There are a variety of team sports that are easily accessible to get stuck in to in your local community no matter where you live throughout BC. A huge emphasis is put on participation from an early age, and with an edge of friendly rivalry, sportsmen and women all come out smiling simply from getting involved and playing the game.
To find out what’s on offer locally the first place to hit would be the nearest Recreation Centre. Also check in the local newspapers as smaller independent groups who meet up for activities will most likely be listed and advertise fixtures.
Sports on offer may include Soccer, Baseball (T-Ball for younger players), Hockey, Curling, Lacrosse, Basketball, Volleyball and Ice Hockey. There are tons of other activities going on throughout communities that can be enjoyed as a social sport or individually, such as hiking, badminton, tennis, climbing, slacklining, bouldering, horse riding, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, kitesurfing, snowmobiling, skiing and mountain biking to pick out just a few.
SOCCER
Soccer is one of the most popular sports for children and adults alike pulling the whole community together. Soccer Saturdays are a fixture for many families with huge numbers from the community turning out to the local playing fields and recreation centres for weekly matches. The matches see children from the age of 5, right through to adults taking part. Soccer is a huge participation sports for girls and women accross BC.
Gaelic Soccer –
CURLING
As our girls took Gold Medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics, Curling may sound like an obscure sport but is readily accessible in the country that saw its initial popularity primarily in the smaller prairie towns. Now across Canada Curling can be found in action. One such curling club is the Howe Sound Curling Club. Situated in the town of Squamish offering curling to the immediate community as well as other towns and villages accross the province.
ICE HOCKEY
What can we say? Ice hockey is king as football is king in the UK! See “Hockey Night in Canada” take over the national Canadian Broadcasting Channel on a weekly basis for the whole build-up, game and post-game dissection. This is a national event that sees families grouped round the TV, friends getting together to watch the game at each other’s houses, not to mention the big screen events across bars and clubs. This is National Hockey League of course and is the National Sport of Canada. If you fancy a go yourself, again the best place to start is the local ice rink and they should be able to advise of any local teams to try out for in the area. There are usually skating and hockey lessons as well as “drop-in” games on offer locally. For figure skating enthusiasts the CANSKATE program of lessons is offered nationally. Look for listings in your local paper, recreation centre or ice rink.
LACROSSE
Known as Canada’s Summer National Sport, Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small solid rubber ball and a long handled racquet called a crosse or lacrosse stick. The head of the stick is covered with loose netting that can be used to hold and carry the lacrosse ball. The object of the game is to pass, catch and carry the ball and ultimately get the ball in your opponents net. To defend team players are allowed to try and take the ball through use of stick checking, interception of a pass, positioning and through body contact.
Check locally for matches being played in your area
DRAGON BOAT RACING
A dragon boat is a very long and narrow canoe style boat powered by paddling. It is now used in the team paddling sport of dragon boat racing which originated in China over 2000 years ago. For competitive events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. At other times the decoration is usually removed, though the drum often remains on board for training purposes.
In 1986, six boats were donated to the city of Vancouver for use at Expo ’86 (the world exposition on transportation) during Hong Kong Day celebrations on central False Creek. Popularity for this sport has been growing steadily ever since and now has a large following, as well as festivals held in B.C every year.
Several of the larger dragon boat events outside Asia include the Vancouver International Dragon Boat Festival (a.k.a. Rio Tinto and Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival) the Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival, Ontario, and the National Capital Dragon Boat Race Festival Ottawa, Ontario These three Canadian festivals each feature some 200 crews and all are held on weekends close to the June Summer Solstice, in keeping with traditional Chinese dragon boat traditions.
There are also other smaller dragon boat festivals held in various towns and cities country wide.
To get involved in this dynamic, colourful and fun sport information can be gathered via the website.