Basin PLAYS brings online physical literacy and quality sport resources to the Columbia Basin
Columbia Basin Trust faces a unique challenge when trying to bring people together to promote physical literacy and quality sport across their region: distance. With communities that span the length of the Canadian portion of the Columbia River Basin, Columbia Basin Trust supports the ideas and efforts of people from Valemount, B.C. in East Central B.C., to Creston, B.C. along the U.S. border.
How do they do it? Enter: Basin PLAYS.
An initiative of Columbia Basin Trust, Basin Physical Literacy and Youth Sport (Basin PLAYS) has supported organizations, schools and recreation programs in the Columbia Basin region as they look to create safe, inclusive, and quality sport and physical literacy programs for children and youth in the area.
Basin PLAYS provides resources and links to events, projects, and organizations in the region that are promoting those values through their online Hub.
The Hub is the largest free directory of physical literacy and quality sport resources in the region. What’s more, it provides users with opportunities to collaborate with others in the community, to promote their programs, and to connect with families, athletes and volunteers.
“We heard how important it was to parents, educators and communities to keep youth active to improve their physical and mental well-being,” said Michelle d’Entremont, Trust Manager, Delivery of Benefits. “We’re excited about the PLAYS Hub being a one-stop resource for parents and organizations to find and share sports and physical activities for children and youth in the Basin.
Currently, the Hub hosts 158 different organizations including local sports associations and clubs, KidSport chapters, and local recreation and culture departments, among others.
In terms of local projects, the Hub supports 17 different initiatives like gender equity collaboratives, communities of practice, outdoor recreation initiatives, coaching portals and even podcasts — and that number continues to grow.
The resource library also provides registrants with a host of physical literacy and sport information, ensuring that schools, sports organizations, parents, athletes and coaches in the Columbia Basin have access to recommended and pertinent information.
Further, sport and active recreation organizations who may not have the means to support the cost of building and hosting their own website can create a microsite within the Hub, to continue their growth without the inherent cost of digital projects.
The Hub is how Basin PLAYS is looking to make physical literacy and quality sport more accessible in the region. And a way to bring together a community, whether you live and play in Valemount, Creston, or anywhere in between.
“We hope the Hub will continue to strengthen the efforts of all those great leaders and parents doing their best to keep their youth active,” d’Entremont said.
Find out more about Basin PLAYS on their website.
