Advice Paper

Exam No. B098463

Sport, Society and International Development

Advice Paper
for Canadian participation in sport

Course Organizer: Professor Grant Jarvie

Student No.: s1609952

Number of words: 2387

Date: 22-02-2017
1
 Advice Paper
Exam No. B098463

Summary
It has been noticed that the relationship between medal success and growth in sports participation rates is false. Canada
can be regarded as a sample for showing this inaccurate link. In Summer Olympic Games, the medals that Canada won
had increased from 18(in 2004) to 22(in 2016); and it had an eight medals rise in Winter Olympic Games that from 17
(in 2002) to 25(in 2014). The growth of medals seems moderately, while it still can be seen a success for Canada
considering the difficulty of winning an Olympic medal. However, it is reported that the national sports participation
rates remained decline during this period1.

Promoting citizen sports participation is not an easy mission which can be achieved in the short term，not speaking of
a country with high participation rates before. The challenge for Canada is not improving the rates from low to high; it
is how to maintain and regain highly active sports participation. The government of Canada should find out reasons why
people do not engage in sports like before. According to those reasons and overlooked areas, the government may can
make proper policies and programmes to walk out of the dilemma

Accordance with the current situation, relevant evidence, and experience, Sport Canada can underpin future plans that
mainly focus on the following aspects: parent impacts, the elderly, gender gap, low socioeconomic group, education on
injury and health, immigrants and aboriginals. And specific suggestions for each aspect are provided in this advice paper.

1
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
2

Introduction
This paper provides an overview of the current situation
and suggestions for increasing Canadian
participation. Sport and physical activity play a crucial
role in the lives of Canadians, which is from creating a
sense of belonging and community, to producing
tremendous health and emotional benefits4. Due to the
significance of citizens' participation in sport and
physical activities, recommendations presented here will
be welcomed by Sport Canada.
Sport Canada is an agency of the Department of Canadian
Heritage. The priorities of it are providing Canadians with
opportunities to take part in sport to embrace a healthy
and active lifestyle and enhance high-performance
athletes' participation and success in competitions2. In
2013, Canadian Heritage published the
investigation report which is in terms of Canadian sports
participation (the previous three were published in
1992,1998, and 2005)3. The report shows that the national
sports participation rates are little optimistic.
Understanding sport participation
Speaking of sports participation in Canada, sport was
defined as an activity that involves two or more
participants engaged for the purpose of competition.
While now, a number of physical and leisure activities fell
within the scope as a "sport." Participation refers to a
participant do a sport at least once a week during the
5
season or for a certain period of the year .
It is well known that physical activities are beneficial for
people's psychosocial health, functional ability and
6
general quality of life . And it can reduce the risk of
coronary heart disease, prevent or slow the progression of
cardiovascular disease, and control obesity and diabetes .
2
Government of Canada, Culture, history and sport.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1413910841375
3
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
4 10
Government of Canada. Concussions.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1465244566173
5
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
Advice Paper
Exam No. B098463
So health and fitness are the most important benefits for
participants from all age groups8.
sports
Sport participation in Canada
National sports participation rates
According to General Social Survey(GSS)Time-Use data,
the national sports participation rates of Canadians across
all age groups has been declining since 1992. Particularly,
the age of 15 and older had decreased steeply. In 2010,
26% of Canadians age 15 and older took part in sport
regularly, which is a 17% decline over the past 18 years9.
Although Canada hosted the Vancouver Winter Olympic
in 2010, the anticipation of increased participation did not
appear by the end of 201510.
fourth
Government investments
The government of Canada has strategically invested in
Canada's sport system to encourage sport participation
and physical activities. These investments include
6
Allender, S., Cowburn, G. and Foster, C. 2006. Understanding
participation in sport and physical activity among children and
adults: a review of qualitative studies. Health Education Research,
21(6), pp.826-835.
7
Kenney, W. L., Wilmore, J. and Costill, L.D. 2015. Physiology of
7
Sport and Exercise, 6th ed. USA: Human Kinetics.
8
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research
Paper.
9
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research
Paper.
Perks, T. 2015. Exploring an Olympic “Legacy”: sport participation
in Canada before and after the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Canadian Review of Sociology, 52(4), pp.462-474.
3

