22 - The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 1, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com BARRIE ERSKINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER ALL IN THE FAMILY: Drew, Ceili, and Madison Hubbard relax with Oakville Y Sports Coordinator Erin Ducharme following a basketball workout at the Oakville Y. Hubbard family members have been involved with the YMCA in Canada for more than 100 years. Balls of fun at YBC B asketball and the YMCA fit together like a ball fits in the hand of a child it just belongs there. From the origins of the game with inventor James Naismith at Y College to the hundreds of eager players who shoot some hoops every year with the Y Sports leagues, the YMCA of Oakville is proud to bring the game of basketball to the people of Oakville. And Ceili Hubbard, age 13, is glad we do. Ceili loved playing basketball at school in the fall of 2005, but the league ended at the end of October and she was still ready to play. Dad Drew knew she was serious when she said that she wished she could play basketball longer somewhere else, so he knew exactly where to look for a league the YMCA of Oakville. Ceili was back on the court before long and loved her experience with WYBC the female youth basketball league offered by Y Sports. Y Sports in the community is a group of sports profun." Drew Hubbard has a longstanding connection with the Y, so it was not a surprise that he looked into YBC. "My family has been part of the Y for over 100 years. My grandfather was the General Secretary of the Y in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg, and my father Richard Hubbard was the president of the Oakville Y." Kids Ceili and Madison have been involved in the Y since they were born, with yearly visits to the Y's Geneva Park camp and resort facility near Orillia. Caili is looking forward to being a Youth Leader at the camp next year. So YBC Basketball and the Hubbard family are a natural fit. For more information on how to get the youth in your family moving with YBC or WYBC basketball, call Erin at 905-8455597, ext. 234. Membership at the Y is not necessary for any Y Sports programs just a desire to play and have fun. - Submitted by the Oakville Y grams offered in Oakville by the Y. Y Sports Co-ordinator Erin Ducharme said, "In the YBC leagues the emphasis is on fun and recreation. It's a healthy package with a chance for physical activity, new skills, new experiences, and new friends. And our coaches are the best. They're experts in the game and they love watching the kids grow." Ceili likes playing in an allgirl league and is ready to go again this fall: "I like playing with girls. You get to play with people more at your level. It was really fun and the coach was really nice. It's not a super-competitive league so there's no pressure and you just do your best and have Police help give kids a Smart Start Officers from the Oakville division of the Halton Regional Police Service have teamed up with community partners to help some students Start Smart. With assistance from the Oakville Children's Aid Society, ten local kids from age seven to 14 were identified to participate in the Smart Start Program, which seeks to help those who struggle to make ends meet as they prepare to head off to school. Under the direction of Constable Gina Mehlhorn, the ten kids will go to Oakville Place on Sunday Sept. 3 to get their Smart Start. They'll start the day with haircuts donated by Clip, followed by clothes, shoe and school supply shopping in the mall, the cost of which is subsidized through generous donations of the community partners. Each of the students along with their invited families and the assisting police officers will then have lunch donated by McDonalds on Iroquois Shore Boulevard. Supporting the program with donations are: Oakville Kiwanis Club, Oakville Place Mall, Longo's Grocery Store, Total Security Management, Staples/Business Depot, Hopedale Mall, Bronte Chinese Restaurant, Clip in Oakville Place, McDonalds on Iroquois Shore Blvd. and the local Walmart.