By Michelle Poirier [1]
BELLEVILLE – Brad Allport joined Quinte Sport and Social Club [2] because he was new to the Belleville area and wanted to meet some people close to his age.
The club calls itself “recess for adults.” It offers co-ed recreational sports, leagues, tournaments and social events to its members, renting facilities throughout the area.
Allport plays dodgeball [3] and said his experience with the club has been phenomenal.
“I ended up putting a team together of friends and co-workers. It was important for me to play a sport that was fun yet competitive. I have networked with dozens of players on other teams and it’s always nice to see them in the community and while grocery shopping – so I can throw fruits (grapes) at them in fun! It just seems so natural to throw stuff at them now – for real,” Allpost said in an email to QNet News.
No prior experience is required for people who wish to join the club, and different skill levels are offered. Recreational level is for players with little or no experience, while intermediate is for players with some experience and advanced is for those who have played the game for years. Anyone interested can register as an individual and the club will find a team for him or her. Registration can also be as a small group, and individuals will be added to the team. Or a group of friends can register as a full team.
“I recommend the club to everyone I speak to. For anyone wanting to socialize, get some exercise and laugh a lot – this is the club,” Allport said.
The sports offered this spring and summer are beach volleyball [4] on Monday evenings, soccer on Wednesday evenings and softball on Thursday evenings. Sessions called “All Sorts of Sports” are offered Tuesday evenings for players who cannot choose a single sport.
“You can play a different sport each week,” Matt Linton, the sport manager at the club, said. “So one week it will be beach volleyball, one week it will be soccer, one week it will be kickball [5], one week it will be flag football [6], that kind of thing. So there’s a little variety for everyone.”
But the club is about more than just playing sports.
It has a partnership with local businesses and pubs, which is the social part of QSSC. There are events like dinners, pub nights and wrap parties at the end of each season.
“It’s a way for adults to get out and be active and get some exercise,” Linton said. “Instead of staying in or maybe watching TV (they can) come out to play some sports. It’s also a great way for people to meet other people in the community.”
The club has been running for two years.
“It’s growing every season,” Linton said. “First season we started with just a couple (of) teams, and this past winter season we were at about 26 teams.”
The spring and summer season runs from May 20 to Aug. 26. The season is 14 weeks long, with 12-regular season games and two playoff games. Registration is open for any person age 19 and up; the deadline to register and pay the registration fee [7] is May 7 at midnight.
The club also has a fall and winter season that offers both indoor and outdoor sports.