A boy from Olds is carrying on a family tradition to participate in the Alberta Summer Games.
The Alberta Summer Games start on July 14 in Leduc. Brock Smith, 12, will be playing lacrosse for the Zone 2 team, making the cut after attending tryouts in Airdrie the last weekend of May.
Smith currently plays lacrosse in Red Deer. He said he hopes to meet new people and improve as a player.
He is the youngest of three boys in the family. Thaime, 17, attended the Games four years ago. Teagan, 15, went two years ago. Both are also lacrosse players.
"I went to their Summer Games and watched. They all talk about how fun it was and I just love the sport so I wanted to try out," Smith said.
Their mother, Danielle was also a swimmer at the Games in 1987. She recalls winning two silver medals and a bronze.
The only one in the family who didn't participate is their father, Matt. Danielle said the kids tease him about missing out.
However, he's no couch potato. She said her husband works as a pipeline welder and in his spare time, takes the family out quadding and hunting. He also played hockey in his youth.
Danielle said she pushed her kids to try out for Summer Games teams because she wanted them to have as much fun as she did.
"My oldest one wasn't going to do it and I'm like, ‘you have to. You'll totally love it. You gotta do it,'" she said.
She's kept in touch with at least one friend she made at the 1987 Games.
The pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies was the most memorable part of her experience, as well as bunking with the other kids. Athletes at the Games are aged 11 to 17 years old.
"They do it differently now. With my kids, it wasn't as much fun as what we did. We did the walk around the whole stadium," she said. "And then just getting to sleep in the school with all your teammates, not having parents around."
"They all talk about how fun it was and I just love the sport so I wanted to try out."BROCK SMITH
