Gage Happell eyes up the basket for a shot. He’s just one of hundreds of West Shore children that enjoy playing organized sports. (Photo courtesy Westshore Basketball)

There’s not much argument against the positive impacts team sports – and sports in general – have on children. They can help build confidence, refine co-ordination, increase social skills and help kids learn how to be a part of and contribute to a team environment. Kids can also make lifelong friends.

Those are only a few of the reasons why Brad Lidstone and Curt Spaven want to see more children getting involved in organized sports.

While the pair are the co-directors of Westshore Basketball, it’s not just basketball they’re hoping to see kids get involved with, as they recognize many youth play a variety of sports.

“We were multi-sport athletes growing up,” Lidstone said. “We want to do what we can to help them … We never want to turn away a kid.”

But having a child involved in a number of activities can have an impact on parents’ wallets and schedules. So Westshore Basketball offers parents the option of signing up for what programs fit their schedules.

That way if their child wants to take a break or has another commitment they can.

“Because we offer so many different programs the kids get to buy into and choose when they want to play,” Lidstone said. “They can just sign up for those chunks that fit their schedule.”

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For those athletes that do take a break from the sport, he noted “the majority of time, they do come back and are excited to play again.”

But for kids that want to focus on basketball, Spaven noted they also have plenty of opportunities within the organization to grow and compete at higher levels. Both their boys’ and girls’ elite teams have started to attract attention on the provincial stage and that is also translating across the border in U.S. competitions as well.

“We’re really starting to see the results,” Spaven added. “We’re developing athletes that are taking their high school programs to provincials [as well].”

But it’s not just about getting kids involved in sports.

“We have our coaches and parents who work really hard,” Lidstone said. “[But] we’re always looking for community coaches … The kids get the opportunity to play, the parents get the opportunity to learn to coach and the program benefits.”

He added they’re also looking for local business sponsors. “Now, it’s our turn to give back and we hope the kids in the program will one day too.”

Both lifelong Langford residents, Spaven noted they’ve really seen how the improvements to infrastructure on the West Shore – especially in Langford – have translated on the local sports scene. With world-class facilities and players on the West Shore, he said “kids are starting to realize you can get there from the West Shore.”

Lidstone added, “the kids have a real sense of pride in the facilities and the program … Some of those first kids are now back, it’s really nice to see. We call it vertical integration.”

With some of those students carrying on as coaches and others heading into education, the organization offers two bursaries for high school students that recognize volunteer commitment to community sports, and that doesn’t have to be Westshore Basketball.

“We want to do what we can to help them,” Lidstone said.

For more information go to westshorebasketball.com.

Find all of the stories that were in the fall West Shore Family publication online here.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com

West Shore Family