Get your birdies ready, the badminton league is gearing up for a fall start – and once again Thornhill Jr. will be the league’s home base.
Community sports groups who have used the Thornhill Jr. gym in the past were left wondering where their clubs would meet when the school closed at the end of the last school year.
But talks between the groups, the city, the district and the school board have gone well and it appears the gym will be in use once again, although details are still being finalized. The school board will not be covering any of the costs to use the facility.
Badminton club organizer Norm Parry said last week that the league will start up again mid-October.
The league will happen twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the popular junior program taking the first time slot from 6:30 - 8 p.m. and the adult program running from 8 - 10 p.m.
One difference this year is that the junior group will be made up of players aged 8 to 16, with the 17 and 18-year-old players being moved to the adult group to allow for more mentoring and coaching opportunities, and to free up space in the junior time slot. There will be 50 spaces open in the junior program.
One bonus to groups using the gym this year is that there might be options to hold events at different times during the day, like for seniors’ groups, or have more leeway for weekend tournaments, said Parry.
“It can be a resource available to use for the community,” he said, noting that it will be up to the people who use it to be responsible with the space, keeping it clean and running well.
The indoor soccer league has also said it will be using the gym. Volleyball and archery clubs have used the gym in the past.