Having a passion for sports, and an active lifestyle does not need to end when you’re a teenager.
Sport for Life, a growing trend nationwide, aims to teach parents, coaches, and individuals how to stay active and engaged throughout their lives.
“It’s about driving that passion, and through that education process get them excited about staying active and engaged in sport for their lifetime,” said Jordan Petrovics, manager of recreation services for the Town of Golden.
The recreation department is hosting a Sport for Life Night, featuring key note speaker Dave Ellis.
With a Masters in Kinesiology, and national level coaching experience, Ellis will talk about how to develop an athlete from a young age in a way that nurtures their passion and skill.
“There are a lot of examples out there of kids who started in a sport, got pushed too hard or not coached properly, and they end up dropping out, and potentially never get back into another activity,” said Petrovics.
Ellis will discuss when it is best to introduce sport for play to a toddler, when to introduce it as a training element, and when to introduce competitive aspects. He will also be talking about Golden’s recreational opportunities, and how to stay engaged with the community.
“It’s designed for everybody. It’s not intended to be a presentation on how to brew the Olympic athletes of tomorrow. It’s catered more to getting everybody active,” said Petrovics.
“It’s about getting out there and having fun. And the more people we have doing that, the more successful all of our different groups and organizations will be.”
The Town is hosting this free event in partnership with the Columbia Basin Trust, and the Golden Rockets Association will be hosting a refreshments table with beer and wine.
Sport for Life Night is on Wednesday May 22 at the Golden Civic Centre. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the presentation starts at 7 p.m.
“All public is encouraged to come, anyone who is interested in being a part of the recreation community, and people who are interested in finding out more about how to get active and enjoy all the things that Golden has to offer,” said Petrovics.
