Pair of local athletic groups get needed Jumpstart grants

The Medicine Hat Minor Softball Association and the Panthers Track and Field Club will each receive a $15,000 grant from the Jumpstart sport relief fund to purchase new equipment for the upcoming seasons.

The funding is part of the $12 million committed to Jumpstart in February by Canadian Tire Corporation.

Michelle Campbell, president of the MHMSA and club manager of the track team, says the extra equipment will allow more kids to develop their skills.

“We’ll (MHMSA) be able to purchase two more highend pitching machines, some balls and some l-screens and things like that to help grow the program, help build skills and also with the COVID side of things, really help to reduce the amount of sanitization that has to be done. It’s really exciting,” said Campbell.

She adds if every pitch doesn’t have to be thrown by an adult, it means more time for developing skills and less time worrying about sanitizing the equipment.

Campbell says the funding will allow the track club to purchase 14 new throwing balls for shot put, 14 discus, 14 javelin, mini hurdles and some speed training devices.

“It’s going to ensure where maybe we could only have four kids throwing in an evening, we can now have potentially eight while staying under that umbrella of groups of 10,” said Campbell. “There was no way we were going to be able to have two coaches, eight athletes with the amount of throwing implements we had accessible to us. Now, that will be able to happen ... it’s going to be a game changer for our program.”

The Panthers have a large throwing program with six instructors — all athletes at the club throw, says Campbell.

Campbell says Jumpstart predicted a steep decline in youth sport registration across the country. In 2020, the MHMSA had 408 kids registered when it stopped registration in March — 90 fewer kids compared to 2019. However, she says there are about 445 children registered for the 2021 season and it’s exciting to see they were able to grow membership during the pandemic and on the heels of a lost season.

The grant from Jumpstart and the new equipment will allow the league to give opportunities to everyone who wants it.

“We don’t have to reduce our registration numbers, we don’t have to raise our fees and Jumpstart made that happen,” said Campbell.