2013 Sport4All Diversity in Sport Summit

May 25, 2013

Summary Report

This project was made possible through funding from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario

Presented By:

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Together, we’re paving the way! Sixty-five leaders assembled for the first ever Sport4All Diversity in

Sport Summit held on May 25, 2013 at the Edithvale Community Centre in Toronto. Through a series

of roundtable discussions and presentations, delegates identified the barriers to and presented

solutions for increasing the participation of ethnically diverse groups in sport. This discussion was the

initial step in developing a diversity action plan for Ontario’s sport and physical activity sector.

Summit Recommendations:

Spread the word about sport for all

We all have a role to play in ensuring everyone has a chance to participate in sport. Join us in raising

awareness about the need to include and recognize diversity in sport.

Engage ethnically diverse groups and youth

The best way to attract and understand the needs of diverse groups is to involve them! Involve

diverse youth, adults and seniors in program design, implementation and evaluation.

Establish a community of practice

Create a network where individuals and organizations can continue to foster connections and explore

promising practices for engaging more diverse demographics.

Promote partnership and collaboration

Promote greater collaboration between organizations and sectors.

Increase diversity education and training

Facilitate training to support organizations in areas such as cultural competence, intercultural

communication, anti-oppression and collaborative partnership.

The Summit is part of a larger

initiative by SPORT4ONTARIO to

advocate for the removal of

barriers diverse people/groups

may experience when accessing

& participating in sport and

recreation activities.

To support us in this effort, we

have established an Advisory

Committee comprised of

representatives from:

Executive Summary

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Our inaugural Sport4All

Diversity in Sport Summit was

held on May 25, 2013 at the

Edithvale Community Centre.

Sixty-five leaders from the

sport, physical activity,

education, settlement, public

health, business and other

non-profit sectors came

together to discuss the

development of a diversity

action plan for sport and

physical activity providers in

response to Ontario’s changing

demographics.

Imagine an Ontario sport and physical activity sector that reflects the diversity of Ontario itself,

where everyone feels welcome, included and valued

as a participant, a leader or a volunteer.

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SPORT4ALL DIVERSITY IN SPORT SUMMIT Agenda

9:00 am Welcome and Opening Remarks Margaret Emin – Chair, SPORT4ONTARIO Heather Mitchell – Founding Director, Toronto Sports Council

9:05 am Introductions

9:15 am Sport4All Project Overview – Margaret Emin

9:20 am Keynote Address – Nikesh Amit, Peel Newcomer Strategy Group

9:35 am Business as Usual? Changing Demographics in Ontario – Susanna Tang, SPORT4ONTARIO

9:45 am Roundtable Discussion: Barriers to Participation in Sport & Physical Activity – facilitated by Meaghan Griffin and Susanna Tang, SPORT4ONTARIO

10:15 am Break

10:25 am DiverseCity onBoard, Mona ElSayeh, Maytree Foundation

10:30 am Panel - Cultural Outreach Promising Practices Jeff Carmichael, City of Toronto Jordan Miller, Motivate Canada Justin Bobb, Toronto Community Housing Louroz Mercader. Mississauga Youth Games Matt Greenwood, Ontario Soccer Association

11:00 am Roundtable Discussion: Taking Action for Inclusion – facilitated by Susanna Tang and Meaghan Griffin, SPORT4ONTARIO

11:25 am Roundtable Discussion: Creating Welcoming, Inclusive Organizations

11:50 am Personal Pledge

11:55 am Closing Remarks

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Diversity, Inclusion and Cohesion:

Why Should We Care? Presenter: Nikesh Amit, Peel Newcomer Strategy Group

“Today we are going to talk about the role of sport. I have been a minority all my life. I was a

religious minority in my country of origin. Sport—football, soccer—was the bridge that connected

me with my community and the wider community in my country of origin.”

