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49 | Thursday, February 12, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com $ 2 2 K F O R F I G H T A G A I N S T C A N C E R Contest to present match ball at Rugby World Cup Local youngsters have a chance to deliver an official match ball onto the field at this year's Rugby World Cup in England and Wales. DHL Express Canada, the official logistics sponsor of Rugby World Cup, is celebrating youth leadership through sports by awarding one lucky Canadian child or youth aged eight to 15 with the opportunity to present the match ball for Canada's game against Ireland. DHL will host the contest winner and his or her guardian for the trip to the tournament, which takes place from Sept. 18-Oct. 31. To learn more about the contest or nominate a deserving student, visit bit. ly/1wgE7cy. Girls' sports programs can attend Clarkson Cup for free Oakville Blades captain Vince Palermo (left) and Orangeville Flyers' Peter Stepanis pose for a ceremonial puck drop conducted by 11-year-old Saad Baig and Oakville mayor Rob Burton at the Blades' annual Pink in the Rink cancer society fundraiser last month. Proceeds from the event raised $21,901, which the Blades presented to the Canadian Cancer Society before their home game Friday against the Stouffville Spirit. | photo by Kevin Sousa -- OJHL Images Three local winners at KOC free throw districts Three Oakville residents will compete at the regional level of the Knights of Columbus Basketball Free Throw Championships after winning their divisions at the District 67 championships held Saturday at Burlington's Corpus Christi high school. St. Andrew elementary school student Taylor Lake (nine-year-old girls), St. John's Megan Foot (12-year-old girls) and St. Michael's Jaden Briscoe (10-year-old boys) will attempt to qualify for the provincial championships when they participate in the regional competition Saturday, Feb. 28 in Waterloo. Emily Carr's Emilie Ougrinov and Vanessa Ogrinov, St. Andrew's Sarah Malone, St. Dominic's Joanna Pepa, St. John's Ricardo Rivera, Mother Teresa's Gianluca Pistilli and Iroquois Ridge High School's Sophia D'Aurora were top-three finishers in their respective divisions at districts. Special Olympics competitors David Lindsay, Sandy Mowat, Kyle Whyte, Edward Zahora, Mike Thomas and Sarah Barbeau also participated, with Lindsay (intermediate) and Zahora (advanced) winning their divisions. The event was sponsored by Oakville's Marian Council #3881 on behalf of Oakville Mary Mother of God Council #14446 and three Burlington councils. The free throw competition sees each contestant attempt 25 free throws, with all ties settled by successive rounds of five free throws per contestant until a winner is determined. The Canadian Women's Hockey League is teaming up with HIGH FIVE, a division of Parks and Recreation Ontario, to offer a campaign that offers girls' sports and recreation programs the chance to attend the 2015 Clarkson Cup CWHL championship tournament. HIGH FIVE is Canada's only comprehensive quality standard for organizations providing recreation and sport programs to children aged 6-12, based on the belief that all children deserve to have positive sport and recreation experiences that support their healthy development. HIGH FIVE organizations will be pro- vided with complementary tickets to the Wednesday, March 4 Clarkson Cup game at 3:30 p.m. Tickets can be obtained by visiting bit.ly/1z8tNpb, and organizations can join the campaign by tweeting how they empower girls to stay active for life (using the hashtag #HIGHFIVE4girls). The Canadian Women's Hockey League features past, present and future Olympians with teams in Boston, Brampton, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. The Clarkson Cup is named after former General Governor of Canada Adrienne Clarkson and is widely considered to be the Stanley Cup of women's hockey. Tackle, Flag and Summer Camps Tackle: Ages 9-19 Flag: Ages 5-14 info@oakvilletitansfootball.ca Oakville Minor Football I've seen a lot of youth soccer games in my life. I consistently hear the same two comments from well-meaning parents and coaches on the sideline. The two statements are, "Pass it!" and "Kick it out!" It's natural for parents to try to share their understanding of the game with their children but adults are wired to think in terms of professional sports ­ "don't take too many risks or you won't win the game." The truth is that a youth soccer game, like a practice or like playing in the park, is just another opportunity for "play". soccer shorts: the art of "Play" an entirely new set of solutions to the problems presented within the game. So, although the coach/ parent may think a player should "pass" or "kick it out", their constant instruction is limiting young player's experiences with the ball and usurping their learning process. Players don't make decisions when they have someone making every decision for them. They're doing as they are told. Children don't play games like adults, nor should they. As adults we've already come to terms with our limitations but a child shouldn't have any. They should imagine, create and believe that anything is possible. The next time you feel the need to tell your son or daughter what they need to do on the soccer field, try letting him/her figure it out on their own. Over time you will be amazed at the solutions they create and they will have more fun doing it. Apex p Football Consultancy y "Play" for a child is quite different than what sport is for adults. Psychologists will tell you that "play" is a child's way of learning ­ socially, physically, technically and cognitively. They are testing their limits, codifying complex experiences so they have solutions in the future, and refining their skill-set so they can develop Dino Lopez TO A Game Based LearninG Soccer Player Development www.apexfootylab.com Programs that DeveloP Players Register Now: www.oakvilletitansfootball.ca Brain Based LearninG Early Bird Special Register before Feb 16 and save $50.00