By Kezia Royer-Burkett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
On Wednesday, April 22, a unique partnership between Dare to Be You(th) and Blue Zone Courts brought together 48 students from across the Halton District School Board (HDSB) for a half-day of empowerment, leadership, and experiential learning through sport. The event, hosted at Blue Zone Courts in Burlington, used pickleball and padel (also called padel tennis, a mix of tennis and squash) not just as games, but as tools to build resilience, self-awareness, and community among students from grades 8 to 11, ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old.
The brightly lit indoor courts buzzed with activity as students from Burlington Central High School and Montclair Public School took to the courts with enthusiasm. Dressed in Blue Zone’s signature blue, the Dare to Be You(th) and Blue Zone team guided students through drills and matches designed to reinforce key life skills like strategic thinking, collaboration, and emotional resilience. Whether learning to serve or navigating the emotional highs and lows of competition, students embraced the experience fully.
“I learned through this process today that progress makes perfect,” said Kate, an HDSB student, reflecting on how much she had improved in just a short time.
Beyond sport, the day was about finding strength in failure — something Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward emphasized in her speech. “It really is about how to work from those mistakes,” she said. “I ran for the first time in 2006 and lost that election. I had to decide — is this for me? Losing doesn’t feel awesome, but I learned a lot from it. I learned what I wanted and what I didn’t want.”
Meed Ward shared her journey from defeat to becoming Burlington’s two-term mayor, encouraging students to embrace setbacks as part of their growth. “You’ve got to make your luck and build community,” she said. “Be curious. Care about what’s on other people’s minds.”
HDSB Director of Education Curtis Ennis was also in attendance, cheering on students and reaffirming the board’s commitment to experiential learning that extends beyond traditional classrooms.
Dare to Be You(th), which has operated since 2021, continues to provide no-fee educational programs designed to uplift youth aged 14–24 in Halton and Hamilton. By prioritizing access and equity, the organization equips youth with tools for self-development, healthy relationships, and future planning. Their approach to leadership through sports is based on the idea that emotional and physical well-being go hand in hand — and that sometimes, the best way to learn how to lead is by picking up a paddle and stepping onto the court.
With support from community partners like RBC, BarterPay, and SB Partners, who currently have a scholarship application for $5,000 open to local students, the event served as a reminder of what’s possible when schools, nonprofits, and businesses come together to invest in the next generation. The scholarship application closes at the end of the month, on April 30, 2025.
As students walked off the court sweaty and smiling, one thing was clear: the lessons learned that day went far beyond pickleball. They were about life, leadership, and the courage to try again, win or lose.
