Island Briefly: Get Rec’d!

Recreational sports with a sociable twist? The Charlottetown Sport & Social Club is on it

Photography by Alanna Jankov
Text by Meredith Morrison

Competitive sports not your thing? You’re not the only one.

Considering most of us hit our athletic peak somewhere around sixth grade, the thought of joining a sports team where people actually know what they’re doing can seem pretty intimidating. What if all you really want to do is get out of the house once in awhile and just have fun?

Luckily, people like Darcy and Ashley Murnaghan get that not everyone is into competitive sports, which is why they started the Charlottetown Sport & Social Club as a way for adults to be active, have fun, and network with one another.

Think of it as recess for adults. The CSSC organizes co-ed recreational sports leagues where anyone 19 and older can resister for a full eight week season playing basketball, floor hockey, dodgeball, or indoor soccer once a week. After the games, instead of juice boxes and cookies, club members get together for a post-game social hour at a local bar. Even if you’ve never been a part of a rec league before or this is the first time in a long time you’ve played on a team, the CSSC is a great way to stay active and social during the winter months.

The idea of a Sport & Social club isn’t new, but it is new to PEI. “We had never heard of it until a friend in Halifax told us about the Halifax Sport & Social Club,” says the couple. “She was playing in a co-ed dodgeball league, which we thought was pretty cool. She told us about all the new people she was meeting and how easy it was to get involved. We thought it would be great if there was a club in Charlottetown.”

They contacted the HSSC who got them in touch with Nicki Bridgland, who founded the Ottawa Sport & Social Club in 2003 and has since expanded to cities such as Halifax, Moncton, Kingston, London, Victoria, and Boulder, CO. Bridgland encouraged the couple’s effort to start their own Sport & Social Club in Charlottetown and within six months, they had a home for the CSSC at the Murphy Community Centre and were ready to get the word out.

Through pamphlets, social media and good old fashioned word of mouth, the couple started generating buzz around the city about the sporty social concept. They approached local businesses and groups to gauge their interest in putting together corporate teams, stressing the importance of happy, active employees and the impact that has on productivity. “Playing sports is a great way to meet new people in a positive environment,” says Darcy. “Employers are now trying to encourage their employees to maintain a balanced lifestyle outside of the office. Playing sports builds teamwork skills and camaraderie among staff.”

Whether it’s a team, a few friends, or individuals, everyone is encouraged to get involved in the CSSC. “We realize that not everyone wants to play in a competitive league,” says Ashley. “We hope the CSSC will fill this gap and provide a fun league where males and females can play together and have fun. All skill levels are welcome. The main thing is that everyone has fun.”

As CSSC membership grows, Darcy and Ashley hope to develop the social aspect of the club to include special events on off-game nights, such as cross-country skiing. But for now, getting together with the players for post-game drinks is a great way to kick things off and make connections within the community.

“If we can get a few more people to be active and connect socially, we will consider it a success,” says Darcy. “We tried out Ultimate Frisbee for the first time this summer and had a blast. You don’t realize how much fun it is until you give it a try.”

The first season of the CSSC kicks off January 30 and runs until April 7. If you missed out registering for the winter season, the next season picks up again in the spring with sports such as soccer, slow pitch softball, flag football, and Ultimate Frisbee.

Want to learn more about the Charlottetown Sport & Social Club and how to register so you’re not missing out on the fun? Check them out on Facebook at Charlottetown REC, or email charlottetownsport@gmail.com.

See Danny Bhoy LIVE March 2!

In the mood to laugh? Well, so are we!

 

Let loose your inner comedian and tell us your funniest joke for a chance to win two tickets to see the globetrotting Scotsman who keeps us in stitches, Danny Bhoy, when he rolls into Charlottetown on March 2 at the Confederation Centre of the Arts!

Here’s the catch – we will accept groaners, side splitters and even knock-knock jokes if they’re clever enough, but nothing rude, crude, or mean. Hey, we like funny not offensive! We may just print them in an upcoming issue of G!

Enter your funniest one-liners or jokes as a comment on this blog post, on our Facebook Fan Page, or send us a tweet on Twitter with the hashtag #Glaughsfortix.

We’ll be taking submissions until February 20, 2012, so get that funny bone cracking! We want to hear from YOU!

 

Winter, you so crazy!

Winter weather is so completely unpredictable here that sometimes I wonder what exactly is going on in the world of meteorology. Is spring coming early or are we just gearing up for a wild winter? Not even Boomer himself can say for sure. All we know is that we can expect the unexpected this winter, so we’d all better sleep with a shovel in one hand and an umbrella in the other. You know, just in case.

This mash up of winter weather has been a huge influence on the January/February issue of G!, hitting G! Locations across the Island this Thursday, January 19. Whether you love it or loathe it, there are lots of things you can do to get you through the season of Not Summer. Whether it’s a new style, a new hobby, a new sport (indoors or outdoors), or planning a getaway to escape the winter blahs, our contributors are going to tell you about it. Plus, we’ve got all your favourites that you look forward to each month, including fitness myth buster Ryan Cairns, the ever-so-irreverent Heidi Brander, and G! Eats with…wait, didn’t Ellen Egan take off for jolly old England? She did, which is why we’re introducing our newest G! foodie, Christina Flemming! Read her delicious take on what to fill your belly with in this month’s installment of G! Eats. Lots of great stuff this issue to get you through NS (Not Summer)!

Connect with G!

Want a good laugh? We’re giving you the chance to win two tickets to see funnyman Danny Bhoy on March 2 at the Confederation Centre of the Arts! Honestly, this is one comedy show you do not want to miss – Danny Bhoy will definitely have you rolling in your seat with laughter! We’ll have all the details on how to enter to win this hot pair of tickets (and the seats are good!) starting this Thursday, so subscribe to the G! blog and check your inbox – all will be revealed!

 

#Wouldya Rather?

Last month, we asked you to tell us which wouldya rather do – involuntarily laugh at the most inappropriate occasions (like a funeral) or make a disgusted face when someone told you good news? Oh boy. Neither would be good, but that’s the point, right? What did G! readers decide was the lesser of two evils? Pick up the latest issue of G! to find out! We’ve got a new #wouldyarather this month, so be sure to give us your pick and why  – on Facebook, Twitter, or here on the blog!

 

Submit to G!

If you love to write and think you’ve got a story that needs to be in G!, then we want to hear from you! Katherine Ballem, Kelly Stewart, and Christina Flemming connected with G! and now, they’re in the pages of the January/February issue. It’s easy – just click HERE for guidelines and details.

 

PICK UP THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE OF G! ON STANDS THURSDAY, JANUARY 19! IT’S FREE, AND ALWAYS WILL BE!