With a mix of team and individual sports filling the schedule, the 2025 Southern Alberta Summer Games (SASG) have officially launched in Taber, Alta.
It’s the first time since 2018 Taber has hosted the games and it comes following two major celebrations in the southern Alberta town this week.
On Monday, Taber residents enjoyed their 120th anniversary, while Canada Day brought cheer on Tuesday. The busy schedule makes SASG staff thankful for hosting the games this year as well.
“With having a bunch of events leading up to this, just to have this in Taber is just so much easier for the local athletes,” said Darcy Firth, manager of baseball and facilities with SASG.
He says the host community typically has the highest participation rate in the games and this year is no different, with local athletes broadening their horizons.
“For the kids, most of them play in different leagues, so this is a chance for them to actually play Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Brooks, who they usually don’t get to play.”
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That community collaboration also brings more than just new faces.
“One thing playing recreational soccer — it’s a club league so you’re getting all sorts of different diversities of play, but at least with the summer games, it kind of creates a bit more of a competitive atmosphere for these kids,” said David Nedokus, coach of one of Taber’s U11 soccer teams.
While the opportunity for young athletes to grow is a big part of the games, adult athletes are just as welcome. Sports like golf, trapshooting, powerlifting, cribbage and more will certainly appeal to players of all ages. However, one of the biggest is pickleball, which has exploded onto the sports scene in recent years, with Pickleball Alberta saying adults 18-36 years of age are the primary demographic picking up a paddle.
For Charity Christianson, vice-president of Pickleball Alberta, these games represent a big opportunity to grow the sport she loves.
“One of the most beautiful parts about having pickleball included in our summer games is exposure to communities that don’t necessarily have an established pickleball club.”
She says the chance for younger players to join in the fun is what will also secure the future of the sport.
“We need to start bringing along the juniors, the 10-year-olds, the 12-year-olds. Our goal with Pickleball Alberta is to have the first Canadian on the Olympic podium for pickleball to come from Alberta and that is going to be from our junior programs,” she said.
The games run until July 5, 2025.
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