In 2019/2020, Canadian Women & Sport partnered with graduate student Amina Haggar to explore the experiences of second-generation African Canadian teen girls in a community sport program in Ottawa, Ontario. Haggar, an MA Candidate under the supervision of Dr. Audrey Giles at the University of Ottawa, conducted interviews with eleven sport coordinators and coaches involved in the City of Ottawa’s Community Centre Basketball League (CCBL). The project was supported by a Match Grant from the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC). 

In studying the experiences of second-generation African Canadian girls in sport through the insights of community program leaders, Haggar was challenged with the task of “dwelling in the tensions,” to quote her supervisor. She dealt with highly complex ideas and experiences that related closely to her own experience as someone who immigrated to Canada at a young age, and who has been involved in community-based sport programs all her life as a participant, volunteer, and staff member.

Haggar sat down with Greer Gemin, Marketing and Communications Coordinator with Canadian Women & Sport, to talk about the research project, the impacts of COVID-19, and the key outcomes for community sport organizations. *This transcript has been edited for flow and clarity.

Check out this infographic for recommendations for sport practitioners to better engage second-generation African Canadian girls in sport.

Greer Gemin (GG): The recommendations from this research respond to the specific needs and barriers faced by second-generation African Canadian girls involved in community sport. Why did you choose to focus on this group of girls in your research?

Amina Haggar (AH): Within the academic literature on the participation of teen girls in sport, I never saw discussions of second-generation Canadians. You would see papers focusing on the experiences of ethnic minorities, Muslim girls, LGTBQ+ youth…those identities are often compartmentalized, and I wanted to explore how different intersections of identity relate to each other.Second-generation Canadians are a significant user group of community sport programs. It is important to understand how their cultural experiences and background influence their access to and participation in programs to ensure their needs are being met.

GG: The COVID-19 pandemic required you to change your research design from focusing on program participants, to interviewing program leaders. What was valuable or different about interviewing the activity leaders rather than the participants?

AH: Because this is a feminist project based in participatory principles, ideally the voices of the youth would be guiding the research and reflected in any knowledge mobilization products (e.g., academic publications). This wasn’t possible because of COVID-19 restrictions but should be a priority for any future study. With that said, there was a huge benefit to interviewing program staff. They form important relationships with program participants and have essentially watched these kids grow up. Many of the staff live in the community and were themselves program users and volunteers before becoming staff members. This brought invaluable depth to the research process and findings.

The CCBL’s key priority was understanding why girls were not joining their programming. The research question and study design were based on discussions I had with their staff, and we had a Community Advisory Board involved in all our decision making to ensure the project stayed true to the needs of the community.

GG: Why is it important to be so specific to community needs when addressing the challenge of keeping teen girls in sport?

AH: We need to move away from a one-size-fits-all philosophy. We make assumptions about the needs of groups of people, and we are always looking for the path of least resistance to offer community sport programming that is suitable for the greatest number of participants. It ultimately does a disservice to people who are overlooked in the first place. African Canadians deal with a lot of challenges that arise because of their racial identity, religious identity, gender, and socio-economic status. The only way you can deliver a quality program is by making sure it meets the needs of the community participating, and you can’t do that if you’re copying-and-pasting.

GG: What is one of your biggest takeaways or surprises from this research project?

AH: It wassurprising to me to learn the extent that babysitting duties disrupt program attendance. Limited access to affordable childcare services is a major barrier for low-income and working-class parents. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this challenge. With many parents depending on their teen daughters to babysit, the eldest girls within the family will often miss out on sport and physical activity. This speaks to the impact of systemic and structural challenges on the participation of African Canadian teen girls, particularly in low-income families. Addressing childcare needs in the short-term can open doors for more teen girls to participate in sport by breaking the cycle of dependence. Longer-term goals should also focus on shifting gender norms that contribute to unequal expectations that girls should take on babysitting responsibilities.

GG: Based on your research findings, what are some key recommendations for sport and physical activity leaders?

AH: Go all in, give the girls the prime-time slots and show them their program is important. I’m hoping this study will bring attention to the fact that ethnocultural minority second-generation Canadians require more attention in sport program and policy development as a growing segment of the Canadian population. Sport leaders can learn from the inclusive hiring practices used by CCBL coordinators to recruit coaches – at the CCBL, their program users become the future leaders and coaches of the programs. With this hiring model, lived experience is recognized as a key part of understanding the needs and challenges of community members.

I also think senior decision-makers across all community sport organizations need to create space for program leaders to share their experiences and knowledge. Staff know the barriers and challenges experienced by participants, but those barriers and challenges can persist if insights aren’t filtered up the organizational hierarchy. Better communication processes can help ensure the knowledge of those leaders who show up on Tuesdays from 3-8pm isn’t going to waste.

GG: We’ve spoken before about the idea that just having a girls’ program available isn’t enough. Can you elaborate?

