Olympic fever sparks surge in Windsor youth sport registrations

As the Olympic Games capture global attention, Windsor-based sport organizations anticipate a boost in signups.

The 2024 games, which have officially been running for about a week, shine a spotlight on sports like gymnastics, swimming and volleyball.

Local clubs said that spotlight tends to shine on them, too.

"We get a great surge of registrations during Olympic times,” said Carey Vigneux, owner and director of Winstars Gymnastics Training Centre. “I think [gymnastics] is probably one of the most-watched sports during the Olympics."

Vigneux said Winstars often sees an uptick in interest in the season following the Olympics, meaning they expect to see more youth turn out this fall.

While the games only happen every four years, he said that surge can carry the club through.

“It helps kind of ride that wave for the next two or three years,” said Vigneux. “I think it inspires young athletes, especially our young, competitive athletes, and inspires them to continue in the sport and work hard."

Olympic inspiration doesn’t just bring more kids to the mat but to the pool as well.

Windsor Aquatic Club reported the same regular boost in interest on the heels of each Olympic event.

“A lot of the times our registration in the fall sees a pretty big surge because kids want to do what they are seeing on TV,” Assistant Coach Jodie Cortese told CTV News.

Winstars Gymnastic Club often sees an uptick in registrations following the Olympic Games. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News London)Cortese said the stellar performance by LaSalle native Kylie Masse only served to turn that surge into a veritable tidal wave.

"Kids see someone that's from where I live doing these amazing things, so why can't I?” she said.

Sports that were not publicized as much as swimming and gymnastics didn’t see the same boost.

A spokesperson for Rose City Archers said the Olympics didn’t lead to more kids picking up bows in the city.

They said that surge came when movies glamorizing the sport, like The Hunger Games or Brave, were released.

Volleyball also reportedly saw a smaller boost in Windsor.

But the Olympic action was exciting for local enthusiasts nonetheless.

“There's been an incredible buzz in our gym,” said Mark Drouillard, director of Rose City Volleyball. "Our coaches and our athletes are all talking about the Olympics. We look forward to that buzz carrying over into our travel tryouts in September,” he said.