Our small town of Mount Currie has a big thing for sports. Ball hockey, soccer, softball and snowboarding are just some of the sports that are popular here. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been playing sports all year long here.  

Ball hockey takes place most of the year every Wednesday at Ullus, the community centre. This sport typically involves many in the community. Teams can be co-ed, all women or all men. Because it is such a popular sport in Mount Currie, many people come out to play or cheer on the ball hockey players. When we host tournaments, there are teams from Lillooet, Vancouver and, of course, many local teams. 

I was eight years old when I played ball hockey for the first time at home. I learned how to play from my parents. They taught me everything I know, and, today, I’m still learning new things such as ball handling, shooting, blocking, reading plays and adapting to a situation on the fly. 

There is also indoor soccer—also called futsal—in the winter, and outdoor soccer in the summer. For futsal, the balls are a bit heavier than standard soccer balls, which are bouncier and lighter. Futsak or indoor soccer does not use the same lines as on a normal soccer pitch, and it is very easy to strategically use the walls to pass the ball off of. 

In the spring and summer, the Lil’wat Youth Soccer Team travels to play in places such as Sechelt and Musqueam in East Vancouver. I usually play right back. I like finding the perfect moment to pass to my teammates. 

In a recent tournament in Sts’ailes, a three-and-a-half-hour drive away in the Lower Mainland, we narrowly lost in an intense shootout. 

The softball league in Mount Currie starts in October and goes until snowfall. There are usually eight teams. As it gets darker earlier and earlier, sometimes we play until we can barely see at night. I usually play in the outfield. I’m not good at throwing, but I’m fast and can catch the ball.

Every Sunday all winter, the Lil’wat Youth Snowboarding Team goes to Whistler. Sometimes we just ride with the instructor, and sometimes they coach us on certain tricks and techniques. I like snowboarding in all sorts of conditions. My goal is to one day do a 360 on my snowboard. 

Sports are such a big part of my life as a teenager in Mount Currie, and I plan to keep doing them for a long time. 

This article was written by Grady Peters, and was first published in the Pique newsmagazine issue 30.24 on June 16, 2023.

Images by Simon Bedford via https://lilwat.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Lilwat-Nation-AR14.pdf