The Energy City is chock full of things to do, year-round. To make the assortment of clubs, teams, committees and organizations available and accessible all in one convenient location and at one time, the city will be holding its yearly City wide registration on Sept. 10.
“It’s about giving parents one centralized location to gather more information on different opportunities available to them and their children,” City of Estevan programs manager Erin Wilson wrote in an email to the Mercury. “There are many sports opportunities like bowling, roller derby, broomball, water polo and hockey, to name a few.”
There will be a total of 15 programs available to sign up for this Thursday. Some of the tables at the event will feature information on Girl Guides and Scouts, aquatic programs, the Special Olympics and activities with the Estevan Arts Council.
Although most of what is available is intended for youth, there are also plenty of groups adults are encouraged to join. Wilson noted the event is always popular, and that there is a great deal of interest every
year.
A trend at this year’s event will be the presence of tables set up to provide information on big events coming to Estevan, such as the Western Canada Cup and the Summer Games.
“They’ll both have tables (this year) to help answer any questions people may have regarding those events coming to our city,” said Wilson. “People can also put their names down to volunteer in order to deliver a
great event.”
There truly is a wide variety of things to do available for everyone at City wide registration. While choices like hockey are among the most popular at the event, there are many other options available.
Among the city’s many athletic programs is Taekwondo. The Estevan Taekwon-Do Club offers beginner and intermediate-level classes for people ranging from eight years old and up, and a Mini’s class for children who are six and seven years old.
“It’s got everything; fitness, sparring, cardio, strength and discipline,” said Trinda Jocelyn, assistant instructor with the Estevan Taekwon-Do Club. “It’s a great sport to get moving. Not only does it promote physical health, it encourages the tenets of Taekwondo, which we encourage people to live out in their lives.”
Jocelyn noted the tenets of Taekwondo are discipline, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and an indomitable spirit, virtues people can practice in and out of classes. The club practices a traditional-styled art, hosts and participates in several tournaments throughout the year.
An up-and-coming sport known for its ability to help girls build confidence will have a table set up at the event. The Estevan Junior Roller Derby Association recruits twice a year, using City wide registration as one of the platforms from which it can garner interest.
“We like to have a table so people recognize that we’re here every year. We like to have that presence so people know it’s an option for their girls, as a sport,” said association coach Lorelei Lachambre. “We’re still very small, and only have about 15 skaters in our club. We would like to get bigger and have more teams but right now, we’re in the growing stage.”
The association is comprised of two teams, a beginner-level team for new recruits and the inexperienced and an intermediate-level team for those who pass certain
skill-level skating benchmarks.
Lachambre describes roller derby as empowering for girls, while promoting an environment of support between participants. At the same time, she notes the sport can be somewhat of an acquired taste.
“It’s full-contact so it’s not for everyone. There are lots of girls who would definitely shy away from that,” said Lachambre. “For those who would welcome a
full-contact sport, they can do it in a setting where there’s lots of support to be and express yourself. It builds self-esteem and character.