funding to help adolescents and under-represented groups
(for examples: women and girls, persons with a disability
and Aboriginal peoples) through a number of activities
operated by Sport Canada11.
Each year, nearly $62 miilion funding have been put into
organizations such as Canadian Tire
ParticipACTION and Physical health and Education
Canada12, the organizations which has launched various
activities and projects to help Canadian children and the
youth access to sport and physical activities. Besides that,
Budget 2016 provided $1.4 million over two years to
allow the Public Health Agency of Canada to reduce the
13
incidence and impact of severe sports injuries .
Gender gap
Although sports participation rates of both genders have
declined over the years, Canadian men still prefer to do
sport than women. During 1998 to 2005, the gender gap
in sports participation was narrowed, but it has broadened
again in recent years. On the contrary, the gender gap in
tournament participation has been constantly narrowed.
In 2010, 42% of the male, who regularly did sport,
participated in tournaments, and this ratio had been steady
since 1998. While female's participation in tournaments
had an increase to 40% compared to 33% in 2005, 29%
14
in 1998, and 24% in 1992 .
Age
Active sports participation decreased along with age. In
2010, sports participation rates fell from 54% (15-19
years old group) to 17% (55 and over the years old). What
is worse, two-thirds of Canadian adult population were 35
years of age or older, while by 2011 this percentage
increased to 69%. And their sports participation rate was
11
Government of Canada. Participation in sport.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1414151622206
12
Government of Canada. Role of Sport Canada.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1414151622206
13
Government of Canada. Concussions.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1465244566173
14
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
Advice Paper
Exam No. B098463
just 20% which was below the national participation rate
of 26%15.
Provincial/regional trend
Compared to 2005, sport participation rates declined in
all eastern provinces in 2010. It was recorded that the
Jumpstart, largest decline appeared in Navo Scotia where
participation rates fell from 32% to 21% over the five
years. In contrast, the participation of western Canada
increased. Alberta had a rise of 4%, followed by
Manitoba (2%), British Columbia (1%)16.
Differences by socioeconomic
For households, sports activities are secondary needs
rather than essential needs. And participation in most
sports always involves some fees, such as registration,
equipment, uniform, coach, food, and so on. As a result,
the amount of resources available for sport depends on
the amount of discretionary income after necessary needs
are met. In 2010, the sports participation rates of
Canadian households whose income more than $80,000
fell from 40% in 2005 to 33% in 2010. Even so, the rate
of 33% was about five times greater than the 7%
participation rate of households with incomes of less than
$20,00017. In particular, due to low socio-economic status,
aboriginal population have a worse performance than
other group pf people on sports participation18.
Gap between Canadian-born and immigrants
Compared with people who immigrated prior to 1991,
immigrants who arrived in Canada after 1991 prefer to
take part in sport regularly. For Immigrants who moved
to Canada between 2005 and 2010, the sports
participation rate for them is 25%19. Though sports
participation for immigrants just is a two percentage
points below the Canadian-born rate, racism still exists in
sport which impedes immigrants’ involvement in sports20.
15
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
16
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
17
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
18
Heritage Canada. 2015. Sport Canada’s Policy on Aboriginal
People’s Participation in Sport.
19
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
4
 Advice Paper
Exam No. B098463
Suggestions
Ø Considering families' impact
Family plays a crucial role in adolescents' sports
participation. Reportedly, the participation rate for the
adolescent with parental involvement in sport was higher
than the rate for adolescents without such parental impact
21
in 2010 . This is because family support is one the
determiners for them to do sport22. The current youth
actively seek their parents' opinion and always share
23
similar values . Therefore, some programmes that target
parents can be operated. Due to parents’ impact in
children sports involvement, the participation rate for
parents increases, the rate for adolescents will raise as
well. Sport Canada can also manage some projects to
provide children and their parent with opportunities to get
involved in sports together. More parents may become the
role model for their children during the activity. Then
children will be inspired to do more sport as their parents.
Ø Focusing on the elderly
It has been mentioned above that the sports participation
rate of 55 and over years old is the lowest one which is
17%. And statistics shows that this age group of the
24
Canadian population is continuously increasing . In
other words, Canada is facing the problem of the aging
population. Hence, it is significant to launch some
projects or activities to attract this age-specific target
group to take part in physical activities and sports. It is
researched that the main motivations for older adults to
do sport are social support, enjoyments and health
20
Lee, K., J. 2013. Race and sport in Canada: Interesting Inequalities.
Journal of leisure research, 45(4), pp.563-568.
21
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
22
Allender, S., Cowburn, G. and Foster, C. 2006. Understanding
participation in sport and physical activity among children and
adults: a review of qualitative studies. Health Education Research,
21(6), pp.826-835.
23
Berger, E.I., O’reilly, N., Parent, M. M., Seguin, B. and Hernandez,
T. 2008. Determinants of Sport Participation Among Canadian
Adolescents. Sport Management Review, 11, pp. 277-307.
24
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
5
benefits25. According to such motivations, it would be a
good act for Sport Canada to build ballroom in every
community, meanwhile, sending professional coaches to