AH:  We have to shift our thinking from asking “why aren’t girls coming to our programming?” to “why should they come?” What are we doing to ensure the program is meeting their needs and hitting any number of important considerations for quality sport?

We have to remember that youth are discerning customers. The girls can sense the level of effort and care put into a program and may react with ambivalence if they feel like an afterthought. Sure, they are focused on things like Instagram and Tik Tok, but they also think really deeply about their lives and have lots of different challenges and struggles that program leaders and decision-makers must consider for success.

This blog has been co-published by SIRC and Canadian Women & Sport as part of ongoing collaboration. While experiences of second-generation girls and newcomer girls are different, many of the recommendations for sport leaders are similar. You can find recommendations for sport organizations looking to better engage and integrate newcomer girls and women into sport and physical activity programming in Canadian Women & Sport’s new handbook.

About Amina

Amina Haggar is a University of Ottawa Master of Arts in Human Kinetics candidate under the supervision of Dr. Audrey Giles. She received her Bachelor of Science with specialization in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa in 2017. Using an intersectionality theoretical framework, Amina’s thesis-based research examines the recruitment and participation of second-generation African Canadian adolescent girls involved in the City of Ottawa’s Community Centre Basketball League (CCBL). In her youth, Amina spent numerous years working as a Sport Coordinator in the City of Ottawa’s Girls n’ Women and Sport Department and with the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa as a Youth Worker in the organization’s afterschool and summer-based recreational programs. Presently, Amina works at Somerset West Community Health Centre in the Children and Youth Services Department having previously served as a Community Development Support Worker, Youth Leadership Camp Coordinator, and board member on the Anti-racism Community Project. Amina is passionate about advancing opportunities for socially disadvantaged communities and empowering youth.

About SIRC:

Incorporated in 1973, SIRC, the Sport Information Resource Centre, is Canada’s leader and most trusted partner in advancing sport through knowledge and evidence. SIRC is committed to engaging with organizations and individuals involved in the development of sport, recreation and physical education in Canada and around the world, to enhance the capacity of our shared community to foster growth and the pursuit of excellence. Visit sirc.ca to learn more. SIRC is funded in part by the Government of Canada.

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Engaging and integrating newcomers into all aspects of community life is a priority across Canada. This handbook outlines key considerations and provides recommendations based in practice so we can better engage newcomer girls and women in sport and physical activity.

Inside you will find:

• Snapshot of the Canadian Landscape and Immigration trends
• Key considerations for working with newcomer girls and women
• Strategies to recruit and design programs for newcomer girls and women
• Tools, checklists and how-to guides

Canadian Women & Sport thanks the following partners for their participation and commitment to making sport in Canada an inclusive space for all women and girls:

We acknowledge the financial support of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in this project.

The post Engaging Newcomer Girls & Women: Physical Activity & Sport Handbook appeared first on Canadian Women & Sport.

The social environment coaches and activity leaders create for their participants has a huge impact on how much girls engage in and enjoy sport. For girls who are LGBTQI2S+, the importance of social connection may be heightened at a time where they are unable to leave their home environment. This conversation will focus on how to create an inclusive and safe environment for girls that prioritizes social connection in a virtual setting, particularly for LGBTQI2S+ participants.

With the current realities of social distancing, how can sport leaders and coaches continue to promote social connection for their athletes?

In this conversation with Flags of Glory, we will be exploring questions such as:

• How do inclusivity practices in sport translate to virtual programming?
• How have the needs of your community changed?
• What supports/contingency plans exist for an athlete or program participant who is struggling with the current circumstances of physical distancing?

The slides in this webinar will be bilingual but the conversation will be primarily in English.

Submit your questions in advance to [email protected]!

This conversation is part of our Experts Connect: Building Social Connection for Girls in Sport series, highlighting how organizations are bringing to life the guidance from our She Belongs resource. Each conversation focuses on a different principle for fostering social connection, with context provided by a guest expert who will discuss their current programming challenges and successes, as well as tangible tips and guidelines that sport and community organizations can use in designing their own programs.

Learn more about She Belongs.

Join the other conversations in the Experts Connect: Building Social Connection for Girls in Sport series:

• Building a Positive Team Culture (May 6)
• Redefining Risk-Taking (May 20)

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The Challenge

Storm Selects Lacrosse formed in 2017 with a goal to work with a team of Indigenous female athletes to grow the game of lacrosse in British Columbia and to develop future leaders and role models. After the completion of the North American Indigenous Games in Six Nations in July 2017,  managers, trainers, parents and families realized lacrosse is a great way for young people to connect to Indigenous culture, history and traditions. Lacrosse has deep significance for First Nations communities in North America, who have played a version of the game for more than 500 years. But today, many young girls have lost that connection.  It was felt more needed to be  done to increase the participation of Indigenous girls, who made up less than eight per cent of participants in box lacrosse in BC.   “Especially after the North American Indigenous Games, we realized, we didn’t have a lot of females to draw upon when it came to the sport,” says Cherlyn Billy who served as Team Manager for the BC Aboriginal Team under 19 at the 2017 North American Indigenous Games. 

