Town of Stettler council recognized the undefeated provincial champions in U12 soccer during their latest meeting, held Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The squad, which didn't lose a single game during the regular and post seasons, went on to win the top spot at the provincial level.
“It's important we recognize our sports heroes,” Mayor Dick Richards said. He also honoured the parents of the youth sports champions, who themselves gave freely of their time and devotion.
The group received a certificate from council and had a chance to enjoy some cookies and drinks after a photograph with the mayor.
After the boys departed, council returned to its bi-weekly business, voting on and passing a bylaw allowing the rezoning of an industrial area to be used as recreation.
Gymnastics ready to vault into first season
Councillor Karen Sernecky provided an update on the gymnastics club, which should be ready to launch in October. The big news was that the club now had a building.
“It needed lots of cleanup and TLC, but it was all cosmetic so I was instantly excited,” Sernecky said in an interview after the meeting.
The building, located in Stettler's industrial area, is an old garage with high ceilings, a necessary factor for the club, who will have youth practicing on uneven bars and trampolines.
“I really went about it (getting the group running) backwards,” Sernecky, a councillor with the Town of Stettler, admitted.
She quickly had a coach lined up, but then that coach pulled out, she recalled
“You should probably get a coach, then funding, then a place,” she said. “We got the place first.”
She said that media attention to the forming sports group caught the attention of Gudrun Feller of Bashaw, a coach of nine years in the sport.
“She contacted us and said she'd want to coach us,” Sernecky said.
With a coach in place and a location hunt narrowing down, Sernecky began work on funding. Her bevy of volunteers helped register the club with the provincial gymnastics authority and they were official.
“We couldn't afford the building,” Sernecky said as she toured the garage, which still had a strong smell of motor oil. “But we worked out an agreement for a three-year lease.”
The first task was cutting down the weeds that choked the surrounding land, some of which were up above the knee. Then the cleaning – lots of cleaning.
Paint donated by Stettler Flooring and Paint joined office equipment donated by the Stettler Board of Trade, Chapman and Co., Richards Insurance, and other gracious donors, Sernecky said. Some gymnastics equipment was donated by Donna Robinson, and an online auction raised $3,632 for the group.
“There are so many people who came right on board,” Sernecky said.
Though Sernecky said she believed there had been a gymnastics club in the community “a very very long time ago,” she's not absolutely certain, but she said she's excited to see it return in October, when the club will host its first sessions.
A source in Grande Prairie has equipment enough to furnish almost the entire gym, so Sernecky said raising the money needed for the equipment is the next big hurdle. That'll cost the group $12,000, plus another $13,000 or so to outfit the place with the floor mats and spring floor. Even though that comes to a hefty $25,000, if the group misses out on the Grande Prairie opportunity, the group is looking at a bill well over $30,000 to outfit the space.
For volunteer Sarah Tucker, whose daughter studies gymnastics in Red Deer, getting on board with a local club was a no-brainer.
“It's a long day,” she said of gymnastics days. “There's the travel to Red Deer, the session, and then the drive back.”
In the winter, the 45-minute drive to Red Deer often takes longer, or ends up not happening at all, if the weather is inclement enough.
Registration night, which started last night, Aug. 25, continues tonight, Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 5-8 p.m. at the Stettler Recreation Centre. Parents who wish to sign up for, or learn more about, Stettler Gymnastics can do so at the signups.