A let them play parade was held Saturday, calling on the provincial governent to reduce restrictions so that kids can get back to playing the sports they love (Tiffany Goodwein/CHATNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Let them play parade draws young athletes and sports groups from across city

Jan 30, 2021 | 5:11 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB- For 12-year-old Rowynn Biffart life without swimming has been hard. Biffart is a competitive swimmer who would normally spend four times a week training at the local pool, but with the shutdowns, that has all changed.

“I miss seeing the people I love because as a club we are all family, so I miss everybody. I miss being in the water, being able to swim because you can’t train on land, so it is really hard,” she said.

Swim clubs in Alberta are not permitted to train under the province’s newest guidelines, with the exception of one-on-one training. But in neighboring B.C. swim teams have resumed, something Biffart struggles to understand.

“I feel like we can get our pools open but they are just not really letting us, and it is kind of sad because I miss the sport and I think it is not really fair because I can go to B.C. and train but I can’t stay where I live and train,” she said.

Biffart was one of many young athletes at the Let Them Play Parade, organized by Jenna Nittle, owner of Ultimate Cheer Fusion.

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“We have so many students that are not doing well. We get messages from parents saying they are crying every night before they go to bed because they don’t understand, why they can go to school, why they can go shopping at a mall, why you can be around all these strangers but they can’t be at their gym with their teammates with the people they normally spend three to four days a week with,” Nittle said.

Nittle’s club, Ultimate Cheer Fusion has about 85 competitive athletes and around 30 recreational athletes. One of her athletes is nine-year-old Haylee Zuzak who has been a cheerleader since she was four-years-old.

“It’s just really weird not being at cheer almost every night and I’m always at home and I’m never at the gym anymore,” Zuzak added.

Her feelings are similar to 13-year-old Rhya Leipert, a dancer, with Infinity Dance.

“It’s been hard, I’ve been dancing for 11 years and I’ve practically grown up on the stage and it has been a while since I’ve been back on it,” Leipert said.

For gymnastics club owner Randy McMullen of Twist and Flip Gymnastics in Redcliff, the announcement Friday for sports permitting only one-on-one training, and not group or team sports was disappointing.

“One-on-one, I still can’t turn on the heat and the lights for a six-thousand square foot facility, and pay my rent and do all the other stuff that comes with it,” he said.

McMullen has resorted to doing club bottle drives to keep afloat and to cover the amount not covered by government subsidies.

“ The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. We tell our athletes to fight to work hard to make their dreams come true so we are going to fight for the kids in our communities,” he said.

Both McMullen and Nittle are urging the province to allow kids’ sports to resume so that they can get back to playing the sports that they enjoy.

“Come to our facilities, just come and talk to us. We can show you how we can provide safe, environments for these kiddos where they are not going to have to worry about spreading this virus, where we can keep them safe, we can do everything. It’s not so much about the competitive side of the sport anymore, it’s about getting the kids in the gym safely,” she said.