Single mom Melanie Matherly first agreed to allow her then-12-year-old son to play hockey as a bargaining chip: Behave, do well in school and promise to stick with it.
When her son, Gabriel Campbell, now 15, asked to try out for rep hockey, a higher calibre than regular house league, Matherly agreed again, despite the extra $50 cost of the tryout.
But when Gabriel was selected for the rep team, his mother was stunned.
Not only had she not expected him to succeed — he hadn’t played for two years — but she had no idea where she would find the extra money: about $300 on top of the regular $695.
“I expected him to be rated maybe a high-level house league [player], but not the rep team,” said the Esquimalt resident, who works as an insurance broker. “Rep means it’s a lot more expensive.
“I didn’t even know how I was going to afford the first part of it.”
Matherly and Gabriel were steered toward KidSport Greater Victoria, a granting organization that provides up to $300 a year per child for families to enroll their children in sports.
Launched in 2002, the group helped fund more than 800 kids ages five to 18 last year, for a total of nearly $200,000 — a big jump since its first year, when 86 children were helped.
Recently, Gabriel and seven-year-old Bracia Tyler, also a hockey player, were recognized as KidSport passed the 5,000-child mark. The recognition came with a new set of hockey gear for Bracia and Gabriel from the Ryan O’Byrne Youth Sports Society, set up by the Victoria-born Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman.
Jill Shaw, spokeswoman for KidSport Greater Victoria, said the chapter is one of the most active and well-supported of more than 40 in B.C.
The money the group distributes is raised though donations and grants, usually from non-government foundations or corporate donors. In applications, parents are asked basic questions about family income and size, and must supply a reference from a reputable source, for example a school principal or family doctor.
Shaw said the sports funded by the organization vary — everything from hockey and soccer to horseback riding.
The only thing KidSport asks is that kids commit to at least one full season. Skills camps and clinics are helpful for young athletes, but KidSport organizers believe commitment, team play and discipline should be part of the sport experience, something that’s best delivered through a full season.
Shaw admitted that $300 doesn’t cover everything, especially for expensive sports such as hockey, but said KidSport has been in existence long enough to form strong relationships with many other organizations involved with sport for children and teens, so further help can often be arranged with a referral.
“We would like to go higher, but we are trying to reach the maximum number of kids,” she said. “People want to see kids involved in sports and there is a pretty good understanding of the good that comes with sport.
“And it’s not just cardiovascular fitness; it’s leadership and citizenship and lots of things.”
Brena Robinson, mother of Bracia and four other children, including Bracia’s twin brother, Blaze, said her children have taken part in everything from dance to soccer, basketball, fastball and, of course, hockey — all with the help of KidSport.
“We couldn’t have done it without KidSport,” said the Esquimalt mom, who is studying to become an accountant, which means the family relies entirely on dad Barry’s income.
Blaze, seven, has done very well at hockey, she said. He has asthma, so playing games on grass can be a problem, but the cool, dry air of a hockey rink is relatively free of pollen. And the game is played in short, high-energy shifts, which suits him. He was even voted the most-improved player on his team last year.
“He has developed this self-confidence about himself and it’s fantastic,” said Robinson.
Seeing his twin brother’s success, Bracia decided to put aside dance for now in favour of hockey.
“Bracia is determined she will be the one passing up the puck to Blaze and he will be the one to shoot and score,” Robinson said. “They have already got it all figured out.”
To learn more about KidSport Greater Victoria, go to kidsport.ca.
