Learn to SOAR with free basketball program

There’s a new spot in Matthews where women can get heart healthy – for free.

SOAR Sports, a sports outreach and recreation ministry of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, is offering free basketball open gyms to area women 18 and older. Women meet on Monday evenings from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in the gym at Christ Covenant Church, located at 800 Fullwood Lane, Matthews.

Jenny Young, assistant director of SOAR Sports, envisioned the program two years ago with the hopes of starting a women’s basketball league. To gauge public interest, she posted an ad on Craigslist.com. Unfortunately, the interest didn’t warrant a league, but Young soon created the concept of weekly open gyms for area women who wanted an outlet where they could find encouragement through sports.

Young, who leads each open gym, wanted to provide women an opportunity to come together whether or not they’ve ever played basketball. “I wanted to not just offer basketball, but to offer women a time of encouragement. … You can learn a lot on the court about somebody you didn’t know before,” Young said.

According to Young, an average of 15 to 20 women from ages 18 to 45 attend each weekly open gym. Suzanne Voigt, 29, of Matthews, has been attending the open gyms for several months and has been inspired by the time she’s spent with other women. “It is very special when women from all seasons of life are able to come together and play this great game,” Voigt said.

Voigt, who used to play basketball at Queens University of Charlotte, loves the encouraging, non-judgmental environment of the open gyms. “You can be at any level of play and be included in every game. It is a fun atmosphere with lots of laughs and sometimes music. It is also a great workout that is sometimes hard to get unless you belong to a gym,” she said.

In fact, the open gyms have helped her enjoy a game that used to cause her a lot of pressure. “The game is once again fun and uplifting playing with other encouraging women,” she said.

SOAR Sports began in 1990 as an outreach ministry to youths, ages 5 to 18. According to Christ Covenant’s Web site, SOAR Sports now ministers to both the church and the outside community, with about 2,500 participants each year.

Want to know more?

For more information about SOAR Sports’ open gyms for women, visit www.soarsports.com or call Jenny Young at 704-814-1055.