Life has changed dramatically over the past months, and staying physically and mentally active is important to our health, happiness and wellbeing. However, there seem to be so many restrictions, and you may have gotten used to staying home. What is there to do? This year’s edition of the Sport & Creative Industries Open House, which premiered online on Monday, answered exactly that question. Missed it? That’s okay, you can still explore your options on the Facebook pages of the Government’s Departments of Sports and Culture!
This year’s annual open house was held online because of the circumstances, but on the bright side, this allowed for great footage – showing personal and lively stories that can be accessed at any time, from the comfort of your own home.
Hosted by Culture Department Head Clara Reyes and Sports Department Head Jonelle Richardson, the videos explore a wide variety of sports, leisure activities, art, media, heritage and creative services.
For the most part, options are grouped into categories, such as combat sports, “tabled” sports (for example, table tennis and chess), water- and field-sports; as well as a wide variety of arts, such as poetry, dance, music and fashion.
The videos shine spotlights on St. Maarten’s well-known names, as well as organisations and trainers that you may never have actively considered. What are the possibilities? Who would love this activity? How do you get involved? A total of 30 organisations participated.
“The event went extremely well,” said Paul Bell, a representative of the Sports Department. “The responses we’ve received have been positive and encouraging. We’d really like to thank each and every one of the participating organisations for being so generous with their time as we pieced this project together.”
As stated in the event’s introduction, “Sport is life.” Movement, exercise and living a healthy lifestyle are of utmost importance. “At a time such as this where mobility has been somewhat restricted, it is that much more important to take care of one’s body and mind. Also, although it is not advisable that some activities go on at the moment, or some groups have decided on their own to not offer their services for the time being, the general public needs to know what activities they can still safely participate in to remain active.”
With such a wide variety, there’s something to pique everyone’s interest: beach volleyball, sculpting, photography… there is so much to still explore and enjoy.
The open house started on Monday, September 14, at 10:00am, and lasted until evening – with multiple videos breaking the event down into different segments.
It was made possible by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport – which encompasses the two departments – The National Sports Institute (NSI), The St. Maarten Sports Olympic Federation (SMSOF) and The National Sports Organizations (NSO).
Don’t just sit there, check it out! Find the Department of Sports – SXM and/or Department of Culture – MECYS on Facebook and get excited about staying active!
