Sport & Social Club:
As Sudbury as a One Arch Burger Stand.
For those new to the Sudbury Sport & Social Club –Sudbury’s largest adult rec sports league– it may come as a surprise that the founder of the league, Kristi Herold, grew up in the city, and maintains strong connections with it.
“My love of sports started in Sudbury.”
Kristi’s mother, grew up in Copper Cliff, and was imbued with strong entrepreneurial spirit from both sides of her family. “My grandfather, Cam Shortts, ran a hunting and fishing lodge (Lift the Latch Lodge) in French River upon returning from Air Service in World War II. When the lodge was closed in winter, he was the ice man at the Sudbury Curling Club. “I think running sports and outdoor activities is baked into my DNA.”
Herold’s love of sport started at the young age of 7, where she played in an all boys soccer league, unbeknownst to her teammates. “I had short hair, and they called me Chris, so I went with it. Hey, it was the 1970s!” She continued being active playing basketball, volleyball and flag football at Lockerby during her teenage years. She was also busy ripping around the Alpine ski racing circuit in Canada with the Northern Ontario Development team.
During all of this sports action, Herold was also developing the taste for running her own businesses, as many Northern Ontarians do. It started with a lawn cutting business at the age of 15, with her pushing around a mower to get to her clients. She also built a highly successful and award winning College Pro Painting franchise, that saw her employ dozens of young Sudburians.
Her memories of active life are still strong: “The running, hiking, mountain biking and cross country skiing on the city’s beautiful trail systems behind Laurentian University are so unique to have in a city. Not to mention how much fun you can have on or in the water on the city’s amazing lakes.”
While Herold reluctantly moved away from Sudbury, she was eager to bring Sport & Social Club to the city, as she knew it would match the fun and laid back nature of the city. “The north knows how to have fun. We are just there to provide some new outlets to these great people to help keep them active and social.”