Tryst sports club plays the Generation Game

An innovative project from the Tryst Community Sports Club is delivering sport and exericise activities across the ages.

The multi-generational approach is an expansion from the usual school summer sports camps enjoyed across the country by young people during the school break. Indeed this summer the youngsters have been joined by residents in their twilight years who are still benefitting from the local sports club.

With Tryst, 320 young participants have been sampling sports from swimming to cycling via judo and gymnastics, they’ve also been given a taster into the clubs available throughout the year in the Larbert and Stenhousemuir area. More than that residents in local care homes and assisted living residents have also been getting active with the TCSC visiting them.

They’re benefitting from it, and so too are the leaders taking the sessions explained Greg Nicol.

He told The Falkirk Herald: “There is a great cameraderie. We’ve had 85 pupils from Larbert High School delivering the programme over past four weeks as part of the summer multi-sports programme.

“But not only that we’ve been delivering the Generation Project throughout the summer. It’s an intergenerational initiative aimed at bridging the gap between young people and the elderly.

“We’ve been out at nurseries, we’ve had primary school age participants in the camps, we’ve had young people delivering the sessions and some elderly participants in the Generation Project and it will be great to merge them all into one and bring them together which is something we plan to do.”

The programme began with a link up between the club and Bield Housing Association, but there are early plans to expand further. The club is hoping to take sessions to Strathcarron Hospice in Fankerton too.

Sophie Nicol has been involved with the delivery of the programme for the past six months and said: “I’ve developed my communication skills through this programme. My background has been predominantly working with younger kids, however the Generation Project has given me a platform to further enhance my communication, all whilst being innovative in my approach to each session”.

It truly can claim to be a sports club for the ages with toddlers at nursery enjoying activities and primary school-age participants at camp. Young people from the high school deliver sessions and, while parents and grandparents can make use of the clubs and gym out of office hours, older people are now enjoying activity too thanks to the expansion.

The Tryst Community Sports Club is home to 20 clubs. For more information contact the TCSC team on 07595 965147 or via email at [email protected].