The Ontario Racquet Club Offers Amazing After-School Programs

Tell us if this reminds you of your kids: Bored. Always keeping their eyes on a screen. Not getting enough exercise. Does that sound familiar?

Tell us if this reminds you of your kids: Bored. Always keeping their eyes on a screen. Not getting enough exercise. Does that sound familiar?

For many parents, it’s hard to help kids stay active and healthy. Fortunately, one facility in Mississauga offers some of the best after-school programs for your kids to participate in, and it goes by the name of the Ontario Racquet Club (ORC).

Don’t be fooled – the ORC, located in south west Mississauga, is more than just the GTA’s premier racquet, fitness and sports club. It’s also Canada’s leading club for families – a multi-purpose facility that offers loads of quality activities aimed at all ages and interests.

The ORC knows the importance of giving kids an outlet to be active and have fun, while also making sure parents don’t have to jump through hoops and stress out in the process. That’s why the ORC Kids Club has a selection of after-school activities for kids of all ages (3 and up), including preschool gym, kids sports, yoga, dance, weightlifting, and much more. From the teeniest tots to the more rowdy teenagers, your child will be accommodated!

Nicole Crewe, the ORC’s Fitness & Family Activities Director, gives the lowdown on why it’s so important to keep kids active and entertained when they’re not in school.

“Playing together after school is, unfortunately, a thing of the past,” Crewe says. “Parents have become very organized with their kids and want to keep them within arm’s length, always in sight.”

“So what can we do to amend that? We can create these after-school activities so they can burn off steam. Living in Canada, we have a lot of indoor recess; if it’s minus 30, kids aren’t going outside to play, they’re sitting in the classroom all day.”

Indeed, the harsh Canadian winters often make it impossible for kids to simply hang out with their friends outside. However, the ORC has indoor activities year-round. Whether it’s rain or shine, a heat wave or a blizzard, kids can step into the facility and enjoy everything it has to offer!

The ORC says kids are getting active at younger ages – even as young as three or four – so parents are signing them up for activities.

The facility offers a wide variety of kids’ activities such as JR NBA Basketball, Volleyball, Tween Circuit, Teen Weightlifting, and Strong Girls. However, if your kid isn’t crazy about sports, don’t worry – ORC programs also include Kids Yoga, Dance Fit, and Kid-Fit-Play, which all focus more on fun, active play than on creating a little athlete. You don’t have to hit a ball around to have a great time!

One of the ORC’s shining traits is its role as a multi-purpose facility, which will especially be appreciated by parents of multiple children. Having to drop off one kid at soccer practice, then drop off the other kid for swimming lessons, then pick them both up again a few hours later is both stressful and time-consuming.

Since the ORC offers so many different activities together in the same place, you can save a ton of time and even get in some exercise or a class for yourself at the facility! The ORC has something fun and exciting for every member of the family to enjoy.

Right now, one of their most popular programs across all age groups (5 to 14 years) is the new Jr NBA program, which features a meticulous lesson plan to help kids master the art of basketball. The program also provides licensed shirts, balls, and other items to really complete the NBA experience.

“When the Raptors won the championships, we knew there was going to be an onslaught of kids who want to become the next Kawhi Leonard, the next Pascal Siakam, the next Fred VanVleet. It’s such a great Cinderella story for people to get behind,” Crewe says.

“There’s always got to be a sense of progression when learning a sport, and basketball has done a great job there. They offer smaller balls, we lower the nets, plus eliminate drills in favor of actual games and playtime. The kids are having fun while they’re learning.”

And that’s just one of many kids classes the ORC is currently offering. In addition to these active play and sport clinics, the Club also has robust aquatics, tennis and squash programming! So if you’re a parent looking to entertain your kids after school (and above all, keep them healthy, active, and happy), don’t miss your chance to check out everything the Ontario Racquet Club has on offer.

For more information on all available activities and other offers, including their free membership trial, visit their website at ontarioracquetclub.com.

You can also keep up with all of the ORC’s latest news and updates by following their Facebook and Instagram pages.