Registrations for NSSC programs like kick ball and dodgeball top 300, but in the COVID era they are getting a group of about 40 out for week backyard style games. (Chuck Hocker)

By Dan Marshall

Yard Games

Nanaimo Sports and Social Club incorporates social distancing for Yard Games

Aug 13, 2020 | 8:13 PM

NANAIMO – Yard Games is the first activity of any kind for the Nanaimo Sports and Social Club since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

The six weeks of Tuesday sessions began in late July at the Millstone Winery in Nanaimo.

Club co-founder Chuck Hocker said seeing people interacting face to face has been almost therapeutic.

“It’s such a nice feeling to see people out, smiling, laughing and having fun. We wanted to be extremely cautious and stay on top of social distancing. Everybody has been phenomenal at respecting personal space and creating a safe environment for everyone.”

Socially distanced games of Bocce, Kan Jam, Ladder Ball, Beersbee and Molkky are being played by a crowd of about 40.

Shorthanded

Clippers fall short hosting Bulldogs

2h ago

off the schedule

BC Ferries preemptively cancels early Saturday sailings

9h ago

firm handshake

B.C. NDP government, Greens reach 'shared priorities' agreement

11h ago

Bocce is well known but the other games aren’t.

Molkky is a bowling style game from Europe, Kan Jam and Beersbee are frisbee based games and Ladder Ball involves wrapping a weighted string on different rungs of a ladder to gain points.

Normally the NSSC would be offering adult summer sessions for sports like kickball and dodgeball which garner over 300 participants each.

In the nearly three years the club has been in existence there’s been a steady growth according to Hocker.

A large part of the appeal is the chance to play sports and games that weren’t previously established in the community.

“We’re targeting sports that are either traditional or non-traditional. Anything that doesn’t have an established big organization offering it already. We survey our participants on what they’d like to see to try to gauge what we want to introduce next.”

Hocker noted the NSSC is always looking to add new sports.

The process can be challenging with everything from coming up with a set of rules, deciding on a season format and also where to play.

2020 was supposed to be a year for the addition of beach and grass volleyball to the list of NSSC programs but that is very unlikely now.

A dodgeball season for the fall is still a slim possibility and Hocker is looking for looking for options for things to do that would provide club members a sense of social interaction along with getting people active and moving.

“Safety and health of everyone is really important. We know that. We’re going one step at a time and keeping everything very scaled back for now.”

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77