Sport – for many, is a way of everyday life. We encourage our children to stay active and enroll ourselves in various activities in the community both to be active and to set a good example.  It isn’t often that we stop to think about how for some, sport is inaccessible. There are various costs associated with joining a team or pursuing a passion. Some people cannot participate in sport because of a disability, demanding work obligations, or lack of access because transportation challenges or child-care needs. There are many barriers that prevent people in our own community from participating, which is why we, along with the Ottawa Community Foundation and the True Sport Foundation have launched the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation: 2018 True Sport Community Grant.

Sport is important to our community – it helps people develop interpersonal skills, contributes to personal happiness, lowers stress levels and improves connectedness within a community. When children see people with whom they identify playing sports, it expands their horizons and makes them believe in their ability to be anything they want to be. Succeeding in sports gives people with social disadvantages the confidence to succeed in other areas of life. Playing sports also makes people fitter and healthier, decreasing the strain on health and welfare services, which helps the overall economy.

With the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation: 2018 True Sport Community Grant, we hope to assist various organization in Ottawa reach out to those who may otherwise be excluded from participating. One of the 2017 Grant award winners – The Ottawa Titans Water Polo Club, offered FREE water polo sessions for individuals and families living with autism, with the goal of enhancing the quality of life for these families. The enthusiasm of several families in pursuing the sport after the completion of the session demonstrated the success of this program “Our son is super interested in joining the Titans on Wednesdays at Splash this summer. This program has been so wonderful for him.” This child continued water polo with Titans for several more sessions, showing that when barriers are eliminated, more people get involved.

Check out more on the Ottawa Titans Water Polo for people living with Autism

If your organization is interested in helping to make sport more inclusive in our city, please check out our grant.