This blog was originally published on the SFU Recreation website on September 13, 2021.
Team sports are a great way to have fun with friends, especially when the weather is nice during the summer. However, it isn't always easy to organize or find the people, space, and equipment. That's why we would like to help you out. With this blog we will discuss some of the different teams and drop-in leagues throughout the Lower Mainland that you can join!
Soccer is a great way to run around and partake in a sport that is mainly about teamwork and sometimes individual skill! Dribbling, passing and kicking the soccer ball can be quite exciting! Why not try it out? Here are some options if you're interested in joining a team.
Organized teams:
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Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club: https://www.cmfsc.ca/
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Urban Rec: https://vancouver.urbanrec.ca/leagues/soccer
Drop-in leagues:
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TOCA Canada: https://toca.ca/adult-drop-in-leagues/
Training tips:
When training to get the best performance, discipline is the name of the game! Work on cardio and build up that endurance. Light jogging paired with explosive sprints can help when trying to improve in that department. When it comes to technical skills, grab a soccer ball and just run some simple drills like passing or dribbling.
Volleyball is a great social activity and it's strongly associated with teamwork and collaboration. It's the best sport to improve your hand-eye coordination, reflexes and balance. Here are some options if you are interested in joining an organized team.
Organized teams:
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Volleyball BC (Indoor, Beach and Grass): http://www.volleyballbc.org
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TFC Volleyball (Indoor and Grass): http://tfcvolleyball.com/indoor-leagues/
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Urban Rec (Indoor, Beach and Grass): https://vancouver.urbanrec.ca/leagues/indoor-volleyball
Where to play:
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City of North Vancouver: https://www.cnv.org/parks-recreation-and-culture/recreation/city-volleyball-courts
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Town Centre Park, Coquitlam: https://coquitlam.ca/Facilities/Facility/Details/Town-Centre-Park-84
Training tips:
Participants should always pay attention to preventing the risk of injury when playing. Consider starting with some stretching and light aerobic activity prior to playing to warm-up your body.
Football teaches us cooperation and teamwork, which helps develop positive social skills. Each position plays a different role on the team, and there is a spot for everyone to try out something they may like. Flag football is a great alternative to tackle football, with a lower risk of injury. Here are some ways you could try it out today!
Organized teams:
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Urban Rec: https://vancouver.urbanrec.ca/leagues/flag-football
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North Vancouver Spring Flag Football League: https://esportsdesk.com/leagues/eventsv2.cfm?clientid=5026&leagueid=18357
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Top Flight Football - http://www.topflightflagfootball.ca/leagues/front_pageesdNew.cfm?clientID=6563&leagueID=29969
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Touch Football BC: https://www.tfbconline.com/page/show/880078--email-questions-to-touchfootballbc-gmail-com
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Flag 604: http://www.flag604.com
Training tips:
Before playing, remember to start practicing your hand-eye coordination. This is important whether you are throwing the ball as quarterback, catching the ball as a receiver, or making a wicked interception on defense.
Do you want to make new friends and hang out with them regularly? Are you trying to burn some calories and gain more muscles? Basketball is also a popular sport that encourages team spirit and physical fitness. Here are some recommendations if you are interested in joining an organized team in British Columbia.
Organized teams:
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Roundball: http://www.roundball.ca
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Kerrisdale Basketball League: http://kerrisdalebasketballleague.ca
Drop-in leagues:
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Kings Basketball League: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kings-Basketball- League/111790415577371
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City of Surrey: https://www.surrey.ca/parks-recreation/activities-registration/drop-activities
Training tips:
Basketball is a very physically demanding sport. Make sure to prepare and protect yourself by becoming strong and flexible. Working out, stretching and warming up before playing is important in injury prevention.
With warm weather and sunshine in full force, there is no better time to grab your glove and bat and hit the field for a game of baseball. Whether you are pitching, batting, or running bases, this team sport provides a great and fun outlet for socializing and exercising. There are a number of organized leagues that you can register for if you are interested.
Organized Teams:
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Richmond City Baseball: https://www.richmondcitybaseball.ca/home
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North Shore Baseball Association: https://northshorebaseball.ca/registration/
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Vancouver Recreational Baseball League: https://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?url=vrbl
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East Van Baseball League: https://www.eastvanbaseball.com/
Training Tips:
Before you're ready to hit a homerun or pitch some strikes, there are a number of warm-up exercises that can help you to not only avoid injury while playing baseball but can also help to build and strengthen the mobility of your muscles. One great and simple shoulder exercise is doing forward and backward arm and shoulder rotations. When it comes to leg exercises, you might want to consider doing squats, as well as high kicks to help in strengthening your core, legs and help with hip mobility.
Softball is a great way to stay active during the summer! A team sport that is very similar to baseball which means all the fun of batting and pitching is included! Here are some organized teams and drop-in leagues for you to try out!
Organized teams:
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Softball City: https://softballcity.bc.ca/leagues/
Training tips:
Before heading out onto the field, it is important to stretch and work your muscles! Mobility and fluidity is the key! Work on flexibility on your muscles by doing exercises like squats, lunges, or even exercises that focus on the shoulder and arms like standing arm swings!
Having trouble waiting for the start of hockey season? Why not get an early fix off the ice by grabbing a hockey stick and trying your hand at Ball hockey? Here are just few organized and drop-in leagues to get you started on achieving your slap-shot dreams:
Organized Teams:
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Urban Rec: https://vancouver.urbanrec.ca/
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North Shore Ball Hockey: https://www.northshoreballhockey.com/about-us
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Langley Hockey House: https://www.langleyhockeyhouse.com/home
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White Rock Ball Hockey League: https://www.wrbhl.com/register-online-1
Training Tips:
Looking to improve your ball hockey game? One great way of working towards this is by practicing your hand-eye coordination and stick work through stick dribbling. See how many times you can bounce the ball with your hockey stick and keep it from falling.
Did you know that field lacrosse is Canada's national summertime sport? It's a fast-paced, high-intensity game where your stick has a net to retrieve the ball. Here's how you can get started playing the game!
Organized teams:
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Canada West Field Lacrosse League (senior men's league): https://cwfll.ca/index.html
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Pacific Coast Field Lacrosse League (youth and female leagues): https://pcfll.bc.ca
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BC Lacrosse Association: https://www.bclacrosse.com/index.php
Training tips:
I recommend working on stick skills to gain better proficiency in handling the ball. It is also advisable to work on cardiovascular endurance to ensure you are ready to run across the field.
Try something new or get back to doing something you haven't done in a while! A lot of team sports have been cancelled due to COVID-19, but now is your time to shine! Shake off that rust and get back into it. Team sports are a great way to stay active, socialize and get some fresh air! There are more team sports out there that we didn't have the chance to talk about. Here are some honourable mentions of other team sports you could try: ultimate frisbee, pickleball, tennis and rugby.
We are also excited to announce that more details regarding SFU Recreational Sport Leagues for the fall semester will be coming out soon. So, make sure to keep an eye out on our SFU Rec Intramurals webpages for more details!
