Summer Sports Programs for Young Canadians

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Children & Youth Programs from National Sport Organizations

Many national sport organizations across Canada have fun and exciting programs to help children and youth enjoy the many benefits of sports. Below are some examples of sports programs that have been made available to young Canadians over the past few years. (NOTE: some of these examples may no longer apply). 

For more information, visit the ‘National Sport Organizations’ section of Sport Canada’s website at http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/sc/federations/index_e.cfm or get in touch with your provincial or territorial SummerActive representative via the ‘Contact Us’ section.

Athletics Canada’s Run, Jump, Throw program
Run, Jump and Throw is an athletics program for children in schools, clubs and communities in 11 of the provinces and territories. The program is delivered by teachers, sport club coaches or community recreation leaders who are trained to provide instruction in athletics. The program focuses on the enhancement of physical fitness, health and physical development for children 7-12 years of age by learning fundamental running, jumping and throwing movement skills through track and field, which acquire a strong foundation for success in all other sports and physical activity.

Target group: Boys and girls from 7-12 years of age.
Scope: The project is currently being delivered via school physical education classes in 10 provinces and the Northwest Territories.

Badminton Canada’s Community Badminton program  
This program offers introductory badminton sessions to Aboriginal areas in the Northwest  Territories, and small or remote communities in Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. The program is delivered by community sport development officers who are also responsible for initiating contact with the communities and establishing a club structure to support continued growth of the program.

Target group: Under-represented groups, especially Aboriginal youth and adults.
Scope: The program is delivered in the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador, through the distribution of manuals to primary schools, as well as community centres.

Baseball Canada’s Winterball program
This grassroots program teaches young children the basic skills of baseball (throwing, catching, stopping, etc.) in a safe and indoor setting and gets children involved in community sports. Baseball Canada delivers educational kits including equipment, printed materials, teachers’ manuals, videos, and take home materials for students for schools across the country. This school based program has 9 lesson plans for Grade 3 & 4 and 9 lesson plans for Grade 5 & 6 students, with teachers using safety equipment to teach the basic skills of the game of baseball.

Target group: Children from 9-12 years of age
Scope: The project is currently being delivered in school in 10 provinces and the Northwest  Territories.

Basketball Canada’s Steven Nash Youth Basketball  program
The Steven Nash Youth Basketball program is a national youth basketball initiative designed to develop fundamental skills, sportsmanship and a love of the game of basketball. This grassroots program supports and empowers community-based recreational groups and facilities, schools and other institutions across Canada in an effort to positively influence youth through basketball. The goal of the program is to allow participants the opportunity to maximize their potential, while promoting the importance of youth basketball as a vehicle to build character, discipline and self-esteem.

Target group: children and youth aged 5-13
Scope: The program is currently being delivered in community-based recreational groups and facilities, schools and other institutions across Canada.

Canadian Amateur Boxing Association’s Box-On program
This grassroots boxing program is designed to introduce the sport to youth ages 8-18 through a fitness program dedicated to using boxing training techniques as a means of achieving a healthy, active lifestyle. The program targets youth in elementary and high school, community centres, sport camps, youth centres and Boys and Girls Clubs. It is a non contact program, with high physical activity where participants are introduced to basic boxing skills and use of equipment.

Target group: Youth from 8-18 years of age
Scope:  The program is currently being delivered in Manitoba and New Brunswick as pilot projects, then after 2008-2009, it will be delivered in other provinces and territories.

Canadian Canoe Association’s Aboriginal Paddling and PaddleALL program
The aim of this program is the establishment of a strong Aboriginal canoe-kayak sport and recreation program within seven provinces. This program helps develop Aboriginal canoe clubs through the provision of kayaks and coach training/mentoring, the integration of Aboriginal athletes into existing competitions, and exposure to the CanoeKids Learn-to-Paddle Program. The PaddleALL program is structured around an initial learn-to-paddle approach. The program is being delivered in seven provinces.        

