What is Sportball?
Do you ever write a title and think, “yep, that’s something people who are Googling will appreciate an answer to”? Me, too. But then again, I did Google this question a couple years ago! My first experience with Sportball was when Petra was three and I chose it as a summer camp, pretty much based on it being a good fit in her schedule and being something other than dance, art, and gymnastics, which she was already booked into. I had no idea what it would be like, even after reading a description that suggested the kids would be trying a variety of sports. It just seemed hard to believe this tiny person would be playing baseball one day, soccer the next, then hockey or whatever sport was on the docket. She did the camp because I thought, why not. But after that week of happy pickups, my family’s been back to the program a couple times (most recently with Paris being this season’s Sportball North Saskatchewan ambassador) and I’d like to share what Sportball IS and what makes it unique.
First off, it’s about the coaches. Sportball hires and trains the most motivating, PATIENT, and engaged people you’ll meet. Coach Kyra was our Lead Coach for this session and her confidence and positivity combined with the pacing of the class meant Paris was never bored or discouraged.
The classes move along at a good clip, starting with some hands-on warm-ups like running around a circle like a train, doing an obstacle course over equipment and weaving through cones, or chasing balls that have been scattered like popcorn. In between every activity, the kids run back to a line in the gym to hear the next instructions and to chant a few new terms: “Lacrosse!” “Trap the ball!” “Scoop!”
No, your baby isn’t going to be playing college-level sports, but the fundamentals they are working on are real. During hockey night, the kids set a ball in an upside-down cone that held it still so they could get the hang of taking a shot. And during lacrosse, where the kids used real lacrosse sticks, I think Paris eclipsed me in trapping skills (classes are parented until 3.5 years).
Many of the kids in this class were under two—I mean, how cool is it that Paris and his peers got their hands on these sports so early? Fostering a love for an active lifestyle can’t start too young, and you never know what your child will gravitate toward until they try. With multiple sport offerings per session, Sportball offers that opportunity for kids aged 16 months- 12 years in a way that most activities don’t. Most important though, is that alongside the variety of new skills the kids are building, they’re also building healthy self-esteem. And that, to me, is what Sportball is all about.
xo
