B.C. charity seeking donations to help keep kids in sports

With the cost of living, sports registration and equipment fees all on the rise, the number of families who can no longer afford to enroll their kids in sports is surging, according to a B.C. charity.

Athletics for Kids (A4K), a not-for-profit, said it’s now distributing five times the amount of grants to families compared to 2020.

“Right now there are thousands of children who are unable to participate in sports in the Lower Mainland and across the province of B.C. because their parents can’t afford the registration fees,” said A4K executive director Valerie Gosselin.

“When children are shut out of sports it can cause massive consequences in their life,” she continued.

Gosselin said they’ve never had to turn down a family who needed funding, but that it’s now getting tougher to keep up with the demand.

“This year we're looking at hitting a new record in terms of grant dollars spent, we're looking to issue about $240,000 in grant funding,” she said.

FLOURISHING WITH OPPORTUNITY

For one North Vancouver Family, the A4K grants have been life altering. Anita Rudge, a single mother, said initially, she simply put her two boys Jayden and Ashton in swimming so they wouldn’t drown.

“Within a year and a half of learning to swim, we were told by the rec centre that the boys should do competitive swimming,” she said.

With Jayden on the autism spectrum, and Ashton diagnosed with ADHD, Rudge said the sport has been huge for their development.

After they both flourished, they were told they needed to move up to a higher, more expensive level, their mother said.

“I thought oh my god, I’ve taught my neurodivergent kids how to swim and now the financial barrier is going to hold them back,” she said.

Fortunately, however, A4K was there to provide vital support, and keep the boys in the water.

"Sports shows where your hyper focus, where your challenges can actually shine,” said Rudge.

“We didn't think we would ever make friends. It got us out of our shell, this is our social life."

Thanks to the continued lessons and training, both Ashton and Jayden continue to thrive.

This past summer, both of them medalled at the provincial championships in competitive and artistic swimming.

"It was amazing, it was a very fun experience that we had,” said 14-year-old Jayden.

SEEKING HELP

With so many families in need of help, A4K has started a matching campaign – saying all donations made right now will be matched by its sponsors.

"We truly believe it can transform a child's life, not only physically but emotionally,” said Gosselin.

Donations can be made on the charity's website to help make sure all kids can stay in the game.