The Summit opened with an encouraging address by Nikesh Amit who connected sport to the

growing diversity in Ontario by explaining the role of sport in integration and community

building. An immigrant himself, he described how sport has always helped him find a sense of

belonging whether in Canada or back in his former homeland. Ever committed to this ideal, he

used his participation in the recent 10K Mississauga run as a platform to raise awareness

about social cohesion.

He also outlined three factors for those working in sport to consider before reaching out to

ethnically diverse communities:

1. Use a customized approach for each demographic group

2. Provide subsidies and ensure newcomer families know that these funds are available

3. Be culturally sensitive

He closed with a reminder that the only way we can achieve these goals is by

working together.

“Sport’s capacity to create links between humans and communities helps unite people of different origins and contributes to social cohesion.”

- Nikesh Amit

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Ontario’s Changing Demographics

The figure above shows the proportion of the population who

identified as a member of a ‘visible minority’ (ethno-cultural

group) across Canada and four municipalities.

The figure to the right shows the changes in religious

affiliation corresponding with the changes in immigration

patterns.

Graphics adapted from Toronto Star.

Business as usual? We don’t think so!

As Ontario’s population continues to diversify, new approaches in sport and physical

activity are needed. In the past four decades, Ontario has seen a dramatic change in its

population make up.

Consider:

In 1981, only 5% of the Canadian population identified as a visible minority. In 2011,

that number grew to 19%. By 2031, this number is expected to at least double.

The majority of immigrants in the past few decades are arriving from East Asia and

South Asia

7 out of 10 immigrants in Ontario choose to live in Toronto

The Aboriginal population is young and growing fast. The rate of population growth for Aboriginal populations is four times the rate of the rest of the population.

Source: Statistics Canada

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Roundtable Discussion 1:

Q1: What are some cultural barriers for people who want to participate in sport programs? Do you think your programs would be viewed as inclusive by all cultures and religions?

Q2: What challenges have you experienced in your work that have prevented you from reaching ethno-cultural groups?

Q3: Are there other barriers that make it difficult for organizations and sport programmers

to reach out and diversify their participant bases?

Barriers to Participation

Cost emerged as the most popular response to what may prevent ethno-cultural groups from

participating in sport programs. Sport can be an expensive pursuit and it may be just out of

reach for some newcomer families with more limited resources. Transportation can be an issue

too, given that facilities are often not within walking distance and the cost of public transit or

driving is beyond some families’ means. Lastly, language and religion were also frequently

mentioned barriers as many newcomers and ethnic families speak languages other than English

and belong to non-Christian faith groups.

From an organizational viewpoint, it is clear that the sport sector needs to take further steps to

become more culturally aware and inclusive as culture itself was frequently noted as a barrier.

Some acknowledged a lack of understanding of the needs and wants of ethno-cultural groups,

while others stated more directly that these groups “cannot see themselves in sport.” This

comment reflects both the insufficient representation of diverse groups in all possible roles in

sport as well as how different ethnicities value sport and define who can play. Finally,

religion was identified as another common barrier recognizing that certain customs, beliefs and

holidays may require additional accommodations in sport programs.

See Appendix A for detailed responses.

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PANELIST

ORGANIZATION

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS for SERVICE PROVIDERS

Jeff Carmichael

City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation

Promote the Welcome Policy subsidy for Toronto’s recreation

programs Suggest free program options at designated Priority Centres Collaborate with staff at the local community centre

Jordan Miller & Michael Auksi

Gen 7 Program at Motivate Canada

Develop youth as leaders to increase capacity & sustainability Partner with businesses for funding & support (e.g. Cisco

partnership enables Gen7 to reach more Aboriginal youth in remote areas by increasing IT infrastructure)

Justin Bobb

Toronto Community Housing Rookie League

Seek out innovative partnerships. Rookie League is

sponsored by the JaysCare Foundation Educate parents about the benefits of sport participation for

children and youth Engage youth as key influencers to be mentors and coaches

for the program

Speakers Panel:

Cultural Outreach Promising Practices

The Summit featured a panel of six speakers who briefly shared what they have learned about

engaging culturally diverse groups in sport and physical activity. Their ideas are summarized in

the following charts

Photo (LtoR): Jeff Carmichael, Jordan Miller, Michael Auksi and Justin Bobb

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Matt Greenwood

Ontario Soccer Association Soccer and Settlement Program

Partner with a settlement agency to help with recruitment Get support from sport clubs and organizations who are already

committed to diversity Be flexible with your organization’s policies and practices Provide bus tickets for transportation

Louroz Mercader

Mississauga Youth Games

Use DiverseCity OnBoard to recruit diverse board members Offer free programming. Partner with local transit to obtain reduced or

free travel Provide a variety of ways for parents & youth to volunteer. Be flexible

in regards to roles, timing and length of their commitment Take care not to make assumptions (e.g. Not everyone knows how to

play the game; teach them the rules and how to play) Ensure your programming meets the different needs and wants of all

your stakeholders

Speakers Panel:

Cultural Outreach Promising Practices (continued)

PANELIST

ORGANIZATION

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS for SERVICE PROVIDERS

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Roundtable Discussion 2:

Q1: How can we create a

welcoming environment in

sport and physical activity

programs?

Q2: How can we overcome

the barriers you and the focus

group participants have

identified?

Taking Action on Inclusion

Here are the five central actions that materialized from the discussions:

Engage and involve ethno-cultural groups in all stages of

programming (e.g. needs assessment, planning, recruitment)

Increase representation of diverse groups in all areas (players, staff,

coaches, officials, board members, volunteers)

Make programs more affordable and provide more subsidies

Create fun, non-competitive experiences for everyone

Increase collaboration between organizations

Other interesting ideas to promote inclusion generated from

the discussion were:

Highlight diversity; recognize identities

Develop new member kits

Address all ‘isms’ proactively

Promoting success stories— take the show on the road

Adopt a broader perspective: “Bigger than just sport”

See Appendix B for detailed responses.

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Action Plan: Creating Welcoming, Inclusive Organizations

The top five recommendations that emerged from the discussions on creating

welcoming and inclusive organizations were:

1) Increase awareness of the need for diversity in sport to all relevant

stakeholders (i.e. diverse groups, government, funders, etc.)

2) Increase engagement of diverse groups & youth to understand their needs

3) Create an organized network to support engagement of all stakeholders

4) Promote partnership and collaboration on this issue

5) Improve sector capacity through diversity education and training

See Appendix C for detailed responses.

Finally, the Summit ended with an invitation for attendees to pledge in

writing what they intend to do both personally and professionally to ensure

sport is accessible for all. A total of thirty attendees shared their pledges

with us.

Pledges ranged from “encourage our strategic plan to be more

inclusive” to “always ask ‘who is not in the room?’”

Roundtable

Discussion 3:

Q1: What needs to be done?

Q2: Whose responsibility is it?

Q3: What are the timelines?

Q4: How can the people in this

room work together to create

change?

Next Steps: As a result of these discussions, SPORT4ONTARIO

is proposing several next steps as outlined on the following

pages. Please review them and let us know what you think!

About timelines: It was widely acknowledged in the Summit

discussion that given the scope and complexity of the issue,

progress will be incremental and work will be ongoing. Thus,

suggested timelines will be developed by the Advisory

Committee as check-in points for assessing progress and

celebrating achievements to date rather than end points.

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Proposed Next Steps

Action Items

Who is Responsible

Extend Sport4All focus to encompass all definitions of diversity (e.g. gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc.)

