The Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA), with the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ontario Government, is again providing funding for 260 high schools across the Province to initiate a new sport or physical activity program into their school – St. Charles College is one of these lucky schools.

The “Try Day” programs are intended to introduce high school students to non-traditional sports or physical activities that may attract students who previously have not participated. This is the second year of a three-year grant program in which the Ontario Trillium foundation has provided up to $800 per school to assist schools with promoting these goals.

The funds will assist St. Charles College to help introduce “Floorball” to the Grade 9 to Grade 12 Physical Education Classes. “Floorball” is a non-contact team sport, the premise of the game is to direct the ball into the opposing team’s goal using a composite-fibre stick fitted with a plastic blade.

On October 1, 2008 the students of St. Charles College were provided with an opportunity to experience the “Floorball” sport at the school. Not many students were familiar with the sport at first but being a combination of the two most popular sports in Canada (hockey and soccer), many students showed excellent skills and the game quickly caught on.

“Floorball is an excellent alternative to Floor Hockey,” says St. Charles College, Physical Education Program Leader, Chantal Dagastino. “The big difference between the two is that the rules of floorball do not allow for any high sticking, stick contact or body contact, so the game tends to be less physical than Floor Hockey and more skill oriented and fast paced.

The Try Day event offered the St. Charles College students the opportunity to try a new sport and to see if it can be integrated into their physical education program. The sport was met with a great success as students were very active during their gym time and it helped promote a healtheir lifestyle.