Target group: Aboriginal youth (ages 10-18) and People with a disability.
Scope: Both programs have been initiated within seven provinces and is run through local community projects.

Diving Canada’s Blast-Off program
Blast-Off is a recreational diving program which has been designed around the needs of the largest untapped diving lesson market – municipal pools outside the geographic reach of established diving programs. Blast-Off is very fundamental in nature, provides many opportunities for success, requires no special dry-land equipment and features program material that is appropriately packaged for different age groups. The class structure allows for high student/instructor ratios and it also boasts first time ever parent/tot diving classes.

Target group: Children and youth (with emphasis on children aged 4-13 and a secondary emphasis on youth 14 and older).
Scope: The project is currently delivered within four provinces through municipal pools outside the geographic reach of established diving programs.

The Canadian Fencing Federation’s Mini Fencing program
This fencing program is designed to introduce young children to the basic motor skills and game concepts of the sport of fencing. The program is geared to children ages 6-10, with delivery in the school system. The program provides plastic and foam equipment kits for youth, with teacher centred instructional video for use in the delivery.

Target group: Children and youth (ages 6-10).
Scope: The program was delivered in 6 provinces through the school system.  

Field Hockey Canada’s National Schools program
This program is delivered in elementary and secondary schools across Canada by school coordinators, involving the participation of trained coaches and officials, and using instructional material. The program is ongoing in seven provinces, and it may also soon be implemented in New Brunswick and Quebec.

Target group: Children and youth (ages 6 to 18).
Scope: The program is being delivered through seven provinces, with efforts being made to begin projects in two more provinces.

Football Canada’s Flag Football program
Course conductors deliver the Flag Football initiative as part of elementary school programs for physical education, intramural and inter-school competitions. A strong focus is placed on community participation, specifically in regions where football programs are not established. Expansion of the program has been facilitated throughout nine provinces with the creation of various manuals and handbooks.

Target group: Youth (ages 8-18), specifically girls, Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities, youth-at-risk and visible minorities.
Scope: The project is delivered in nine provinces, both through an in-school program as well as a community-based program.  

The Royal Canadian Golf Association’s CN Future Links program
The CN Future Links is Canada’s national junior golf development program designed to ‘Ensure the Future of Golf’’. The program consists of multi-level instruction and rewards, clinics, camps, support materials and special programs to raise awareness of junior golf and address the issues of accessibility and affordability.

Target group: Girls aged 7-18.
Scope:  The project is delivered in ten provinces.

Gymnastics Canada’s Grassroots Sports Aerobic Gymnastics, Inclusion of Gymnatics in Physical Education Curricula, Gymnaestrada and Gymnastics for Persons with a Disability programs

These gymnastics programs are delivered as part of the physical education curriculum, involving eight provinces as well as the development of a program for athletes with a disability. The focus is on development of grassroots non-competitive and competitive programs, resources, and a certification program for coaches working with disabled gymnasts.

Target group: Children and youth (ages 13 to 18), and disabled athletes
Scope: The Aerobic Gymnastics program is being delivered within 3 provinces in high schools and clubs setting. The Phys. Ed Curricula program is being delivered within 8 provinces, holding teacher workshops to incorporate the project into the education curriculum; National Gymnaestrada was delivered within 6 provinces as well, through camps.

Judo Canada’s Eclipse program
This program involves judo sessions by trained judo instructors to underprivileged and challenged youth in ten provinces and one territory, with a main focus of introducing judo in hospitals, schools and juvenile detention centres. The Eclipse program looks to build self-esteem and confidence in youth-at-risk, while teaching them basic judo skills.

Target group: Youth aged 12-17, specifically youth-at-risk, but can be offered to children less than 12 years of age.  
Scope: The project is currently being delivered in ten provinces and one territory, through schools, hospitals and detention centres, with a large focus of increasing participation among schools.

