Latest news with #youthSports
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Calgary soccer dome opening ‘major milestone' amid field shortage
Calgary's new soccer dome will be open for bookings starting Saturday. The Calgary Soccer Association says facilities like these help all youth interested in soccer to get on the field year-round. Calgary's new soccer centre dome is ready for action amid what local soccer associations say is a critical lack of fields. The mayor and other city officials will hold a grand opening for the dome Friday at noon. The new air-supported dome will provide a place to play year-round for both competitive and recreational soccer players. Located at the Calgary Soccer Centre, the City of Calgary said the dome's turf will be available for public bookings, and complement the existing amenities at facility. The lines inside on the pitch can accommodate 7-versus-7, 9-versus-9 and 11-versus-11, meaning it can accommodate various ages and skill levels. The dome's construction comes amid extremely high demand for soccer fields in the city. According to the Calgary Minor Soccer Association, soccer is the biggest game in Calgary, due in part to ease of sign up and low equipment barriers. The association said registration has growing at an unprecedented pace, with record setting numbers each season. It's now serving more than 31,000 people a year. 'What it will provide for us is an opportunity to accommodate that growth that we've had,' said Carlo Bruneau, the association's executive director. 'In previous years, we've had to reduce the games that we play. We've had to shorten the game lengths. Our teams typically don't get a chance to warm up before games.' Most importantly, Bruneau said the new facility will make sure no kids are turned away. The Calgary Minor Soccer Association will be one of the main stakeholders utilizing this new dome. While the association says the dome's opening is an important milestone, it notes it could already utilize several more - adding more work is needed to bring the city to match national levels. Booking for the field inside the dome will start Saturday.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Gaelic games on rise for those with no Irish ties in Sussex
Gaelic football, one of the national games of Ireland, is growing in popularity with young people in Great Britain - including those with no connection to the sport or Irish participation in Gaelic games is up by 28% in four years with youth membership now over 4,500, according to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).Coach of Brighton & Crawley Gaels' men's team Kevin O'Connell told BBC South East that people from "all over the world" play with them in Sussex."Learning a new sport is exciting," said club player Keegan Dean. "The full experience has been really amazing." Michael Walker, secretary at Britain GAA, said "75% to 80% of [county] players" in Great Britain were "homegrown", with Gaelic football being their first game has been popular in Ireland since the late 19th a contact sport, teams can kick or punch the ball into the other team's goal - earning three points - or between two posts over the crossbar for one can use both hands and feet but have to bounce the ball every four steps, or drop the ball and kick it back into their O'Connell said Gaelic football was a cheap game to get involved with."All you need is a pair of boots and gloves," he said."There's no surprise expenses and there's a great community aspect to it." Verona Ní Drisceoil, a player with Brighton & Crawley Gaels' women's team, said there was no team to play for when she moved to Sussex from Cork in Ireland over a decade club competes across men's and women's leagues, as well as mixed tournaments."The women and men train together and I think that's really positive," Ms Ní Drisceoil said."I think there's more gender equity here which we might not see at home as much."Mr Dean, originally from Hull, moved to study at Brighton & Sussex Medical School before learning about Gaelic football."I was playing football at the time, so I took quite a bit of poking to come down and play, but I was convinced and I've loved it ever since," he said. 'For the love of the game' Even at the highest level in Ireland, Gaelic football remains an amateur sport."No one's paid here. Everyone does it simply for the love of the game," Mr O'Connell 2024, there were 87 registered GAA clubs in Great Britain, with Britain GAA overseeing provincial club and county Walker, Britain GAA's secretary, said social media and being broadcast on the BBC helped to raise the sport's profile."Gaelic football is a mixture of rugby, soccer and basketball," he Gaelic games include hurling, camogie, handball, and rounders.
