Youth Basketball League (Saskatchewan)
Photo by mvongrue on Flickr
Boredom is a feeling of emptiness or weariness, and can sometimes lead us to pass the time in ways that aren’t always the most constructive. This is precisely what one of our Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) members noticed in his community of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He saw that many youth in the community were turning to drugs and alcohol because they had nothing better to do. As a result, he decided to create an activity that would allow youth to pass the time in a positive manner.
Our YAC member and a few friends talked to the local sports organization in Yorkton and convinced them to start a recreational basketball league for youth between the ages of 15 and 21. The organization was immediately interested and decided to help our YAC member put his plan into action.
The league is similar to kids’ soccer leagues, but this league targets older youth and young adults. There are no try-outs for the league, but there are practices for the youth who join. “Many new kids are into this and even people from Saskatoon commented on it. I’ve noticed a lot more kids taking an interest in this and not drinking or smoking up,” says our YAC member.