COCHRANE— Sport4Life Cochrane is partnering with various user groups to provide kids with a month-long opportunity to try a wide variety of sports and activities this June.
The event is a COVID-19-friendly evolution of the All Sport One Day program that gave kids a 24-hour period to try a number of sports in one location said Geneviève Boivin, director and program manager with Sport4Life Cochrane.
“We started in 2019 with an event that was called All Sport One Day, and that was in partnership with Sport Calgary. This year, hosting an event on one day, having all kids in one location is not possible, so we decided to switch it to a month-long event,” Boivin said.
So far Bow Valley Rugby, Cochrane Minor Soccer, the Cochrane Water Ninjas, the Alberta Orienteering Association, Cochrane BMX and the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sport Centre have all partnered with Sport4Life Cochrane to offer a sneak peek into their programming. Several more organizations are trying to figure out the logistics and might potentially commit at a later date.
Boivin said that the clubs and user groups have all been very enthusiastic about signing up for the All-Sport sessions.
Sport4Life, as a whole, is “grateful to work with all of the sports organizations here in Cochrane. They’re always willing to join us in our venture and always so willing to share their passion for the sports. It’s always great to work with these people,” Boivin said.
The program is aimed at kids ages 6 to 18.
This year, Sport4Life is leaving the days for the try-it sessions up to the various organizations, to give them more flexibility in determining their own schedules.
The session will be run by the coaches from the various programs, giving kids an opportunity to get an authentic experience in the sports they choose to try.
“The kids are going to get a real-life experience of what it is to be involved in that sport with that organization, and for the families to see what is the culture behind that sport and what my kids can expect if they get further involved in that sport or that physical activity,” Boivin said.
Boivin said that the sessions are an important part of giving kids and opportunity to discover programs that they love, and getting kids involved is an important part of building a community.
“Sports and physical activity are for everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re already involved in sports, if you’re not, if you have money, if you have skills— That’s not what it’s about. It’s about just getting out there, having fun, discovering,” she said. “We know that this will provide foundations for kids to continue to play as they become teenagers and as they become adults, which is key if we want a healthy, engaged community.”
The All Sport sessions will run all month long in June. Schedules for each program are still being developed. Keep an eye on Sport4Life Cochrane on Facebook for further updates.