South China Morning Post
26-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
It's a hit: pickleball takes off in Hong Kong as an easy way for kids to exercise
A small plastic ball flies through the air between a few teens on a badminton court in Hong Kong's Kowloon Bay. But they are not playing badminton. They are trying a sport called pickleball. Although they just learned this game, they are already hitting the ball back and forth across the court. Seventeen-year-old Chan Yat-long just started learning pickleball, but he wants to continue playing. 'Now I know this sport ... I want to find [more] friends to play together,' said the student from United Christian College. Kennedy Lai is the founder of the Newly Emerged Sports Association. He said pickleball was a hit among young Hongkongers. He hopes that the easy-to-learn sport can get students moving. How to encourage Hong Kong children to get more exercise Anyone can play In 1965, three fathers wanted to create a game their families could easily play together. They used items they had to make this new sport: badminton nets, table tennis paddles and a plastic ball known as a wiffle ball. Pickleball spread over the years and became especially popular during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sport could be helpful for youth in Hong Kong. This is because more than 90 per cent of the city's youngsters do not get at least 60 minutes of medium or intense exercise every day. Pickleball offers them a fun, easy way to get active. Lai was a physical education teacher in Hong Kong for about six years. He turned to pickleball after his students struggled to pick up traditional sports. '[For] basketball, after I teach dribbling, they don't know how to play the game. I need to use many lessons to let them know the sport,' Lai said. He said this made kids lose interest in his classes. He realised that if a sport was too difficult to learn, most students would not enjoy playing it. When Lai started teaching pickleball in his classes, he noticed that students could play from the first day. Other advantages of the sport are the cheap equipment, low injury risks, small amount of space needed and opportunities to socialise. Badminton courts can also be easily converted to play pickleball. Kennedy Lai is excited about pickleball's future in Hong Kong. Photo: Kathryn Giordano Opportunities for a new sport in Hong Kong Lai is looking to include pickleball in physical education classes across Hong Kong. He also hopes to launch school and community leagues. Still, he faces some challenges in getting people interested in pickleball. Lai said that most schools already had a curriculum filled with other popular sports, making it tough to convince schools to try a new game. He added that it would take time to train physical education teachers in the sport. Pickleball players also struggle to find courts. But Lai noted that the private sector and government had been increasing the number of courts that could be used for the game. Students are now trying pickleball through the Fly High Charity Sports Programme 2025, which is using sports to improve the lives of youth. During their first pickleball lesson, the students learned the rules of the game and practised forehand and backhand shots. Then, they tried hitting the ball across the court. Tina Xu Piying, an 18-year-old from United Christian College, said she enjoyed the social side of the game. 'I think the most fun part is, this is a teamwork game,' said the teen, who was trying the sport for the first time through the programme. 'Now Hong Kong has many new sports, and people will want to have a chance to try.' Reflect: Do you enjoy playing sports? Why or why not? Why this story matters: Hong Kong children are not getting enough exercise, but a new sport could help people of all ages get moving. Since pickleball is easy to learn, it can give beginners the confidence and excitement of playing a sport.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'It's vital we get more people playing bowls'
Bowls players across the South East are calling for a renewed push to attract younger members, warning the sport's future depends on it. Sian Honnor, from Herne Bay, a double Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Bowls England board member, said: "If clubs don't have younger people coming through, then what happens when nature takes its course? "It's vital that we do everything we can to attract people of all ages." More than 800 clubs across the UK are taking part in Bowls' Big Weekend, running over the bank holiday, offering free sessions and open days to encourage newcomers to try the sport. Ms Honnor, who began playing aged seven, said bowls was still battling a reputation problem. "It's still trying to break down barriers," she said. She believes one of the biggest obstacles is simply awareness. "If children don't know about bowls it's because they haven't stumbled across it yet," she said. "If you have got a club that's got younger members, then it will automatically attract younger members." Surrey under-25s player Ben Morgan, 18, was introduced to the sport at a club open day at the age of 14. He said people were "quite surprised" when they found