Lethbridge Sport Council celebrates 15 years

By Lethbridge Herald on March 28, 2023.

Lethbridge Sport Council’s executive director Susan Eymann and founding chair Dr. Gary Bowie cut the organization’s 15th anniversary cake on Tuesday at the Galt Museum and Archives.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Lethbridge Sport Council celebrated its 15th anniversary in conjunction with  their  Annual General Meeting  on Tuesday night at the Galt Museum and Archives.

It was on March 28, 2008, that the organization was established  in the city to assist with promoting and supporting of sport and physical activity in the community.

Current LSC executive director Susan Eymann was brought on in her current capacity 13-and-a-half years ago.

“I think one of the key pieces of the success story is the 10 years of work that went into forming the Sport Council before it was a non for profit,” said Eymann.

“There was a lot of very intentional community consultation and strategic planning with sport organizations. Also, working with the city, the rec and culture department, and so everyone was on board. Everyone had the same vision going forward. So then when I stepped in, I could just start doing the work that they had intended to be done. Since then, it continues that collaboration with community. There’s nothing that we do on our own. We tried in the start to do a few events on our own. You just don’t have the same reach and it doesn’t have the same impact because it’s coming from us when we’re working with… a parent or an organization, like a sport organization, or a  community organization. Then we know it’s a want and a need in the community and then together we can make that happen.”

LSC felt after going to the city council in 2019 to ask for more funds to add a third staff member, is when the organization took a step forward.

“So that  we can proactively go to the sport organizations and say we’re here, we want to listen to you (and) how can we help,” recalled Eymann.

“Before that with two staff, it was when they phoned us or walked through our door and said we need help, quite often they were already in crisis. So to be able to proactively go out and speak to organizations and work with them before there is an issue, I think has been a great support for sport in the community.”

LSC acts as voice for sport in Lethbridge.

“We are the voice for sport for Lethbridge when we talk to people provincially or nationally,” said Eymann.

“So they remember that there’s someone south of Calgary and that has been I think a very important voice to have. But in Lethbridge, it keeps changing how we help and it really depends on what’s happening in the community.”

Dr. Gary Bowie was the founding chair of the LSC.

“I think by good people getting involved,” said Bowie, on how LSC has made 15 years.

“And we (the founding board) realized  that in order for this thing to keep going we needed full time help. So we went after that too with Susan (Eymann). So we got going on that right away, so we could have a full time person.”

Bowie says there’s always going to be a need for people who have a feel for a sport to be involved and get in there and start doing things.

“I think that’s part of  it,” said Bowie.

“We worked hard at getting  good people become involved in the Sport Council, well (the) Bid Committee first then the Sport Council, and I think that had a lot to do with it. We had good people who were prepared to really get in and dig and that’s still needed. That’s the key to any sports organization. You’ve got to keep filling it, so it’ll grow, and I think Susan has done a great job in coming up with different ideas.”

Attendees had the opportunity to socialize with LSC members, learn about LSC’s mission and initiatives and could explore sport history memorabilia.