Students get a Jumpstart on sports
A champion in the making sometimes needs a boost – or Jumpstart, if you will.
For Grade 4 to 6 students from three elementary schools in Niagara, their boost came Thursday at Youngs Sportplex in Welland, where Canadian Tire Financial Services hosted Jumpstart Games.
More than 200 students from Diamond Trail Public School in Welland, St. Alfred Catholic Elementary School in St. Catharines and Simcoe Street Public School in Niagara Falls were invited to the day-long event.
Jumpstart Games gave the students, many of whom may not have had much opportunity to play organized sports outside of school hours, the chance to experience sports such as flag football, soccer and tennis, as well as rolling across an indoor turf field inside a big inflated ball, much like a hamster.
David Difelice, vice-president of customer service and operations for Canadian Tire Financial Service, has done a lot of work with Jumpstart in his 23 years with the company. He’s helped organize Jumpstart Games in Welland for the past eight years and also does events in St. Catharines and Oakville.
Difelice said the goal of Jumpstart is giving all children, regardless of family incomes, the chance to participate in sports.
“What we try to do is find schools in priority areas,” he said. “What’s really neat is we try to give the kids a great experience for the day in addition to everything Jumpstart does.”
In the last 12 years, Jumpstart has helped more 1.3 million youth aged four to 18 across Canada. Proceeds from fundraisers, such as the annual Jampstart Day, defrays the cost of equipment, registration and transportation for youth whose families might not otherwise be able to afford the cost of organzied sport.
Last year alone, the charity distributed $115,900 in Welland and helped more than 1,200 youth participate in an organized sport.
In addition to helping youth find a home in sports, Jumpstart wants them to learn about the importance of teamwork in a fun environment.
“It’s just really gratifying to be a part of an organization that focuses so much on the community,” Difelice said. “It’s impossible not to smile on a day like today, everybody here is enjoying themselves and having fun.”
The students got to try badminton, receiving a hands-on lesson from former Canadian Olympian and five-time Pan Am Games medallist Charmaine Reid. Since retiring from active competition in 2013, the Niagara Falls native and longtime Fort Erie resident has been dedicating to giving back to the community.
“It’s great to have fun with them, Canadian Tire Jumpstart is amazing,” she said. “They help so many kids.”
At Jumpstart Games Reid ran a station where youth could run relays, hit targets or just rally with their fellow classmates.
She said was good to see young people having fun away from their electronic devices.
“I’m just proud to be a part of it, and I see so many smiling faces out here having fun,” Reid said. “It’s about the kids. Some of them will say it was the best day of their life, and I love that. I love giving back.”
She said playing is a great way of motivating young people and keeping them out of trouble.
“If you can keep them busy and playing, I think that’s an amazing tool,” Reid said. “If you can change the life of one person, I think that’s what matters. It’s a special day here.”