2021 Volume: Edition 6
To our Sport for Life champions,

Normal is something we invent. 

Now that the pandemic is beginning to subside, we have a unique opportunity to re-envision how our quality sport and physical literacy ecosystem should operate. There’s never been a better time to imagine new ways of doing things, to innovate, to collaborate, and to build something from the ground up—to invent our new normal.

In this newsletter, you’ll find out about the impressive work being done by Golf Ontario, and hear from our new partner Bowls Canada about why they’ve chosen to embrace PLAYBuilder. On the physical literacy front, we’ve got a story about how our Physical Literacy for Communities project is operationalizing Canada’s Common Vision. We’ve also included the second volume of our Voices of Pride series.

Read on to find more opportunities to get engaged and get active. 
Golf Ontario builds trust and relationships with regional sustainability model

Golf Ontario is piloting a four-year regional sustainability strategy in three areas of the province, with plans to further expand once the pilot has concluded. The project aims to bring together national, provincial and local sport organizations to foster relationships and implement the principles of Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity. 
 
PL4C operationalizes the Common Vision

Created in 2018, A Common Vision for Increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Living in Canada: Let’s Get Moving is a foundational document for all the work done at Sport for Life. With a focus on getting Canadians physically active, it aims to unite sectors such as recreation, health and sport in achieving milestones as part of a national policy. One way that Sport for Life puts it into practice is through the Physical Literacy for Communities (PL4C) initiative.

Voices of Pride Month, Vol. 2

Pride Month is an annual opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond the typical parades and festivities, it’s also a chance for the greater public to learn about the unique perspectives and lived experiences of people of all sexualities and gender identities. 

This year Sport for Life reached out to various members of the LGBTQ+ community to learn about their relationship with movement and physical activity. And though this is a month of celebration, it's also a time to acknowledge the historic and contemporary barriers that exist, and the discrimination many athletes and participants face. 

This is the second of two compilations of their stories.
PLAYBuilder Q&A with Bowls Canada

Jake Schuknecht is the development manager for Bowls Canada, which recently made the decision to provide PLAYBuilder access to all their community coaches. Sport for Life connected with him to see how the platform is working so far.
 
Learn how to become a physical literacy instructor

The Sport for Life Society, Coaching Association of Canada and HIGH FIVE® have come together to support recreation leaders, coaches and others in becoming a physical literacy instructor. 

The Physical Literacy Instructor program is a blended eLearning and workshop training experience that provides the opportunity for an individual to become a recognized physical literacy instructor. The purpose of the four training modules is to equip front-line physical activity workers with the ability to design and deliver quality programs which effectively enhance the development of physical literacy. 
The controversy around early talent identification

Many sport organizations in Canada practice early talent identification (TID), a process where children between the ages of 10-14 are evaluated and selected for high-performance sport programs and put on a track towards athletic success. Unfortunately, this can lead to issues for both those who are identified and those who are not, and this approach often doesn’t take into account the Long-Term Development of athletes. 

Recently, the Sport Information Resource Centre published an article featuring two PhD candidates discussing the pros and cons of TID. Aaron Koenigsberg and Jesse Korf of York University shared their insights in an April blog post that examined the issue from an academic standpoint.

Sweden prepares for Change the Game Conference

The eighth annual Change the Game Conference is coming up in Sweden from September 21 to 24. The virtual event will continue to focus on the power of physical literacy.

Following the success of the first ever International Physical Literacy Conference Europe, that was held in Umeå in 2019, organizer Tom Englén hopes the event will offer insights and inspiration to everyone from newcomers to long-time experts.
Richard Way featured in the Globe and Mail

Sport for Life CEO Richard Way spoke to the Globe and Mail recently about youth sport following the pandemic, and shared insights on the impacts we’ve seen from COVID-19. He noted that 71 per cent of local sport organizations anticipate long-term hardship, and that issues are particularly dire in low-income communities.

“We’re worried there won’t be the same rich selection of viable sport organizations available to Canadians coming out of COVID,” he said.

Read the full article here.
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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. 
Sport for Life Society |  (778) 433-2066 | www.sportforlife.ca