The WISE Fund Solution 

The team members approached Billy after the North American Indigenous Games to see if there was a way to remain connected, to showcase what they are doing and to encourage other Indigenous girls to get involved in lacrosse.  Billy became the organizer of Storm Selects.

“When we applied to the WISE fund, it was to get the marketing tools to start showcasing and sharing and developing a website.  Basically, the WISE fund helped us implement and get started on that communication piece that didn’t exist before,” Billy says.

https://www.stormselects.com/

The Results 

“We actually sat them down with the athletes and asked them what they wanted to see and what they wanted to have included,” Billy says.  She adds, “They wanted pictures especially showcasing who is playing and highlighting different camps because if you don’t see it, you don’t know it exists.  That’s what they felt was really missing was we didn’t have anything identifying female Indigenous athletes in this sport.”

They found there are many girls who want to play throughout BC.   At one recent camp they held, 15 of the 20 participants were Indigenous girls.

“The last camp we held we had so much support from the local lacrosse associations who do want to see more girls and Indigenous girls playing so we’re kind of opening those doors to not just Indigenous athletes now.  It’s just trying to open it up to girls in general.”  

In the Interior of BC, Billy says there aren’t enough players to have all-girls lacrosse teams so many of them play on mixed teams.  Some of them are the only girls on their teams.

“We’ve seen how when you bring like-minded people together especially in this case, we’re talking Indigenous girls or even girls, it helps them build that confidence that they need when they are around their peers,” Billy says.  She adds, “We had one girl who came who could barely look at people.  She was so shy.   And then after participating with us, she’s now actively involved in everything – has confidence and I think that’s what a large part of what we’ve seen as success.”

Billy says the initiative has had another positive result she wasn’t expecting.  “The one thing that stands out to me is how many girls are actually saying they are Indigenous now.  These are some of the same athletes that you see playing but now they’re proudly saying they’re Indigenous.  So, we found more athletes who’ve actually been playing but now they’re identifying because they’re seeing yeah, it’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s something they can share and showcase.  And that’s the big part for me, the cultural aspect and the pride.”

The Lessons 

Billy says organizations don’t need to try to do everything on their own. In her case, she found there were passionate people looking to bring about change.  She simply helped empower them.

“They (the athletes) are the ones that started it – I was just in the background trying to help them move it forward,” Billy says.  

She adds, “The athletes were so excited to finally see the sport highlighted for them because when you don’t have the (large) numbers it’s really hard to get people interested.  I think that’s the great thing about the WISE fund is that it provides a real opportunity for those sports (under the radar).”

The Stories 

Callison Foreman

• Captain of the BC Aboriginal Team at the 2017 North American Indigenous Games
• Member of the Storm Selects
• Rediscovering her roots through lacrosse

When Cherlyn Billy was looking for athletes from the Storm Selects to help promote the sport to young Indigenous girls and to start the website, she had to look no further than Callison Foreman.

Foreman, the team captain for the BC Aboriginal Team at the North American Indigenous Games, helped rally the players to stay involved.

“NAIG (the North American Indigenous Games) is the only opportunity for all of the female Indigenous players to get together.  There’s not really another experience like that anywhere in BC or in Canada,” Foreman says.

Foreman says the team was so close that everyone was looking for ways to remain connected and to showcase how much fun they had together.

“It’s kind of a family.   It helped me see more of what’s possible within the Indigenous community which I wasn’t super involved with before.   So, I think for me it was just important that everyone could see there’s people that are there for you and there’s opportunities that you could have.”

Foreman grew up knowing little about her own Indigenous roots.  Her involvement in lacrosse and with Cherlyn Billy has changed that.

“I just think what Cherlyn has done is she’s built a community around lacrosse and she really brought me into that community,” Foreman says.  She adds, “She’s really built a safe and secure space for me and so many other girls.  I think that’s why it’s so important that everyone knows about it.”

After NAIG, Foreman was selected to play for the Haudenosaunee Nationals at the World U19 Women’s Lacrosse Championships in 2019.  She says that wouldn’t have been possible if she hadn’t gone to the North American Indigenous Games and learned about the importance of lacrosse and its place in First Nations culture.

“It makes me feel like I’m doing something more than just playing lacrosse especially when I play with my community team.  I feel like I’m bringing light to the Indigenous culture in a way,” Foreman says.

Foreman has travelled the country as a result of the sport and was recently offered a lacrosse scholarship at Embry Riddle University in Florida.  She’s planning to go in August to begin her studies in aerospace physiology.