Ensure all planning, messaging and actions going forward reflect this change

Sport4All Advisory Committee

Expand Sport4All Advisory Committee membership (Maximum: 10 persons)

Issue a call for new members, with a focus on diverse representation

Revise and approve terms of reference

Establish annual meeting schedule (in person and online)

Current Sport4All Advisory Committee New Sport4All Advisory Committee

Establish a Youth Advisory Committee (Maximum: 10 persons)

SPORT4ONTARIO to form a Youth Advisory Committee

Develop terms of references

Promote opportunity and select Youth Advisory Committee members with support from key stakeholders

SPORT4ONTARIO SPORT4ONTARIO SPORT4ONTARIO

Post-Summit Next Steps

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Develop a diversity action plan for the sport, recreation and physical activity sectors

Define objectives and outcomes for increasing diversity in sport and recreation

Review and address sector and stakeholder challenges of implementing plan

Set and determine milestone (outcomes) dates to measure progress

Solicit stakeholder feedback about the plan

Oversee implementation of the plan

Evaluate the outcomes

Sport4All Advisory Committee/S4O Sport4All Advisory Committee/S4O Sport4All Advisory Committee/S4O All All Appoint Committee/S4O

Create and coordinate a community of practice

Initiate an online Sport4All forum

Participate in online discussions

Promote partnerships between agencies, organizations and sectors

Share promising practices and event updates

SPORT4ONTARIO All All All

Increase awareness of the need for & benefits of increasing diversity in sport

Target groups may include:

Sport & physical activity organizations

Other NGOs/non-profits

Government & politicians

Funders (foundations and corporations)

Community-at-large

Publish Sport4All advocacy toolkit

Host subsequent annual summits

Appeal to government and other potential funders for inclusive participation and programming support

Share information via social media. Follow Sport4All on twitter and facebook

Leverage the Pan/Parapan Am games

Share promising practices and event updates

SPORT4ONTARIO SPORT4ONTARIO All All All All

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Provide diversity education and training to sport service providers and other interested stakeholders

Organize workshops and webinars on the following topics:

Cultural competency

Intercultural communication

Anti-oppression

Ethnic media & marketing

Collaborative partnerships

SPORT4ONTARIO with partners

Expert Facilitators

Identify and enlist community champions from representative groups to assist with community outreach

Sport4All and Youth Advisory Committees to identify Community Champions who will assist with the following:

Facilitate working relationships between sport service providers and cultural/religious leaders and organizations

Increase the awareness of sport and recreation programs to members of cultural and religious groups

Support diverse youth and families in understanding and accessing the Canadian sport system

Sport4All Advisory Committee Community champions will lead; all other stakeholders to support their efforts

Take steps today towards being more inclusive and welcoming in your sport and recreation programs

A brief list of things you and your organization can do today:

Adopt policies, values and operating principles that emphasize inclusion

Incorporate equitable hiring practices

Post signage/flyers in other languages

Host a try it day tailored to the target group

Advertise opportunities in ethnic media

Add to this list by sharing ideas online

All

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Appendix A

Barriers to Participation

Roundtable Discussion 1:

Q1: What are some cultural barriers for people who want to participate in sport programs? Do you think your programs would be viewed as inclusive by all cultures and religions?

Q2: What challenges have you experienced in your work that have prevented you from reaching ethno-cultural groups?

Q3: Are there other barriers that make it difficult for organizations and sport programmers to reach out and

diversify their participant bases?

Financial/Cost of sport (including equipment) (9)

Transportation (6)

Language (5), Translation (1)

Religion/religious customs (6)

Culture (e.g. physical touch, dress, traditional sports, etc.) (6)

Cannot see themselves in sport

Facilities and space (5)

Outreach and awareness (4)

Interest & Familiarity (3)

Understanding their needs (3)

Values & Priorities (3)

Gender (3)

Family influence (2)

Accessibility (2)

Not seeing someone as yourself

Focussing on barriers rather than solutions

Segregation versus integration

Challenging our assumptions

Lack of diverse programs

Media/News cover only particular sports

Coaches, mentors, participants aren’t reflective of newcomers

Extension of traditional forms

Obesity

Disability

Spread out population

Perception of faith

Safety & Supervision

Lack of volunteers

Equipment/apparel

Educate/programs

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Roundtable Discussion 2:

Q1: How can we create a welcoming environment in sport and physical activity programs?

