By Louise Rachlis
When I was looking for information on sports in Barrhaven, I was told “you have to start with Rob.”
“Rob” is Rob Raistrick, owner of Barrhaven Source for Sports, and delighted to be immersed in such a variety of sports activity.
“Barrhaven is thriving with sports right now,” says Rob Raistrick, owner of Barrhaven Source for Sports. “There is every sport you can imagine - the Nepean Redskins Football; Ottawa South United Soccer; Nepean Knights Lacrosse; Nepean Raiders Hockey, Barrhaven Scottish Rugby, you name it, it’s going on in Barrhaven.”
He says Barrhaven associations do really well with start-up, grass roots programs for young children. There are over 7,000 kids in Ottawa South United Soccer alone. Nepean Redskins have a team at every level plus a couple hundred in their flag football program.
“Ottawa South United has purchased fields,” he says. “There are fields everywhere. They know there’s such demand for sports; there are new fields going up every day, and in 2013 there will be a new facility with a two pad ice rink in the Stonebridge area just south of St. Joe’s high school.”
And it’s not just the team sports thriving, it’s individual sports like swimming, running and golf. “We’re turning into such a great sports community. It keeps kids out of mischief.”
A co-founder of the Run for Rogers House, he loves all the sports himself. “We raised over $29,000 and shut down some of the Barrhaven Streets for the 19k, 5k, 2.5k and family fun run.”
The next Run for Rogers House will take place June 9th, 2012.
Rob purchased and took over the Motionware Source for Sports store in 2007 after working as a manager for that company for more than 10 years. He renamed the store and runs it as an independent, community based sports store. He is proud that he and his wife Lyane and children Emma, seven, Callum, four, and Taylor, two, live in the community he serves. “My kids play soccer, I play hockey in the community, and I’m also president of the Ottawa Sooners - because I didn’t have enough on plate already,” he laughs. “When you enjoy what you’re doing, it makes it so much easier to do.”
He starts work at 8 a.m. or earlier, goes home at 5:30 p.m. to be with the kids, and frequently comes back once they’re in bed to work some more.
This fall, watch for the weekly Nepean Redskins Football games, nightly Ottawa South United Soccer matches, and check the Ottawa Sooners website for upcoming games.
His advice for parents: “Let the coaches coach, and let the kids have fun.”
For more information and links to all the sports organizations, view barrhavensourceforsports.ca .
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