Basketball is fun, sure, but do you really want to dribble that bouncy ball all day, every day? Curling is pretty awesome too but, sooner or later, everybody gets tired of sweeping. And badminton isn’t called ‘great’minton for no reason. Those shuttlecocks sometimes defy the laws of gravity and reason.
So what do you do if you love sports but don’t want to commit to one sport? What if you want to play the field, so to speak?
St. Albert Sport and Rec has just the thing. Join up and you get to play a different sport every week without fail.
Organizer Mary Burch got the idea from playing flag football at the Edmonton Sport and Social Hall with a bunch of people who were also from St. Albert.
“We loved it and had a great time. Around Christmastime, we started to think how great it would be for something like this to be in our community: local events and local places that we don’t always have to drive into Edmonton for,” she began.
“Our idea was instead of just playing one sport – because people are a little bit leery to commit to a sport for six or eight weeks if they’ve never played it before – let’s make it a multi-sport rec group. That’s exactly what we did.”
Every Sunday since the start of the new year, the group of people (mostly aged between their mid-20s to their mid-40s) meets to play “le jeu du jour.” Badminton? Yup. Curling? That too.
This group has tried their hands and feet at everything from volleyball to indoor soccer to basketball, with dodgeball, darts, floor hockey, yoga, and mixed martial arts mixed in for good measure.
Karin Lindqvist Cooper is one of the average Joes and Janes who participate. She’s over 40 and is no stranger to staying active. She just wanted to try something different and that’s exactly what she got.
“I’ve always been an athlete. This is just for fun to get out there and do some sports you haven’t done in awhile, to get out and exercise and have fun with friends,” she explained, exclaiming, “It’s awesome! I haven’t played basketball since school.”
Her fave so far is curling, one of the numerous sports that’s always been on her bucket list without a checkmark beside it. Keeping balance and knowing how hard to throw the rock, she said, were the aspects of staying vertical while exerting a horizontal force while doing a prolonged lunge on an icy surface.
“I always wanted to try it. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. And the sweeping … I was sore the next day. I consider myself to be in pretty good shape. You use muscles you don’t normally use.”
Far from detracting from the sport, she ended by clarifying that she had a great time. “It’s so much fun! It’s awesome!” she offered.
Kim Boyd sung the same praises of the group and the sports. She goes to the gym four days out of seven and has played and coached local sports for years – “Let’s just say I used to play,” she clarified.
“I am generally fit but I want to do different sports I’ve never tried before … just to see if you like it. For me personally, it’s really nice to get together with a bunch of people whether it’s to have fun but we’re there to compete. I want to have fun doing it but I’m there trying to play the game.”
She is as enthusiastic as anyone for the next week’s game, whatever that might be, despite the setbacks that inevitably come.
“After every sport that we’ve played, I’m suffering an injury,” she noted, suggesting that when people are asked to name their teams, the same name keeps popping into her head.
“My top one was ‘Age Matters.’ I’m telling you it does matter.”
Even though she rolled her ankle, nothing is stopping her. She loves the thrill of victory despite the agony in her feet.
“It’s kinda funny to hear all the aches and pains that are happening during this rec group with our aging bodies,” she said. “I think our bathtubs are going to see more soaks in the next six to seven weeks. I have a new appreciation for curlers. I didn’t realize that there was this much core work. It’s really good to discover your skills again.”
As for Kristen Patrick, a player in St. Albert’s competitive soccer league, she loves the chance to get to play with or against her husband Rob on a weekly basis.
“It’s like a date for us every Sunday night.”
Some of the sports aren’t exactly new to her. It’s probably been years since she’s done most of them, she said, but they’re all still tons of fun.
“I had forgotten much about them or how to play them. Even if I suck at basketball, we’re all in it to have fun, challenge ourselves and step out of our comfort zone. No one’s going to care if you can’t shoot a basket or score a goal in hockey or whatever. It’s just meant to be fun … competitively fun but not overly competitive.”
Burch continued that the group is gaining momentum and more sports are being lined up for the future.
People can get in touch with Burch and learn more about the group’s activities by going to its Facebook page and searching for “St. Albert Sport and Rec.” Right now, they’re signing people up for the late Spring season co-ed league that will feature eight weeks of flag football, soccer, kickball, and ultimate Frisbee starting on May 8. It will take place Sunday nights from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the St. Albert Rugby Club on Riel Drive.