teach and holding some dancing events. Compared with
other kinds of physical activities and sports, dancing is
not very intense and exhausted, but enjoyable for the
elderly. And different styles of dance can provide various
vigorous forms of activity for older adults to suit the skills
and limitations 26. Moreover, dance is a sort of group
activity, so it can offer more elderly adults opportunities
to connect with others. This kind of interaction and
support from others can encourage the elderly participant
to insist on dancing.
Ø Filling the gender gap
Though female sports participant has increased in recent
decades, the male is still the dominant27. The ironic area
of the gym may be a good sample to show such male
dominance. And this kind of dominance is one of the
hinders for the female to get involved in sport28. Recently,
the raise of the pink gym can be regarded as a good
solution. Some gyms have built a special area and
changed the color of the equipment into pink, which is a
good way to attract women who only do aerobic exercise
and encourage women to get rid of feeling embarrassed
25
Allender, S., Cowburn, G. and Foster, C. 2006. Understanding
participation in sport and physical activity among children and
adults: a review of qualitative studies. Health Education Research,
21(6), pp.826-835.
26
Allender, S., Cowburn, G. and Foster, C. 2006. Understanding
participation in sport and physical activity among children and
adults: a review of qualitative studies. Health Education Research,
21(6), pp.826-835.
27
Chalabaev, A., Sarrazin, P. Fontayne, P., Boivhe, J. and Clement-
Guillotin, C. 2013. The influence of sex stereotypes and gender
roles on participation and performance in sport and exercise:
Review and future directions. Psychology of sport and exercise,
14, pp 136-144.
28
Allender, S., Cowburn, G. and Foster, C. 2006. Understanding
participation in sport and physical activity among children and
adults: a review of qualitative studies. Health Education Research,
21(6), pp.826-835.
 Advice Paper
Exam No. B098463
when exercising with men in the same area. This is
because the female-particular sports space can help
women escape from pressure caused by being compared
with men. Due to sex differences, men have a better
29
performance in some sports than women . At the same
time, pink is female's favorite color. Equipment in pink
can give the female a psychological hint that they belong
to this sport as well. From this example, organizing some
female-only activities will be helpful to include more
women in sport, the activities which are biased on female
sports preferences. And using feminine elements can
appeal to women from the psychological level.
Ø Involving low socioeconomic people
As mentioned before, t the participation rate for lower
income household is much lower than that for people with
high income. And the expenditure of sport is one of the
obstacles for lower income people participating in sport.
Hence, some low-income people targeting projects and
measurements should be operated, in order to help this
group of the population access to do sport or do more
sport. Among the top six popularity sports (golf, ice
hockey, soccer, baseball, volleyball, basketball) in
30
Canada , soccer, volleyball, and basketball may be the
most accessible sports for low-income people. Compared
with others, those sports do not have any special
requirements for equipment, except a ball. So more
indoor and outdoor basketball, volleyball and soccer
courts which are free, simple and small should be built in
communities. And homeless people should be provided
some free equipment, training and so on. Besides that,
hosting competitions, such as the Homeless World Cup,
may be a good programme.
The Homeless World Cup is an annual street football
tournament since 2003. This event does bring some
29
Chalabaev, A., Sarrazin, P. Fontayne, P., Boivhe, J. and Clement-
Guillotin, C. 2013. The influence of sex stereotypes and gender
roles on participation and performance in sport and exercise:
Review and future directions. Psychology of sport and exercise,
14, pp 136-144.
30
Canadian Heritage. 2013. Sport Participation 2010 Research Paper.
6
positive changes for homelessness31. Meanwhile, it has
also increased homelessness' sports participation in
virtually. So some lesson and experience can be learned
from this tournament. Accordance with Canadian context,
Sport Canada can organize a deviation event like the
Province Cup or City Cup to motive low-income group,
and homeless people play street football or street
basketball. Except for the prize for national winners, the
provincial winner can be given some rewards as well, the
rewards which cater for their needs, such as gift card,
coupon, food. All of those awards will inspire them to
take part in the sport and the tournament. And because of
representing their own province, participants will have a
sense of pride, the feeling that will urge they keep playing,
even harder playing to prepare for the games.
Ø Education about health and injury
Unclear guidelines will confuse people that whether the
intensity and duration of sports that they do are efficient
enough. Actually, World Health Organization (WHO)has
published relevant recommendations for age group. For
example, alder adults should do no less than 150 minutes
moderate intense or 75 minutes relatively intense aerobic
physical activity a week32. Such clear standards about
sports and physical activities should be educated in class
and publicized via mass media.
The other thing that should be acquired by the public is
how to prevent and detect injuries. It is possible for
people to get injuries when doing sports, in particular,
some intensive sports with body contact. Nearly 64% of
10-18 years old youth, who visits hospital emergency
departments, get injuries related to taking part in sports,
physical activities and recreation33. It is necessary to
teach people how to protect themselves and avoid injuries
when doing sports. And people should know how to
31
Homeless World Cup. ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT.
https://www.homelessworldcup.org/about-the-
tournament/
32
World Health Organization. Global recommendations
on physical activity for health.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_olderadults/en/
 Advice Paper
Exam No. B098463
do initial checkups and deal with some injuries by
themselves, so as to reduce tragic outcomes.

