Sports day celebrated on Saturday at Ladner gym
Sports days are usually reserved for rainy days near the end of the elementary school calendar.
But this Saturday (Sept. 29) it will be taking on a whole new meaning at the Delta Sport Development Centre.
In recognition of Sports Day in Canada, Delta Gymnastics is inviting the community to a free “Come and Try It” open house at the Ladner facility from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
The event’s goal is to help promote physical literacy and participation to children, youth and adults by inviting them to try the sport of gymnastics as a recreational activity, says Ana Arcinieaga, Delta Gymnastics' new executive director.
“Sports Day in Canada is a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across Canada,” she said. “Canadians have become a nation of spectators more than participants, so this day has been organized to engage our community to try new sporting activities. The bottom line is we want people to be active.”
With national statistics showing that a mere nine per cent of today's children and youth are getting the recommended 90 minutes of daily physical activity, the event is key in a variety of areas that are not limited to the gym, hardwood court, or playing field.
“Developing physical literacy at an early age will give children the start they need," says Arcinieaga. "Not only will they become strong, faster and more flexible but they will develop confidence and self esteem.”
Canada's Active for Life describes physical literacy as a collection of basic movement and sport skills such as running, jumping, skipping, catching, throwing and kicking.
And the earlier children correctly learn these skills, the more “fluent” and confident they will be in physical activity, says Arcinieaga.
That confidence affects every part of their lives, from academic to social. With physical literacy, they’ll have more fun in a diversity of sports and they’ll be more likely to be active for the rest of their lives.
“We want to include gymnastics as a sport option for children, youth and adults. We have many artistic, recreational and fun programs in a first class facility. We want our community to have a chance to test it first hand by participating in a series of stations supervised by our coaches this coming weekend," says Arciniega.
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