AYF: Reflections from Junior Winter Olympics 2018

Below are some reflections from the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF-YOARF) Junior Winter Olympics, which took place last month. They are written by junior and senior members of the AYF-YOARF.

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Junior Winter Olympics: A Weekend Filled With so Much More Than Just Sports

By ungerouhi Araxie Tossounian, AYF-YOARF Detroit “Kopernik Tandourjian” chapter

Junior Winter Olympics: a weekend for the AYF-YOARF Eastern U.S. Juniors that involves so much more than sports. JWO is a weekend filled with basketball, board games, gym activities, and most importantly, friends. While the focus of the weekend may seem like games and sportsmanship, the junior AYF-ers always leave talking about their friends, the great time they had, and the countdown before the next junior event.

This year JWO took place in the three districts the AYF-YOARF Eastern U.S.: Midwest, Mid Atlantic, and New England. Midwest JWO was hosted by the Racine “Armen Garo” chapter; the Mid Atlantic host was the Philadelphia “Sebouh” chapter; and New England games were hosted by the one year old Middlesex County West “Musa Ler” chapter. Each JWO consisted of juniors traveling to the host chapter, participating in the games, enjoying meals with their friends, and making memories that will last forever. While the three JWOs consisted of different logistics and structure, each host chapter worked hard to make sure the juniors had a weekend filled with fun; and each and every one did.

While the Central Junior Committee worked with the host chapters to plan these weekends, the host chapters’ Junior Advisors and senior members worked hard to make sure the event was something the junior members would all enjoy and look forward to. The juniors who attended JWO were a great representation of how strong, fun, and able the AYF members are. The seniors involved left feeling inspired and empowered by the number of the juniors who participated and are already looking forward to the next JWO.

Junior Winter Olympics is an amazing opportunity for the juniors to get together, play, laugh, have fun, and form friendships that will grow and last forever. The Central Junior Committee, is inspired and empowered by the amount of juniors who attended JWO, the seniors and parents who helped throughout the weekend, and the memories made by the AYF junior membership.

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My Junior Winter Olympics Experience

By ungerouhi Arpi Donoyan, AYF-YOARF Providence “Varantian” chapter

This year, I attended Junior Winter Olympics (JWO) hosted by Middlesex County West. I participated in three activities: basketball, checkers, and tavloo. This year’s JWO was very fun! I enjoyed every moment of each activity.

The day went smoothly and I enjoyed meeting new people and seeing friends from other AYF events. I am happy to say we placed second overall. I hope to attend JWO again next year it was a great experience for me to have.

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Mid-Atlantic Junior Winter Olympics

By Victoria Ezgilioglu, AYF-YOARF New Jersey “Arsen” chapter

The Mid-Atlantic Junior Winter Olympics took place on March 10. The Philadelphia “Sebouh” chapter welcomed the New Jersey, D.C, and the Manhattan chapters with open arms. The juniors arrived bright and early to the games that at the Armenian Sisters Academy in Radnor, Penn.

The day began with the boys’ basketball game, New Jersey vs. Philadelphia. A nail biting game all four quarters and quite the show, each team displaying their great plays and game strategies. The New Jersey boy’s team coach, Armen Alashian, led the team to a well-deserved victory.

The girls were up next; New Jersey and Manhattan vs. Philadelphia. Both teams were filled with not only excited members, but also great athletes and team players. In a thrilling overtime, the New Jersey Arsen’s brought in another win thanks to the fantastic coaching of Theresa Jelalian and Victoria Ezgilioglu.

What’s JWO without an intense game of knockout? All of the kids played together and put their teams aside to play knockout. Once everyone was fueled up and ready to go, the younger boys, Jersey and Philadelphia, played another impressive game of basketball.

Between games, members also challenged one another in checkers and chess. Seniors stepped in and played as well! The day followed with an exhilarating game of dodgeball. Seniors from all chapters joined in and played a very entertaining and skillful game; seniors vs. juniors. The games for the day came to an end and all members began to get ready for dinner.

All juniors and seniors headed to the agoump at St. Gregory’s for a delicious homemade dinner that included chicken, pilaf, salad, and yummy desserts. Members relaxed, enjoyed each other’s company, played card games and discussed highlights from all the games that day. The day ended on a wonderful note and members both near and far went home with great memories.

A special shoot-out to the wonderful “Sebouh” chapter moms, who made the dinner at the agoump possible, and to the AYF members that volunteered to be referees. Thank you to the Philadelphia “Sebouh” chapter for hosting and to all members that attended the 2018 Mid-Atlantic JWO. Hope to see you all next year!