Ø Paying attention to immigrants and aboriginals

The government of Canada has invested various
programmes and supported some organizations to
increase national sports participation 34. However, there
are still short of some operational projects and
interventions which are more straightforwardly aimed for
immigrants and aboriginals35. As a country of immigrants,
the significance of immigrants and aboriginals should not
be ignored. And sport is an excellent tool for immigrants
and aboriginals to enter the mainstream of society. So, the
government should take more actions which are targeting
immigrants and aboriginals in the future plan.

Conclusion
Overall, this paper briefly summarizes some of the
current situation of Canadian sports participation,
highlights some overlooked aspects, and recommends
some promising solutions. The decline of national sports
participation rate cannot be ignored, even if the rising of
meddles in summer and winter Olympic games. This
paper is potential to contribute to rising Canadian sports
participation rate, the rate which is significant for a nation.
After all, highly active citizen sports participation not
only can be regarded as a guarantee for a high national
health level, but also can provide a substantial reserve
talent cultivation for enhancing elite sport, which will
help Canada maintaining the rising trend of Olympic
medals in the future.

33
Government of Canada. Concussions.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1465244566173
34
Government of Canada. Sport in Canada.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1414151906468/141415199
5275#a1
35
Government of Canada. Sport policies acts and regulations.
http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1414510593644
7