UNDERSERVICED CHILDREN:
SPORTS PARTICIPATION BARRIERS AND BEST PRACTICES According to Statistics Canada, children who live in unsafe neighborhoods, children of new immigrants and children coming from low-income families are less likely to participate in sports.
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or children, joining a sports team is an opportunity to learn, create new friendships, and develop fundamental skills. Being part of a sport team not only keeps kids active but also has many psychological and social benefits. Unfortunately, barriers for some families can influence whether their children can even participate in sports. CHALLENGES TO SPORT PARTICIPATION • Families of minority children do not always recognize the value of sports. They encourage their kids to focus more on academic achievements. Parents of low-income minority children might work longer hours so encouraging a child to pursue their academics is more important as it is seen as way to a better career. • Parents of new immigrants to Canada may come from environments where sports are not encouraged and might not know the benefits of being active. They view sports participation as a low priority compared to family commitments, education or working. This can have an effect on participation levels among this community especially for girls. • According to the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, the highly structured sports system in Canada makes access to playing sports more difficult for new Canadians. For
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many newcomers to the country, they are used to pickup games and the Canadian system is very formal. This can be intimidating and very foreign to people not used to such a system.
largely due to cost. As they get better and move on from one level of development to the next, the cost of equipment, fees and travel can add up. If a child from a lowincome family makes a traveling team or gets called up to the next • Lack of awareness of facilities level, unless the team is willing to and programs available. Access to fundraise or forgive the costs, that information especially to individuals child is most likely not able to play whom English or at the next level. This French is not their hinders their ability main language can to develop and attain One-third of make it difficult the experience at that to reach some children do higher level. communities. not participate • Parents of low• A big barrier is income families the lack of similar in any form of sometimes work more people, “others like one job; usually organized sport than me”, participating shift work and long in sports. In many hours. In order to be largely due to minority groups, able to make ends meet there is a lack of everybody in the family cost. facilities where has to pitch in. Children they can participate in these families usually in sports as a have to babysit their community. The younger siblings or get lack of role models at a high level part time jobs in order to help their can also feed into this notion. families. With such responsibilities and the high cost of organized • Cultural barriers such as Muslim sports most do not have the time or girls having to change for gym class the funds to participate in high-level or wear uniforms that go against organized teams. their culture or religion can deter participation. Not being sensitive to The consequence of these barriers is religious holidays such as Ramadan, that we are limiting our talent pool as children are not able to exercise while fasting, can also discourage only to those who can afford to play participation. Service providers organized sports at the national level, or often lack understanding about who conform to our national standards. specific cultural and religious needs Children from higher socioeconomic which can deter participation, statuses have better opportunities especially for girls. and support to continue participating • The most significant barrier for kids in sports throughout their lives. The developing in sports is cost. One- majority of children that participate in third of children do not participate organized sport live in a household with in any form of organized sport an average income of $80,000+.