According to the United Nations, sport is recognized by many governments around the world as a major contributor to economic and social development. The UN’s Declaration of the 2030 Agenda even reflects on “the contribution sports make to the empowerment of women, and of young people, individuals and communities, as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on not only the professional sporting industry but also the availability of sport in people’s everyday lives. Many amateur sporting organizations were shuttered for months, leaving many athletes without access to physical activity and the sport they love. This has disproportionally affected low-income and marginalized communities who depend on community programs to stay active and engaged. Although many sporting organizations provided some programming online, lack of internet access and physical space may have been a barrier for low-income people in some areas to engage in virtual programming.

Sport can also play a huge role in helping to promote inclusion for those with physical disabilities. According to a report created by the Centre for Sport and Human Rights children with disabilities, who are more at risk of contracting COVID-19, were affected by the pandemic in many ways including: a lack of accessible or individualized online programs which could serve to limit interactions with their peers and exacerbate existing underlying mental or intellectual health conditions; lack of regular interaction with coaches who provide important mentoring, and the reduction or absence of support or therapeutic services that prepare children with disabilities to participated in sport.

Because of this, COVID-19 serves to further divide the more privileged from marginalized populations. Inclusion in sport is vitally important because it promotes and facilitates equitable treatment across all genders, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Sport is extremely important in our society as it often serves as the underpinning for carrying inclusion forward into everyday life.

This is why the Ottawa Sport Council has partnered with the Ottawa Community Foundation and the True Sport Foundation to create the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation Endowment Fund. The focus of the Fund is to assist community sport organizations to facilitate programs in underrepresented communities in Ottawa and to increase opportunities for participation in sports activities embracing the True Sport principles (Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Have Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, Give Back).

The focus of the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation: 2020 True Sport Community Grant will be to assist in COVID-19 recovery efforts to ensure an Ottawa community sport organization can continue to support inclusivity for underrepresented populations in their existing programs and to promote the seven True Sport Principles within their organization. This is vital as the Ottawa sporting community continues to struggle with the limitations of the pandemic. If your organization has been affected by COVID-19 and needs support to continue its inclusive programming, please check out our grant.