Young athletes back on the field and bleachers full of parents is enough to get Dave McPherson excited.
Following two years plagued with pandemic restrictions, McPherson, the co-chair of the East Coast Games, is thrilled to see organized sports return.
“To see kids back in action, on a pitch playing football behind us, we got tennis, softball, lacrosse happening today, and it’s a Sunday morning at 10 o’clock, it’s amazing,” McPherson said, standing beside Emera Field in Saint John.
His enthusiasm will only increase as the East Coast Games finally return to Saint John in June, nearly three years since its last occurrence.
“All of a sudden, in January and February, we’re looking at the reports and say, ‘hey, we have to go and try this and see what happens,’ and of course the other thing we ran into is an awful lot of sports haven’t done anything in two years,” said McPherson.
About 1,600 athletes will flood the Saint John area from June 10 to 12, taking part in Atlantic Canada’s largest annual multi-sport games. Age groups range based on the sport, though the games will see child athletes all the way up to seniors.
Several venues are booked to accommodate different sports, said McPherson. The 2022 East Coast Games feature 13 sports, among the newest is ball hockey.
Gary Crossman is the president of Saint John Metro Ball Hockey, and the vice-president of the New Brunswick Ball Hockey Association. A passionate promoter of the sport, Crossman said he constantly pushes to see ball hockey featured in any significant tournaments. When he first heard of the East Coast Games, he pushed to see the sport he loves introduced, only for the pandemic to dash his hopes.
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This time around, Crossman came back with a different plan to engage young athletes.
“I reached out to all the high schools and asked maybe we can get them involved, and eight schools got back to me,” said Crossman.
Now, in its inaugural showing at the games, participants from eight local high schools will battle it out in a tournament played at the BGC Greater Saint John.
In the eyes of Crossman, having ball hockey in the games will be beneficial for everyone.
“[Players are] going to start telling their friends, their friends are going to join ball hockey. Our adults are going to go watch the games and they’re going to love it, and they’re going to be wanting to get involved too. It’s huge for the East Coast Games, but it’s also growing our sport of ball hockey.”
The East Coast Games first debuted in 2015 and have since welcomed 10,000 athletes, according to McPherson. While it was created to bring several tournaments and sports together for a weekend, it has since become an unexpected economic generator for the Saint John region.
McPherson said that it’s generated an economic impact of about $1 million.
“You know, you get the younger kids, guess whose coming? Mom and dad, grandma and grandpa are coming they’re staying in hotels, they’re having restaurants, they’re going out and eating, whatever else. You know, for someone to come in on a weekend, they’re spending some significant money.”