The 2020 Arctic Winter Games are 93 days away and the trials for the 21 sports played at the Games are well underway. In early November, the badminton team selected the eight members, four juniors, four juveniles, who will represent the Yukon at the games.

The tryout saw 35 athletes and coach Caroline Thibault said it was the most badminton had seen at a trial for any of the major multi-sport events.

"It's the first time we've seen lots of people coming through the door," said Thibault. "They didn't need to register before. So it was more of a surprise for the coaches."

Although Thibault said the coaches were surprised at the numbers, she said it was great to have so many kids want to play. From the communities, there were two athletes from Carmacks, two from Dawson City, three from Haines Junction and two from Marsh Lake.

"It was nice to see everybody from Yukon," said Thibault.

Thibault said the tryout began with a warmup and some drills to test the athletes' skills and to see if they were coachable or not. Then for the remainder of the trial, a tournament was held.

The tournament was used to see the skills and the strategy of all the players. The game situation allowed the coaches to see how they perform in a pressure situation.

"With pressure, we can see the determination on the court," said Thibault. "We can also see the sportsmanship. We told them before our expectations about the sportsmanship. Win or lose we want to see good sportsmanship."

Thibault said they emphasized respect because the athletes will be representing the Yukon on an international stage.

At the tryouts, the athletes only competed in singles. When the AWG badminton tournament begins, they will also play mixed doubles and doubles.

"I'm happy that at the Arctics they need to play the three categories," said Thibault. "They are all very different."

This will not be Thibault's first time coaching at an Arctic Winter Games and she said Greenland will be the team to beat.

"Greenland they have very good, experienced players," said Thibault. "They have the opportunity to go to Denmark to play. Usually, the players that are coming to the Arctics, they are already national players in Denmark."

From the last Arctics, the Yukon will be returning three players and Nunavut is the team that Thibault said the Yukon is gunning for.

I would like to see where they are right now with two more years of practice, against Nunavut," said Thibault. "Nunavut was a step more experienced than us, they had more practice than us.

"We have three players with experience from the last Games for this year."

Thibault said she will rely on the more experienced players to help the newcomers.

"They already coach, they already help," said Thibault. "They are good role models. We already cheer at the end of every practice."

Gabrielle Belanger is one of the three returning players and said her new teammates are coming along quickly.

"I got to coach yesterday and it made me so happy," said Belanger. "It was the best practice and I barely got to play just coached. They are really coachable, they want to learn and are really into it.

"It makes me really proud of having a team. We have a really good team. They aren't that experienced but they are coachable and really want to learn and get better which is perfect."

Thibault said one of the expectations is to be one of the most respectful, enthusiastic teams during the Games.

"I would like to see them together and cheer, even if they are different age groups," said Thibault. "It was hard for us to cheer together two years ago. This year I work on that at the end of every practice.

"If people in town come to to see us they will see us be happy. I want them to hear us celebrate all the rallies we win."

For the veteran players, Thibault said she believes they can upset the balance of things.

"I think they can make a surprise about where they can go," said Thibault.

Since athletes in the Yukon try out for several sports, they have one month after being selected to the badminton team to decide if that's the sport they would like to play, if chosen by another team as well.

The three returning players are Belanger, Anton Menzel and Austin Au. Thibault said if anyone in town wants to see some talented athletes compete, then these are three to watch.

The 2020 Arctic Winter Games will go from March 15-21. It features 21 sports across 14 venues and there are nine contingents from the circumpolar north.