Kids’ sports are back in force in the Cowichan Valley this fall, and so is KidSport Cowichan.
KidSport is trying to help local sports associations get the word out that there is a Return to Play underway this fall, and also that they are here to help families in need of their assistance.
KidSport, which provides grants to help cover registration expenses for athletes aged 18 and under, saw a decline of more than 60 per cent in applications from 2019 to 2020, thanks largely to the COVID-19 pandemic that put many sports on the sidelines.
“We’re hearing from organizations that are struggling to get kids back to play,” said KidSport Cowichan chair Deb Savory Wright. “We think it’s important that kids get back to sport.”
Savory Wright pointed out the many values that sports have for kids.
“We know that kids’ mental health has been affected by not being able to play,” she said. “We want to see kids back out there. It makes the community that much stronger.”
The Cowichan Valley Soccer Association is one of the organizations trying to get kids back in action this fall.
“We’re seeing things open up, and we want to let people know soccer is back on,” said CVSA treasurer Daniel Varga. “We’re getting back to normality. Numbers are a little softer than what we saw two years ago. Hopefully that changes; we would love to see kids get back into playing again.”
CVSA registration will be open until at least the end of September to allow families more time to sign up.
“We try to keep it open as long as possible to get kids in soccer,” Varga said.
KidSport Cowichan provides grants of up to $500 per kid each year.
“We are here if financial barriers are an obstacle,” Savory Wright said.
For more information, or to apply for a grant, visit kidsportcanada.ca/british-columbia/ cowichan
