Sports

From soccer balls to foam darts: Storm FC launches new indoor attraction

July 30, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Storm FC is trading soccer balls for foam darts this summer with the launch of Blaster Wars, a new team-based indoor NERF attraction at its facility in Mono.

Players compete in mission-style games, including Capture the Flag and Rescue the Prisoner, with teams working to defend their base and outmanoeuvre their opponents.

Chris Broom, Storm FC’s executive director, said the idea grew out of the club’s search for summer programming. With soccer largely an outdoor activity, the club’s space sits available most evenings once summer soccer programming winds down.

“In the summer, our space is available every evening and we’ve had a lot of suggestions to run programming that was different than soccer, which can be played outside,” Broom said. “We were trying to come up with an activity that could be exciting to many different age groups and didn’t require much investment in equipment for players.”

The idea took shape after a trip to Dallas, where Broom was attending an NFL game and learned AT&T Stadium had been rented out for an entire weekend to host a NERF Wars competition.

“It seemed like a really fun idea to bring that to the area,” he said.

The equipment was purchased with roughly $2,000 from an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant Storm FC had secured for its summer camp programs.

Each session begins with a safety walkthrough, which Broom said takes less than five minutes, covering how to use the blasters and the rules of the games. Players are then divided into teams and enter the arena to complete their mission.

Broom said the response has not been limited to younger participants.

“We’ve watched parents outside the viewing area get the itch to jump in and join after a few minutes, sometimes even playing against their own kids,” he said. “In a way, it can be therapeutic for them.”

Broom said the appeal also comes down to a gap he sees locally.

“There are not a lot of activities offered locally that entire families could participate in together, regardless of age,” he said. “Summer heat — and lately air quality — can become a barrier to physical activity for some community members, and we’re fortunate to have an air-conditioned space that is a perfect solution to those challenges.”

Storm FC is also planning to launch league play in August, with six-on-six teams that players can join individually or form themselves.

“We’re hoping to get approximately 10 to 12 persons into the space three to four times per week in the evenings during drop-in sessions to get people active and offer a fun way to spend time together as well,” Broom said.

Blaster Wars runs drop-in sessions on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings in July at the Storm FC facility behind the Mono Plaza off Highway 10. Fridays are set aside for ages five to 12 from 6 to 8 p.m., while Saturdays also run from 6 to 8 p.m. for ages 13 to 17 and from 8 to 10 p.m. for adults.

The activity is also available to book for birthday parties, youth groups, school outings, family celebrations, workplace socials and team-building events, with sessions adaptable to different group sizes and skill levels.

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