Sport Aurora’s “All Sport-One Day” event provides expert instruction in eight sports at McMahon Park

June 26, 2025 · 0 Comments

All Sport-One Day, one of Sport Aurora’s signature events, rolled out in pleasant June conditions at McMahon Park on Saturday.

Sponsored by a grant from ParticipAction Community Challenge and presented by Novo Nordisk, 40 registered participants enjoyed eight sports over the morning and afternoon sessions.

Tennis, rugby, Jiu Jitsu, Soccer, Pickleball, Lacrosse, Lawn Bowling, and Martial Arts were on the menu at McMahon.

Laurie Mueller, Executive Director of Sport Aurora, said she was pleased to see the ideals of her organization manifesting themselves at the site of Aurora’s oldest sporting club.

“Whenever Sport Aurora is true to our mission, it makes me happy. When we’re providing a multigenerational, multisport experience, we’re creating well-rounded athletes, not single-minded athletes.”

Mueller pointed to the expertise present at the event as coaches from local organizations deepened the kids’ appreciation of the eight sports being promoted.

“Our sessions are being led by terrific coaches and players from the Aurora Community Tennis Club, Aurora Barbarians Rugby Football Club, Rising Star Soccer Academy, Elevation Athletics (Pickleball), St. Andrew’s College Lacrosse, and Shaolin Martial Arts which is celebrating its thirtieth year in Aurora. Cavalo Martial Arts is joining us for the first time and providing first class instruction in Jiu Jitsu.”

Although the event at McMahon Park served athletes aged 6-18 on Saturday, there has been considerable clamoring by parents for an All Sports-One Day of their own. Lo and behold—by popular demand and coming to an Aurora park near you on September 27—an eight-sport day for “big kids” will be in place.

Mueller explained the impetus for this new event in the Fall at the Aurora Family Leisure Complex: “It came about as a result of parents asking for an event for them. Parents were so pleased with the experiences of their children at ASOD that they kept asking for an event for adult participants. What better way to make the car ride home even more enjoyable than to see parents committed to trying new sports, too. We can foster staying physically-active for all ages with this new range of events.”

At the heart of the recurrent success of All Sport-One Day is the range of volunteers who work selflessly for the participants to keep them safe and move them from station to station.

Larla Lees, ASOD Chair and a Sport Aurora staffer for over ten years, outlined the growing volunteer spirit sweeping the seasonal event: “We have six new volunteers—two from Microtel Hotel, one from Northridge Community Church, and three from Brad Jones Karate—who are helping us today.”

Lees—whose husband Robert and children Karin and Connor are fully invested as All Sport-One Day volunteers and were fanning out across McMahon Park serving in a number of capacities on Saturday—noted that “The entire family is here today—helping out with the program.”

The giving spirit of the Lees family, as well as the team of community-spirited rookies and selfless veterans like super-volunteer Anthony Garramone, was alive and well in Sport Aurora’s twentieth year of service to the Town.

Sport Aurora’s recent reunion at Microtel reassembled the original team which generated the organization’s mission and vision.

Clearly, Saturday’s event at McMahon Park in 2025 reinforced Sport Aurora’s purpose as envisioned by its founders in 2005.

By Jim Stewart