Popular sports always changing at NORP

Sat, May 17, 2008    to del.icio.us

Jill VanderStel has a fairly unique perspective on sports.

VanderStel, the activities coordinator for the Northwest Ottawa Recreation Program, knows that interest in new sports swells and dips. For the past few years, it was inline hockey. These days, it's lacrosse. Tomorrow, it'll be something different.

"Inline hockey, and hockey nationally, the popularity has gone down," VanderStel said. "With lacrosse being the fastest growing sport on the west side of the state, it's drawing a lot of kids out of other sports like hockey, baseball and football. Whenever there's something new and exciting, kids want to try it.

"Every program takes a bell-shaped curve. With inline hockey, we had as many as 420 kids during its peak. It was new and exciting, and had big growth. Then it levels off until something else comes along, then it decreases."

That's not to say the hockey league isn't still booming. The early registration period for this summer's leagues have already passed, and while over 200 kids have already signed up, a few more participants would help fill out teams.

"Inline's a really nice sport, and it's not nearly as expensive as ice hockey," VanderStel said.

NORP, which is associated with Grand Haven Area Public Schools, offers a plethora of traditional sports camps and other programs for kids, from soccer and basketball to bowling and golf.

NORP also reaches out to adult athletes with very popular softball and volleyball leagues. In addition, less traditional sports are offered, such as dodgeball and kickball.

"It brings them back to their youth," VanderStel said. "Everybody remembers playing those games as kids. It all goes back to that bell-shaped curve, the fads, trying to keep up with trends. It all started with that Dodgeball movie with Ben Stiller. That got people excited about dodgeball.

"Kickball is a fun game where people can come out and exercise and it's not too competitive."

For more information on NORP programs, check online at www.ghaps.org/norp.