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BC Rugby has partnered with the Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport to participate in the After School Sport Initiative.
Through targeting vulnerable populations, the purpose of the initiative is to encourage schools to become Community and Neighborhood Learning Centres and to develop free after school hours sport programs.
The current target groups include aboriginal, low income, immigrant and high-risk communities. BC Rugby has partnered with the initiative to aid in training, capacity building, resources, program delivery and evaluations.
By bringing these opportunities to the communities, the initiative intends to address barriers preventing vulnerable populations from participating in sport.
These barriers include the cost of and access to programming and transportation. Other barriers include lack of communication and lack of organizational support for youth in the area.
The After School Sport Initiative will be introduced to over 18 communities in the next three years.
Surrey focus
In October, the Surrey After Schools Sports Initiative proved to be a successful pilot project. The full Surrey program will involve 22 elementary schools and roughly 600 students ranging from grades four to seven.
BC Rugby’s role is to partner with local Community Clubs in the training of coaches to deliver non-contact rugby to the targeted schools. Bayside Rugby Club coaches will implement the program starting in January by introducing non-contact rugby on Mondays and Fridays over a four-week period at Peace Arch Junior School.
The program will then shift to a second elementary school in February. Bayside Rugby Football Club is playing a key part in the delivery of this program in the White Rock area while Surrey Rugby Club is also being engaged to deliver programming in North Surrey. Bayside’s Youth Coordinator Andy Blackburn has been a key figure for the program in South Surrey, providing leadership andcoordinating volunteer coaching for the sessions.
BC Rugby involvement
BC Rugby has partnered with the initiative, as it will help to provide a safe, fun and quality level of programming. Besides providing training for the Community Coaches, the partner groups will leave behind sustainable resources that can be moved from school to school and also provide the knowledge base and skills required for young people to lead a healthy lifestyle and make long-term positive behavioral change.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for BC Rugby to get involved with elementary school children and present our sport, through our community clubs as a fun and enjoyable activity,” noted BC Rugby’s Director of Development Dave Brown. “It will also provide community clubs with the chance to establish long term links with the targeted schools and to introduce rugby as a sport of choice.
The Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport are placing a significant amount of funding towards the program and are working with many Provincial Sport Organizations to provide a variety of sport programming for these vulnerable populations.
“We know that if this program is successful, that it will be extended to the general population.
We look forward to working with the Ministry, the various school districts that will be involved, and with our clubs so we can extend this program to a large number of young people across the province.”