Connecting around the oval

Without a steady job to get her out of the house and into her new community, Barb was having a hard time meeting people in Grande Prairie.

She’d spent decades building communities around her in southern and central Alberta, where she had worked full-time. But all that had disappeared when the family decided to move north so Barb’s husband could pursue a career opportunity. Suddenly, her friends, family and colleagues were 100s of kilometres away, leaving her at loose ends.

Meanwhile, her husband and kids were out there every day, going to work or school, meeting new people, and coming back with stories and friendships that didn’t exist the day before.

That made Grande Prairie a lonely town for her. Or at least it was in the beginning.

When her kids started to get involved in sports again in Grande Prairie, Barb saw a chance to get out in the community.

“I spent many years working for a non-profit health charity, so I’ve long understood the value of volunteering,” Barb said. “So I saw getting more involved in my kids’ sports as a great way to meet people and contribute to my children’s activities.”

And that’s just what she did.

Finding a place to shine

A track and field athlete in her youth, Barb was excited to see her children pursue sports. But, like many kids, they chose to go their own way, lacing up skates instead of runners. That left Barb trying to find a way into a sport she knew little about.

“While the sports they chose were not ones I had technical skill sets in, where I felt comfortable coaching, I did have other skills I felt I could offer,” she said.

Instead of getting involved through coaching, Barb officiated, volunteered at events, photographed competitions and ran the group’s Facebook page and website for the skating organizations. So instead of passing on her skills to her children, she was developing new ones.

“Being involved in sport really pushed my skills and abilities as an amateur photographer,” Barb said. “Taking action shots in less than favourable lighting is a whole different kind of learning but it benefited my photography outside the rink.”

Moving beyond winning

As she volunteered with her children’s sports Barb got to see sport from a different side.

Instead of the singular focus on winning she had when she competed in Track and Field, Barb grew to see sport as a road to growth more than a road to victory.

“I love seeing kids develop a passion for their sport and being active,” Barb said. “I am not talking about the drive that some kids develop to become elite athletes. More simply the energy and joy that they find from being active and perhaps achieving a personal best time or just finding the courage to try something new.”

Taking it to the next level

Eventually, Barb’s family moved on from Grande Prairie, relocating back to Lethbridge in 2016.

But that didn’t mean Barb left volunteering behind. As soon as they were settled in town, Barb contacted the Lethbridge Speed Skating Association (LSSA) to see how she could fit in.

Once again, Barb was out officiating at events, snapping action shots and meeting new people. She even decided to take her volunteer work up a level. She joined the LSSA board as secretary before also becoming the club’s media coordinator and took her Speed Skating Canada Level 2 Officials training. That new designation opened the door for Barb to volunteer at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.

With volunteers from all over the country coming to Red Deer, the winter games were so much more than just a venue to watch sports for Barb.

It was a reunion, a place to meet new people, learn new skills and even spend time with her daughter

“Just being surrounded by so many other volunteers, many I knew from my time involved with speed skating in Red Deer, Grande Prairie and Lethbridge, was fun,” she said. “But, I also had the opportunity to learn a lot from a very experienced volunteer during the event. As an added bonus my oldest daughter even volunteered at the event with me.”

Volunteering through generations

After a decade of volunteering across the province, Barb’s not done yet. She’s still out at the rink when her schedule allows, snapping photos and officiating for the next generation of skaters.

“I still know many of the parents and volunteers involved in the sport, and volunteering allows me the opportunity to connect with them,” she said.

She’s even expanded her volunteering beyond skating to take a board member role with Healthy Lethbridge.

Her daughters, however, have moved on from Lethbridge to pursue post-secondary. But even though they’ve moved out, they’re not leaving the family tradition of volunteering behind. Instead, they’re making it their own, through coaching and getting involved at their universities.

And, to Barb, that’s more important than any award or achievement.

“What makes me proudest has been seeing my kids volunteer as they have become adults,” Barb said.

Now, they have the same chance to create change and forge life-long connections that Barb did.