The day after: AYF Olympics denouement
I went to the 1969 AYF Olympics in Providence. Labor Day was September 1 that year. If I were writing for the Armenian Weekly back then, I would have been writing this piece on Tuesday, September 2, the day before my junior year of high school began. Those were the days when school started after Labor Day, which was a much more civilized schedule for folks like us, who attend the AYF Olympics.
It was back in high school when I joined the Detroit ‘Kopernick Tandourjian’ Chapter. It was also in high school when I became acquainted with the word ‘denouement.’ Per AI, which was pure science fiction back in 1969, denouement is defined as “that concluding phase of a story or drama in which the remaining details find resolution and the storyline reaches its ultimate conclusion.”
In previous years, the AYF Olympics denouement was a tragic conclusion, as best stated by Tamar Kanarian. Upon arriving home from the festivities, she posted “Home. Let the misery begin.” Indeed, it was exactly like that. We had just spent four active days creating our own, unique, very special AYF Armenia and then… it abruptly ended. The joys and highs we felt during the AYF Olympics turned into misery as our normal, everyday lives recommenced in full force on Tuesday.
I no longer feel that misery. These days, the joys and highs from the weekend come home with me and carry into the return to my normal, everyday, life. What has changed?
My first thoughts are that I am just older. Older folks have a tendency to be crotchety or sentimental. In this case, I am probably more sentimental. We were delighted to be at another Olympics when many others in our generation don’t come at all anymore or just attend for a day or two. The joy of seeing our fine young people compete, dance and socialize with such fraternal passion warmed our hearts so much that it simply overwhelms the ‘misery’ I used to feel. A side benefit of writing the daily articles involves getting to know this amazing generation of AYFers and count many of them as friends. How could I ever be miserable about this? It is, in fact, a blessing.
Secondly, the AYF Olympics are so well organized that they nurture a great deal of pride in the AYF leadership, the Governing Body and the host committee of AYFers and alumni. That pride simply overwhelms and squelches the ‘misery.’ Our young people attend the best colleges and are in, or preparing for, impressive careers. In short, that business and organizational acumen carries over to the planning and running of excellent Olympic weekends, which is exactly what we have experienced at the recent AYF Olympics.
Isn’t this exactly what the AYF was founded to do? The goal was to bring together young Armenians through education, activism, athletics and social engagement to nurture an appreciation for all things Armenian and to forge the next generation of community and Hai Tahd leaders. I left the AYF Olympics with a lot of pride in how this vision for the AYF is looking in 2026.
I might be fooling myself, but, hey, I have already admitted to being old and sentimental.
This concludes my daily articles for the 2026 AYF Olympics in New Jersey. I am not done writing, though. Today—okay, maybe tomorrow—I will begin writing my articles for the Special Edition AYF Olympics Magazine. Consider sponsoring the magazine, and supporting the Armenian Weekly by becoming a subscriber.
Thank you to the AYF-YOARF Central Executive, the Governing Body and the New Jersey ‘Arsen’ community for a job well done.
Getseh Haiastan, getseh AYF!
Thank you Mark🇦🇲♥️