In a place like Squamish, where a large portion of the youth are competitive athletes, it can be hard for those who want to play sports just for the fun of it.
But that may be about to change.
Local sports instructor Ben Kelly has created Multi Sports Club, a place where kids can recreate indoors in a non-competitive way.
“We are a Multi Sports Club designed for people aged six to 14 who aren’t competitive. We want to help develop confidence in people who enjoy sports, but feel competition isn’t always for them,” reads the MSC website.
Kelly, who is originally from the U.K., told The Squamish Chief that the idea behind the sports club was modelled partly off of his own upbringing.
“Growing up, I loved being active. I loved getting involved with things, but I didn't really know how to, and if it had just been hardcore competition or not taking part, unfortunately, not taking part would have been who I was,” he said.
“In Squamish, there are a lot of very intense individuals, there's a lot of competition in the area, and yet for people who just enjoy this stuff, there seems to be that small gap.
“That's what I'm trying to fill, I'm trying to actually help people who, you know, might be like me, and are quite intimidated at times with competition.”
Kelly said the positive response he has received from the community has been “such a shock.”
What is on offer during the sessions?
Kelly describes the club as an indoor sports program that is designed to develop “higher level sports skills” such as teamwork, leadership development and social skills.
The sessions are broken down into three parts; team challenges, athletic skill development and group games.
Team challenges are where the participants work together as a team to achieve a goal, focusing on specific skills.
These skills are then put to use in athletic skill development in a range of different sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, drills and frisbee.
The group games are where kids get to let loose and enjoy socializing through a sports activity like dodgeball or stuck-in-the-mud.
“I think sometimes we forget kids are kids, they've had a hard day at school, and these are after-school sessions. If they're not having fun, what the hell are we doing?” Kelly said.
While the age group for participants is quite broad, from six to 14, he said this allows for teens to become mentors to the younger kids.
“A lot of people have commented on the fact that I've got a very broad age range … but the idea behind it is that the kids who are older and more mature can become almost like mentors, supporting the people who are struggling. That right there is building more high-level skills,” he said.
The location
While the idea for the club came to him relatively easily, one thing Kelly has struggled with is pinpointing a location to host the sessions.
“Locating a space to run this has been probably the biggest challenge,” he said.
“It's been really hard because the cost of renting space here, it's eye-watering... there are places that are asking for between $7,000 to $10,000 per month.”
Kelly considered hosting the club sessions at Brennan Park Rec Centre, but the only available time slot was at 7:30 p.m. which he said would be too late for the younger kids.
However, he located a multi-event space at St John the Divine Church, behind London Drugs, which might just do the trick.
“I'm extremely grateful to the people who have offered me the space to run this. I don't know whether it's even going to work, because the space is good enough, but it's not ideal, because ideally, I need a sports hall,” he said.
“I need something with no low-hanging lights in your space. And the area that I've got is a multi-event space. But without them, I wouldn't be doing this. A lot of other places were charging $150 an hour plus, and I can't afford it.”
How to get involved
The club is hosting two free intro sessions on April 30 and May 1, but Kelly said that the first session for all kids will be free, regardless of whether they make it to the designated sessions or not.
“If they contact me moving forward, then obviously I'll be able to sort them out, because I want their first session to be a free trial,” he said.
“I want kids to feel comfortable with me and from a safeguarding point of view, if I were a parent, I'd want to know what my kids are doing.”
He also said that children of all different abilities are welcome to join the sessions.
After that, there is a monthly plan for $150, where participants can attend every Wednesday or Thursday for that month.
Each session will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The free session on May 1 is full, but spaces are available for the April 30 session.
To book in, visit the Multi Sports Club website.
