Three years ago, what started as a promise to the community grew into a transformative initiative. The monthly Teen Take Over sessions, which have served over 1,800 youth to date, have become a cornerstone of the Yarmouth community. Spurred by the opening of Mariners on Main, the community’s commitment to providing a safe and engaging space for our youth has been unwavering.
The program, which provides opportunities for teens to try various sports, from basketball to swimming, while also providing space to learn cooking and crafting skills, runs from September to June, biweekly on Fridays. Teens aged 12 to 17 can access the facility starting at 4 p.m. Mariners on Main can accommodate up to 100 youth per session, which is huge growth for the program that used to see 45 youth come out.
This year, they’ve seen significant growth in the program. They were able to open the facility earlier than previous years, which means kids can come right after school. They also increased the frequency of the takeovers from once a month to biweekly, and broadened activity offerings to encompass a fuller range of recreation activities. This growth is a testament to the program’s success and its promising future.
Ensuring the program’s sustainability has been an important factor throughout the Teen Takeovers’ growth. The community’s active participation and support have been integral to ensuring the program’s continued success. Community partners have played a significant role by providing meals, activities, and volunteers.
“Collaboration has been a key part of this program,” said Haley Mood, EDIA Sport Navigator- Yarmouth at Sport Nova Scotia. “Community connections and support are a reason the Teen Takeovers have thrived, everyone has offered support in some way or another, volunteering, providing supplies, or supporting an event.”
Throughout the Teen Takeovers’ growth, barriers have been overcome, such as facility availability, budgets, and catering. However, the community continues to step up to ensure the Yarmouth area youth have a safe space to be and activities to participate in. The program has hired a Teen Takeover coordinator, who will continue to expand the program’s outreach and growth.
Call Mariners on Main at 902-742-2155 ext.; #2 to learn more about the Teen Takeover sessions. To stay current, visit their Facebook page.
The Teen Takeovers’ success was made possible with the assistance of Sport Nova Scotia’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility grant. Check out our Sport Fund eligibility for more information about how Sport Nova Scotia can help support your community sport initiative.