Q2: How can we overcome the barriers you and the focus group participants have identified?

Appendix B

Taking Action on Inclusion

Engage & involve target groups (9)

Non-competitive (8)

Reducing or subsidizing costs (6)

Partnerships (4)

Introduce sport (3)

Teach them how to play (3)

Facilities (3)

Translation (2)

Let kids/youth organize themselves (2)

Highlight diversity, don’t mask

Recognize identities

Blindfold: stop looking & start thinking

Identify common values

Take off the term “Visible Minorities”

Reaching out to schools/boards

Building a generational trust

Access to transportation

Promoting success stories – take show on the road

Awareness

Synchronize dealing with problems all at once

Needs assessment

Bridge cultural/ethnic barriers

Adopt a broader perspective – “bigger than just sports”

Be patient

Build strong foundation

Think long-term

Sustainable development

Educate

Social Media

Changing attitudes

Get people on-board early

Build it and they will come

Consistent approach

Re-evaluate with input from T.A.

Address all ‘isms’

New member kit

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Roundtable Discussion 3:

Q1: What needs to be done? Q3: What are the timelines?

Q2: Whose responsibility is it? Q4: How can the people in this room work together to create

change?

Appendix C

Action Plan:

Creating Welcoming &

Inclusive Organizations

Increase awareness of the issue

Awareness of need to include & recognize diversity

Create awareness among service providers

Marketing! Non-profits vs profit organizations

Publicity

Own your motivation

Build passion

Why “buy-in”? Inclusion

Take the “Show on the Road”

Communicate the all-inclusive mission

Increase engagement of diverse groups

Engage under-represented groups because they are

the end user

Understand: needs, wants, priorities, values, etc.

Look at legal documents and apply them properly

(e.g. Charter of Rights, Multiculturalism Act)

Include cultural component (food)

Include parents

Communicate at all levels: Participants, Parents

Create an organized network

Create a community of practice

Diversity in sports across other regions

(GTA, Ontario) to share best practices/

solutions with each other

Exchange contact info

Meet regularly (in person and tech)

Networking

Resources in this room

Improve sector capacity through education

and training

Education: organizations, staff, board,

clients

Leadership training

Understanding diverse needs

Break stereotypes

Not making assumptions

Leading by example

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Roundtable Discussion 3:

Q1: What needs to be done? Q3: What are the timelines?

Q2: Whose responsibility is it? Q4: How can the people in this room work together to create change?

Appendix C

Action Plan:

Creating Welcoming &

Inclusive Organizations

Promote partnerships and collaboration

Partnerships (2)

Program co-ownership - Cricket/Hockey Day?!?

Everyone

Participants, Parents

Sport organizations, Service providers

Government, Cities and regions

SPORT4ONTARIO, Educational facilities

Large Corporations, Sponsors

Citizens, Communities

Timelines

ASAP - be quick but not in a hurry

Patience is important; let ideas be tried out for 5

years; gradual, incremental improvement

Ongoing/change (2)

Now (3)

By the 2015 Pan Am Games

Never ends

Be open to no timelines; One step at a time

Additional ideas

Goals & Aims (Realistic, Efficient)

Stats to measure progress

New non-comp programs; try days

Female specific

Keep it fun! (2)

Celebrate the small achievements

Complete audit of resources

(facilities, physical capacity)

Establish a new development tax base

for development that will stress existing

community/facilities

Demystifying/reducing fear

Advocate for physical fitness benefits

for academic performance

Make sports/fitness priority in schools

More free community use at schools

Why are residents taxed twice for use

of public facilities (taxes & permit fees)

Workplace fitness programs

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