to have fun, so I just kept going,” she said. “It makes me feel good to know I can compete with the guys. I’ll probably be talking trash at school this week.”
Stromberg said 35 youngsters participated in the activities.
“It was a great day for our kids to come out, exercise and have fun doing some unorthodox events,” Stromberg said.
Winners included:
• Ages 8-9 — First place, Dallas Fowles; second place, Aubrey Bazan
• Ages 10-11 — First place, Jacob Pajinag; second place, Kate Wood
• Ages 12-14 — First place, Nate Pommer; second place, Christian Smith
• Ages 15 and up boys — First place, Christopher Pajinag, second place, Thomas Wood
• Ages 15 and up girls — First place, Mae Wood
Coach Tammy Wood, also known as mom and neighbor to the Wood and Smith youth, said it took a lot of work prepping her team for the event, and that she gladly took credit for her role in helping some of team members to victory.
“I spent years training them mentally, physically and spiritually,” she said, jokingly. “Today, I think it came down to the bandanas and the face paint. My plan is to keep them off the couch and TV this summer, and to keep them outside. I know that’s hard to do nowadays, so I might have to create our own competitions.”
| Date Taken: | 03.23.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2019 09:56 |
| Story ID: | 316374 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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