Young Indigenous athletes up their game with personal trainers

A new program is giving Indigenous youth personal fitness training they might not otherwise get.

The Youth Leadership Through Sports program held its second training session at the University of Saskatchewan on Saturday.

It was Cole Currie's second time attending the program. He's a 12-year-old athlete from Blaine Lake and Mistawasis First Nation, and he said his goal is to make his brothers proud by someday playing on a national lacrosse team.

"I think it would make them feel really proud because they had an athlete that went far, because they taught me," he said. "They taught me how to play everything."

He also said he's seen firsthand how having sports in his life has made a difference for him — he says sports keeps him out of trouble.

"Some of the kids at my school, some of them already are smoking drugs already, because they don't play any of the sports I play."

Knock down barriers

The program invites Indigenous youth from First Nations communities across Saskatchewan to come out for a day of sports training in Saskatoon, several times throughout the year. Youth aged 10 to 14 are welcome to take part.

It's a partnership between the University of Saskatchewan, the College of Kinesiology, Huskie Athletics, and the Saskatoon Tribal Council.

Saskatoon Tribal Council chief Mark Arcand said the program helps overcome some of the challenges Indigenous children might face in developing their sports skills.

"When kids can't afford a personal trainer, and they have goals to play junior hockey or WHL hockey or play on an elite volleyball or basketball team, we got to knock down those barriers and give them as much opportunities as we can."

The program is free for the young athletes, said Arcand.

"All the kids have to do is show up and learn from the best."

This is a one-year pilot program, but Arcand said they're already looking at expanding the program to include Indigenous youth from Saskatoon, and to older teens.