out he played. "Most people haven't even heard of it," he said. "It's just known as an old person's game." He plays at Addlestone Victory Park Bowls Club and wants to see clubs doing more to reach younger audiences, particularly online. "I always feel like whenever clubs want more people, they're never advertising – or when they are, it's not in the right way to get younger people." Jonathan Doust, chair of Gildredge Park Bowls Club in Eastbourne and a board member at Bowls England, agreed that image was a barrier. "There's an incorrect perception that it's a bit of a boring game," he said. "There's no logical reason why young people wouldn't play – it's a sport for any age, any physique, and both boys and girls can play together or in separate competitions." Ms Honnor, who plays for Appleyard Bowls Club in Sittingbourne, said bowls offers something for everyone – whether social or competitive. "There's something for everybody. You can go down for a drink, have a meal, have a match meet new people." Or, she said, like her, you can play in a "whole variety of competitions". Mr Doust said watching young people compete, particularly at national level, revealed a very different side of the game. "There could be a lot of noise, a lot of cheering, real competition, nail-biting stuff. "It can be as lively as any sport, but people don't see that." He said the South East was "one of the centres of bowling nationally", but more needed to be done to build connections between clubs and schools – including getting the sport into PE lessons. Despite challenges, Mr Doust said participation was rising and he remained optimistic, adding: "It's not a dying sport." He said the sport had seen a growth in the last three years. "I have utter belief that it's going to continue to thrive," he said. "I think bowls has got a very rosy future." Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. 'I flourished playing bowls after a stroke at 47' 'Closing bowling greens would come at a cost to our health' The decorator aiming to become world bowls champion Bowls' Big Weekend Bowls England
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
South East bowls players encourage others to join the sport
Bowls players across the South East are calling for a renewed push to attract younger members, warning the sport's future depends on Honnor, from Herne Bay, a double Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Bowls England board member, said: "If clubs don't have younger people coming through, then what happens when nature takes its course?"It's vital that we do everything we can to attract people of all ages."More than 800 clubs across the UK are taking part in Bowls' Big Weekend, running over the bank holiday, offering free sessions and open days to encourage newcomers to try the sport. Ms Honnor, who began playing aged seven, said bowls was still battling a reputation problem."It's still trying to break down barriers," she believes one of the biggest obstacles is simply awareness."If children don't know about bowls it's because they haven't stumbled across it yet," she said."If you have got a club that's got younger members, then it will automatically attract younger members." 'An old person's game' Surrey under-25s player Ben Morgan, 18, was introduced to the sport at a club open day at the age of 14. He said people were "quite surprised" when they found out he played."Most people haven't even heard of it," he said. "It's just known as an old person's game."He plays at Addlestone Victory Park Bowls Club and wants to see clubs doing more to reach younger audiences, particularly online."I always feel like whenever clubs want more people, they're never advertising – or when they are, it's not in the right way to get younger people." Jonathan Doust, chair of Gildredge Park Bowls Club in Eastbourne and a board member at Bowls England, agreed that image was a barrier."There's an incorrect perception that it's a bit of a boring game," he said. "There's no logical reason why young people wouldn't play – it's a sport for any age, any physique, and both boys and girls can play together or in separate competitions." Ms Honnor, who plays for Appleyard Bowls Club in Sittingbourne, said bowls offers something for everyone – whether social or competitive."There's something for everybody. You can go down for a drink, have a meal, have a match meet new people."Or, she said, like her, you can play in a "whole variety of competitions". Mr Doust said watching young people compete, particularly at national level, revealed a very different side of the game."There could be a lot of noise, a lot of cheering, real competition, nail-biting stuff. "It can be as lively as any sport, but people don't see that." He said the South East was "one of the centres of bowling nationally", but more needed to be done to build connections between clubs and schools – including getting the sport into PE lessons. 'Very rosy future' Despite challenges, Mr Doust said participation was rising and he remained optimistic, adding: "It's not a dying sport."He said the sport had seen a growth in the last three years."I have utter belief that it's going to continue to thrive," he said. "I think bowls has got a very rosy future."