The Canadian Lacrosse Association’s Youth and Aboriginal Lacrosse Outreach program
The program is delivered the box and filed lacrosse as workshop in school, community recreation centres and additional youth targeted areas. The program is available in eight provinces and one territory.

Target group: Children and youth (ages 6 to 16) and Aboriginal Peoples.
Scope: The project is developed within eight provinces and Nunavut, using initiation days to increase participation within communities.

Rowing Canada’s Dynamic Opportunities, Recreation Centres and Adaptive Rowing Domestic program
The Dynamic Opportunities program targets a different population than is often attracted to sport, specifically youth who have experienced troubles at school, with the law, come from disadvantaged families, or have learning problems, like ADD/ADHD. The program highlighted special themes specific to the needs of the target group like building self-esteem, teamwork, fair play, etc. The Recreation Centre’s program provides equipment and programming assistance for clubs wishing to expand, or introduce, the sport at a younger age level than is typically currently targeted. This program focuses on the expansion of sport delivery to target markets that do not currently get strong support from existing clubs. The Adaptive Rowing Domestic program is available to all rowing clubs for implementation.

Target group: Youth (high school) and all ages and People with a Disability.
Scope: The Dynamic Opportunities program is delivered in British Columbia and the Recreation Centres program is implemented in British Columbia and Alberta.

The Canadian Rugby Union’s Tag Flag program
This grassroots entry-level program for children and youth is delivered primarily by provincial unions and clubs. Tag Flag introduces the basic skills required to play the game according to the age and physical development of the participant and also introduces the rules of the game. Girls and boys are given the chance to increase their athletic ability and develop confidence through this program.

Target group: Children and youth (ages 5 to 15) and Young Aboriginal Peoples.
Scope: The project is delivered in four provinces through well-established local rugby clubs, with hopes of creating a future partnership with schools.

Softball Canada’s After Learn to Play program:
This softball program in 12 territories and provinces teaches youth the Learning to Train skills of softball in local minor softball associations using material developed as part of the National Sport Organization’s ‘Long-Term Athlete Development Model’. After Learn to Play fosters the involvement of all players with varying skill levels in order to encourage sportsmanship and ensure success for all.

Target group: Youth (ages 10 to 19).
Scope: Twelve provinces and territories are involved in the program.

Swimming Canada’s See yourself Swimming program
This grassroots swimming program is designed to encourage individuals in learn to swim programs to transition into competitive swimming.  The program will take into account all ages from children to adults, stages of development within the Long Term Athlete Development model and specific strategies to work with adults and swimmers with a disability. Currently the project has been implemented within ten provinces and two territories.

Target group: All children and adults, beginning as early as three months and people with a disability.
Scope: The project is delivered in ten provinces and two territories through community pools.

Synchro Canada’s AquaSquirts program                         
This program is delivered by trained AquaSquirts synchronized swimming instructors who introduce basic synchro skills to children and youth in collaboration with the Canadian Red Cross in ten provinces and one territory. AquaSquirts teaches basis swimming skills through a play-based, water-oriented program, to help maintain participation and increase success and is also available for people with a disability. 

Target group: Girls age under the age of 11 and people with a disability.
Scope: The program is currently delivered within ten provinces and 1 territory.

The Canadian Table Tennis Association’s TOPS program
Teachers and community leaders deliver the table tennis program in schools and camps. The program has expanded across nine provinces and territories, with ongoing delivery of introductory sessions and distribution of their manual, ‘Table Tennis in Schools’.

Target group: Youth and aboriginal boys and girls (ages 8 to 12).
Scope: This program is developed within nine provinces and territories.

