FAQs

Respect in Sport and supporting our youth players

A parental guide to supporting young athletes.

White Paper “Be a positive participant in your child’s athletics

Respect in Sport program in Manitoba.

We are new to canada/Winnipeg/the area, what sort of sports can our kids try?

Welcome! Here at VGCC we host teams for soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey programs. Each has their own page on this website under Sports. We also have a page for Other Sports that we do not host directly but can be found nearby. In Winnipeg there is the Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy that helps newcomer families learn about sports programs in the city. Close to our Community Centre you will also find a YMCA-YWCA facility with a wide range of programs including drop in sports and newcomer services. Additionally, the City of Winnipeg recreation programs offer many activities including locally in this area as do the local schools and school division (RETSD).

Where do we find Field/Diamond/Rink ______?

Scroll down to find maps of both our on-site and off-site fields for home games.

it’s raining! is there still [sport] tonight?

In general, soccer continues rain or shine. The exceptions to this are thunderstorms, when there has been extended rains and the fields are puddles, or in extreme heat warnings. Your league will usually announce closures; if in doubt check with your coaches. For soccer, WYSA will announce on their media by 3 or 4pm. For baseball, coaches will contact the team if they determine the fields are too wet to play.

How do I launder this jersey?

All jerseys should be washed in cool water without commercial fabric softener and hung to dry to preserve their numbers. If you have hard water and no water softener, vinegar in the rinse cycle can help to soften the water.

soccer - what does my player need?

Players will be provided with jerseys. You’ll need to make sure they have shorts, socks, shinpads, and soccer cleats. (U4-6 players may use well fit runners instead of cleats.)

Not sure where to look? Play It Again sports and Once Upon a Child are good resources for second-hand gear - and we know how quickly kids outgrow their gear. Canadian Tire also carries low-cost soccer equipment including cleats, shinpads, and socks.

Make sure to have a reusable water bottle with the player’s name on it or easily identified somehow.

Also make sure players are not wearing any jewelry including earrings and “permanent” jewelry - this is for their safety and the safety of other players; it is also a league rule.

Are there any financial supports to register players?

There are many Recreation Subsidies available in the city. The GCWCC has compiled a document about them which you’ll find HERE.

When is registration?

Basketball

Spring registration in late February/ early March with games mid April until end of June. Fall/Winter registration typically opens mid August. Practices and games take place October through March.

Baseball - Hardball

Registration typically opens in February or March and ends in April. Teams are formed by mid-April and begin practicing in late April. Games typically begin on or around May 1 and run into July. 

Hockey

Registration for hockey opens in late July or August.

Softball

Softball usually starts at the beginning of May and finishes at the end of June or beginning of July. Registration usually opens in February. Visit NESA to learn more.

Soccer

Registration for U4-U18 outdoor recreation soccer typically opens in late February or early March with games in May and June.

Registration for U4-18 indoor recreation soccer typically opens late August or early September with games over the winter until mid March.

Lacrosse

Registration for the local Lacrosse league opens in late February / early March with practices and games in May and June. Visit Gryphons Lacrosse to learn more.

Ringette

Visit Ringette Manitoba to find your closest team.

How do we register?

Details regarding registration for each sport can be found on the individual pages for each - found under the SPORTS navigation header. Most leagues use a centralized online portal for registration. We will provide you with the relevant links and we aim to keep our pages up to date with what each league has posted. When in doubt, check the sports league main pages (also linked on our pages).

We registered with VGCC, but we haven’t heard anything yet.

There are a few things to unpackage with this common inquiry. Firstly, with the exception of our in-house TimBits soccer, you have registered with a local community league for basketball, baseball, hockey, or soccer. All of those leagues take registrations directly and we at VGCC are not a part of that registration process. Secondly, although the league organizers (volunteers) always strive to place players with their home (or closest) community centre, it is not always possible - so you may not be on a VGCC team. The reality is that we may only have 3 players register from your catchment (for a given age group/potential team) and players from multiple catchments may need to be combined in order to successfully form a team. They are limited by who registers; this is also why early registration is important - the earlier leagues can receive registrants, the sooner they can start forming teams. Late registrants may be accepted to the extent that players are needed to help round out a team, or they may discover that there is no more room because teams have already been formed and have reached their maximum rosters.

Once groups of players have been formed, the more difficult task begins: securing coaches (and assistant coaches and managers). We can’t have teams without coaches. Why don’t we have coaches lined up first, you may ask? Most coaches of community leagues are volunteers associated with the team. They are often parents. If you’ve had youths in community sports for a while, then you are likely familiar with the desperate e-mails from the convener looking for coaches and managers. Your wait time is dependent on how long it takes for folks to step forward and volunteer; this is out of your convener’s control.

It is important to note here that conveners are volunteers too and they are not directly connected with your team/youth. They are community members, like yourself, who believe that access to community youth sports is vital; they are aware that without a convener to mediate between the league and a community centre board of directors (also volunteers) and families, then there is no community sports in a given region - you may have noticed that not all community centres host teams.

How can you help ensure that your players and their teammates are able to start practicing soon and have the best experience? Get involved. Community leagues are dependent on folks like yourself helping out. We appreciate that many folks have registered kids in sports that they know nothing about; you’re never too old to learn. Pro tip: it may not be yourself who can coach, but you may have a family member or neighbour who would be able to support your player and their team! Check in with all your connections and highlight the importance of youth sport. You and your fellow team-parents have significantly more connections than our singular convener. Secondly, you don’t have to be head coach to help out! You can assist or manage the team - the less work the coach has to do to manage the team and all aspects of the season, the more likely someone will volunteer to lead and share their skills and return next season. It takes a team to host a team.

Where do I find our receipt for [Sport]?

Most of our leagues now use the RAMP registration system. You’ll find your official receipts in your RAMP account. For our TimBits Micro-soccer this log-in link should help.

have a question? send it to us and we’ll continue to develop the FAQ