Racism, social isolation playing role in youth access to sports in Ontario, study finds
A large study looking at youth access to sports in Ontario found over the past three years the number of young people participating in sports has declined.
MLSE Foundation found in its Change the Game Research Study 37.5 per cent of youth not active in sports over the past year reported a weak sense of community and belonging compared to 18.5 per cent of youth active in sports.
Immaculate Adarkwa, 19, has put her focus on basketball, but not before trying her fair share of sports, including wrestling, volleyball, soccer and track and field.
Growing up she says her experience was mostly positive but faced challenges to play and improve athletically.
“I played mostly in school so some of these barriers, access, I did not have. Even financial stuff I did not have,” Adarkwa said.
“Change is possible, but we all have to work together,” said Tanya Mruck, vice-president of community engagement and social impact at MLSE, at the study’s launch Wednesday.
The research showed 41 per cent of Black youth surveyed experience racism, 33 per cent of Indigenous youth surveyed experience racism, and only 21 per cent of all youth feel comfortable to try and stop incidents when they happen, with many struggling with social isolation.
“Youth are just not making those social connections, for lot of youth it’s about those social connections, having a peer, a friend come to a program to have a friend, they don’t feel comfortable coming independently,” said Marika Warner, director of research and evaluation at MLSE Foundation.
Researchers connected with 25,000 diverse youth across Ontario. They say while they found a decline in participation in sport, they now have the knowledge to increase it.
MLSE Foundation says much of the needed work around making youth feel comfortable includes mentorship, multi-sport activities and providing positive, safe and inclusive spaces.
Adarkwa believes the key to change is creating a positive culture.
“I think a lot of people are willing to donate and that’s starting to happen … but when they get into the culture, that’s why they start pushing back or pulling back.”
MLSE Foundation says the study will allow partners to identify the greatest needs, where to invest and the types of programs for young people to play sports and thrive.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.