FUNSports 002 coming to Grand Falls-Windsor
Founder bringing non-profit multi-sport program to hometown
Grand Falls-Windsor native Dave Green is ecstatic to bring FUNSports back to his hometown.
“The long-short of FUNSports is basically 30 years of sport, recreation and massage therapy tied up in a bow so it benefits the kids,” says the founder, who is a registered massage therapist living in Halifax.
The FUNSports chapter began in the north end of Halifax almost three years ago, two of which were in the middle of a pandemic, and yet it has grown from 10 children to about 100. The organization is looking at an Atlantic Canada expansion with the hopes of a national expansion in the next five to 10 years.
“It was really important to me that our second chapter, 002, will be in Grand FallsWindsor, my hometown,” Green says. “I know kids in Grand Falls-Windsor have economical barriers to sports.”
The non-profit organization officially incorporated June 10, 2019 and while it has been challenging trying to operate during COVID-19 restrictions, with restrictions lifted they are excited to hit the road running.
“I’ve been involved in minor sports for my whole life. My first paid coaching job was summer of 1991. I coached soccer for the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor. I was 19,” says Green.
He has coaching levels in seven sports and has coached a lot of grassroots sports both in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
FUNSports (an acronym for funding underprivileged neighbourhoods) encourages children to participate in eight sports throughout the year. They have a weekly Monday after school program where they rotate through the sports - ball hockey, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, baseball and soccer – and they have paddling and golf programs in summer.
The idea of having a free sports program began after years of providing sporting opportunities for his nephews, who loved sports but faced barriers to participate in local minor programs. Now, his oldest nephew Caiden is a junior instructor who can demo all the sports while his youngest, Jaiden, is a junior instructor in training.
Green did programs through JumpStart dating back to 2013.
“JumpStart is a wonderful organization but what we were finding is the money from JumpStart just wasn’t going far enough for the kids,” Green says. “Things are expensive. So myself and a group of parents decided to form FUNSports which basically brings the sports to the neighbourhood and everything is free … The majority of our sponsorships and fundraising goes towards the equipment and any gym time we need.”
The organization also has several partnerships, including the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Mooseheads, The Canadian Premiere League Soccer League Halifax Wanderers Football Club and the National Lacrosse League’s Halifax Thunderbirds.
“Because of those three teams and some other responsibilities for the Canadian Sports Centre Atlantic, my job takes me out of the country,” Green says.
He also teaches a week-long sports elective at the massage therapy school where students learn to become a sports message therapist.
“I formed an organization inside of FUNSports called the FUNSports Massage Squad. We have eight people on staff right now and they take care of the Wanderers, Thunderbirds and Mooseheads when I’m away.”
Those teams give back to FUNSports. They visit the gym to do camps, give items for 50⁄50 draws to raise funds and give game tickets so children can watch them play.
For Green, it was important to start the second chapter of FUNSports in Grand FallsWindsor for several reasons.
“I am a homesick former resident with a lot of friends and family home,” he says.
Also, residents and former residents of Grand FallsWindsor have been amazing supporters of FUNSports fundraisers and have helped grow the Halifax chapter.
Green’s cousin, Jordan
Head, is the lead instructor for the Grand Falls-Windsor chapter, which is set to begin June 18 at Windsor Pentecostal Church, with a plan to meet monthly and see where that takes them.
He says Pastor Derek Sharon stepped up to give them gym time and is also working with the Youth 2000 Centre’s director of Youth, Community, Training and Employment Programs Terri lynn Barry, who is partnering and helping to identify participants.
“(Grand Falls-Windsor’s) Benny Farr did a hockey tournament a couple years ago and some of that money is going in to sponsor this as well,” Green says, adding the rest came from their fundraising.
They have thousands of dollars of sporting gear from new baseball gloves, bats, balls, lacrosse sticks, tennis rackets, footballs and soccer balls ready to go.
“Being able to provide the instruction and opportunity to learn and play new sports in a safe inclusive environment, receiving equipment and support to have fun-filled days for the kids and families at no cost is a blessing we are so thankful for,” Barry says.
To support the local FUNSports chapter, visit their online merchandise shop at https://headlinepromotions.ca/fun-sports/. There are deals for Newfoundland customers and a ship-to location added at the checkout for a Grand Falls-Windsor location. There are for a bulk order for Grand Falls-Windsor to save shipping costs. All profits go to FUNSports.
For more information on the local programs, email the Youth 2000 Centre at terrilynn.barry@ev.ymca.ca.
For more information on FUNSports, visit www.funsports.fun/