Tennis Canada’s Building Tennis Communities and Bridging the Gap program
Building Tennis Communities is a grassroots initiative to increase tennis participation within communities by recruiting and training community leaders across all ten provinces and providing them with resources to run developmental activities at the different stages in the ‘Tennis Pathway’ (Tennis Canada’s program that leads to competitive tennis). This program provides an alternative to club-based delivery by focusing on community participation. Eighty communities are fully involved in the program, including groups that work specifically with wheelchair athletes. A major partnership within the Bridging the Gap program with Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association and the Canadian Wheelchair Sport Association is the key success to this program.

Target group: Children and youth, including disabled individuals.
Scope: There are 80 graduated communities involved in this project, using both schools and community clubs to increase participation with the help of recreation centres, educational institutes, health centres, youth groups and wheelchair associations.

Triathlon Canada’s Kids of Steel program
This program is delivered in municipal recreational facilities and camps, as well as schools across Canada. The 8-week grassroots development program includes events and outreach clinics that introduce children and youth to triathlon and other multi-sport events. A strong focus is placed on increasing the number of skill camps and clinics. Event organizers have also been educated to adapt events to include athletes with a disability. Nine provinces have implemented the program to date.

Target group: Children and youth (ages 5 to 19).
Scope: The program is currently being delivered within nine provinces, with encouragement from schools as well as clubs.

Volleyball Canada’s Atomic Volleyball program
The focus of the Atomic Volleyball program is on fun, participation, and skill development featuring a modified game where children are grouped according to age, ability, size, and gender. This program has been developed to match each child’s need, so aspects of the game are adapted to suit their capabilities. This program has grown steadily to include nine provinces.  

Target group: Children and youth (ages 9 to 12) and People with a Disability.
Scope: The Atomic Volleyball program is delivered through nine provinces, using local gymnasiums and community clubs.  

Water Ski Canada ’s Skiability and Rip’n Ride program
The Skiability and Rip’n Ride programs deliver comprehensive clinic outreach sessions to help overcome barriers, raise awareness, and initiate disabled athletes into the sport of water skiing. The Skiability program has been initiated in seven provinces and the Rip’n Ride program in nine provinces.

Target group: Children and youth, ages 4 and up as well as disabled athletes.
Scope: Skiability is available in seven provinces through held community clinics, with involvement from local disabled sports and recreation groups. Rip’n Ride has been initiated in nine provinces.

The Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association’s Bridging the Gap program
Delivery of a program that helps newly injured individuals become reintegrated into the community and into sport by providing recreational opportunities. Similarly, Bridging the Gap has created a partnership with rehabilitation centres, community groups and recreation organizations to further aid in the reintegration and ensure an increase in the number of active individuals with disabilities who participate. Bridging the Gap is currently ongoing in British  Columbia and Ontario. A major partnership with Tennis Canada and the Canadian Wheelchair Sport Association is the key success to this program.                               

Target group: Persons with a disability.
Scope: This project is currently available in British Columbia and Ontario through partnerships with rehab centres, community centres and sports and recreation organizations.

Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association’s Wrestling Skills Awards program
Development and implementation of wrestling clubs in schools and community centres across 12 provinces and territories. Focus is on upgrading the general standard of wrestling while increasing participation among girls and Aboriginal Peoples as well as targeting the francophone participation within New  Brunswick, Manitoba, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan.

Target group: Children and youth (ages 9 to 12), specifically females and Aboriginal Peoples.
Scope: The program is currently available through community clubs in all provinces and territories.

The Canadian Yachting Association ’s Wet Feet and Disable Sailing program
The Wet Feet program’s primary goal is to increase awareness among women and girls of yachting opportunities through clubs and universities in six provinces and Atlantic Canada. These clinics are given by female yachting role models (such as Olympic athletes) and highlight opportunities to become sailors, coaches, instructors and officials. The Disable Sailing program supports the implementation of Learn-to-Sail Programs for disabled persons of any age; support the implementation of race training camps for disabled sailors & high performance development of people with a disability.

Target group: Children from 4-7 years of age and people with a disability.
Scope: The Wet Feet program is new information is not currently available. The Disable Sailing program is currently available in six provinces.

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