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As the 2022 True Sport Report articulates, community sport is heavily reliant on volunteers from several perspectives. Volunteers in community sport include the Board of Directors, administrators, committee members, coaches, officials, and more. The Ottawa Sport Council relies on volunteerism for its Board of Directors, working committees and events on an ongoing basis. Without the support of dedicated volunteers, the Ottawa Sport Council is unable to deliver on our mandate and programming. This is the same for many community sport organizations.

Much like our physical health, lifelong activity in sport can be a contributor to positive mental health. Sport teaches many traits that promote positive mental health such as resilience, goal setting, creating social connections, and more. According to the Power of Sport: The True Sport Report 2022, 70.3% of sport participants reported perceiving themselves to have excellent or good mental health, compared to only 59.9% of non-participants in sport. The intentional promotion of positive mental health by community sport organizations can enhance the positive impact in our community.

“OSS uses basketball to build-up people and our community.  OSS collaborates with a broad range of like-minded organizations to leverage the power of basketball for social inclusion. It does so in ways that bring together a cross-section of community members so that everyone gets to play, learn and grow from basketball experiences that build community.” – Leo Doyle, Vice President of Ottawa Shooting Stars Basketball Club  

Sport communities across Canada have access to world-renowned coaching and athlete development programs. However, very few programs exist which support the effective management and operation of a community sport organization.  The benefit of this type of programs for a sport organization is that it will help to ensure effective governance in their respective organization – but what exactly is governance?

We have all heard of physical education, P.E., or gym class before; but have you heard of physical literacy? According to ParticipACTION, one of Canada’s biggest physical activity advocates, physical literacy can be defined as “the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life”. Being physically literate makes it easier for individuals to translate different skill sets within new sports and activities. While this is a vital skill for athletes, it is also important for anyone that wants to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. 

“Our goal as a program is to identify and remove as many of these barriers as possible to open up this new sector and create much needed gender equality” - Mark Ouellet, Program Director

School’s out, the days are longer, the sun is shining – how can you not be excited that summer is here? If you are not already ecstatic about summer, we at the Ottawa Sport Council would like to tell you about the various events happening in the Ottawa area that will keep you happy and healthy all summer long!

We know that overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened inequities among traditionally underrepresented groups, and that includes inequities in community sport. Social and economic divisions in society have widened due to the circumstances of the last two years. As we begin to return to normal, community sport organizations are requesting support to make their organizations more welcoming and inclusive to all members.

The Ottawa Sport Council (OSC) is pleased to launch its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Survey. This survey seeks to learn how the OSC can support community sport organizations with tools and training to  create inclusive and accessible sport environments.

“Including everyone is a fundamental tenet of Boxing Without Barriers. All programming is designed for athletes, not around them. This means that no one is overlooked, and everyone is empowered to meet their short- and long-term goals.”  Chantal Deketele, Head Coach