Foreman is a member of BC’s senior women’s lacrosse team and in 2019 was a provincial recipient of the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Sport for field and box lacrosse and rugby.  In the future she is hoping to represent Team Canada in lacrosse.

“It (lacrosse) has pretty much taken me everywhere that I wanted to go, and I think it can still take me to farther places,” Foreman says.

She adds her life has changed thanks to her involvement with the Storm Selects.

“I learned a lot about the Indigenous community which to me has been the biggest thing.  Like now, I’m very proud to be able to say that I’m Indigenous.”

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The Need:

While progress has been made towards greater 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in sport, there is still much work to be done.  According to the Out on the Fields study, 81% of Canadian participants witnessed or experienced homophobia in sport.  Everybody in sport has a role to help make sport safe and inclusive for those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

The Solution:

This workshop provides sport leaders, including coaches, athletes and officials, with the opportunity to understand what LGBTQphobia is and how it can hurt their organization.

Designed to allow for an open and honest conversation about LGBTQphobia and how sport leaders can play a role in making sport more accepting of sexual and gender diversity, participants will build an understanding of:

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and two spirit (2SLGBTQ+) language;
• How to deal with sensitive issues such as same-sex relationships amongst teammates; and,
• How to review policies and practices to ensure they are equitable.

The Impact:

“I’ve learned how to create a Brave Space and how to acknowledge and navigate blind spots in my own LGBTQI2S inclusion knowledge to help support athletes and participants so that our programming can be more inclusive of people’s lived experience.”

Program Participant

In a recent survey of program participants, 100% of respondents said the information and skills they gained through this workshop were valuable to their work and they would share lessons learned with their network.

Leading the Way: 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion in Sport workshops and presentations are delivered by the Canadian Women & Sport Program Lead for 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion in Sport, Christine Hsu. Known for their subject-matter expertise in 2SLGBTQ+ sport inclusion, Christine will tailor the session to meet each organization’s needs.

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Although there has been progress in making sport more welcoming to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans (transgender), two-spirited, queer or questioning (LGBTQ2S), much more work needs to be done. Coaches play a critical role in creating a sport environment that is safe and respectful for all, regardless of a participant’s ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. 

Leading the Way: Working with LGBTQ Athletes and Coaches is based on the lived experiences of Canadian athletes and coaches. The resource highlights current issues in Canadian sport, from playground to podium, and aims to make sport a more welcoming place for those who identify as LGBTQI2S. Leading the Way provides information to help coaches understand LBGTQphobia and the negative impact it has on everyone in their sport. It suggests best practices for creating a sport environment that is safe and respectful for all.

Other Resources

• Check out resources on sex and gender diversity designed for the Canadian sport community by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport;
• Download ViaSport BC’s comprehensive PDF guide LGBTQ Resources for Sport Organizations;
• Re-watch our webinar ‘Experts Connect: Creating Safe Environment for All Girls’, where we chatted with Christine Hsu about how we can create braver sport spaces where LGBTQI2S youth can be their full selves;
• Share the LGBT Youthline with young people in your life so they know where they can access confidential, nonjudgmental, and informed peer support;
• Read  resources from Egale Canada, including mental health tips for LGBTQI2S folks, inclusive and affirming language guidelines, and tips on how to practice allyship.

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Our vision is to see as many women between the ages of 55 and 70 engaged in physical activity as possible. You and your organization are integral to seeing this vision become a reality.  Getting more women in this age group physically active in a community is not the responsibility of any one group, but the collective responsibility of a wide variety of partners.  Stakeholders will need to come together to explore creative solutions, develop or adapt existing programs and services and jointly invest money, time and resources. 

Our goal in developing this report is to provide you with concrete evidence that makes the case for investing in physical activity initiatives for women 55–70.  It uses current information from the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, Statistics Canada and other published sources.  It also includes information (including quotes) from women 55–70 and community stakeholders who participated in cross-Canada focus groups. The credible statistical research, combined with anecdotal and candid personal experience provides a unique perspective.  Many of the challenges faced by these women and people who program for them are outlined, and real-life examples of how to overcome the barriers are given.

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Canadian Women & Sport has advocated passionately for an equitable and inclusive sport system that empowers women and girls for the past forty years. We believe that inclusion for women and girls must include inclusion of trans women and girls. This position is rooted in Canada’s human rights legislation and in our core value of inclusion. It is also significantly informed by our ongoing reviews of the research and dialogue with stakeholders. We have articulated this view in our position statement on trans inclusion, which you can find on this page, and more recently in our statement on the World Rugby ruling, which you can find here. 

There is still much to be learned about how to create truly inclusive environments where people of all genders can all achieve their fullest potential through sport. We will continue to be informed by research and to engage in respectful dialogue that recognizes the human rights of trans people within sport and seeks to advance solutions for inclusion.  We look forward to engaging with the sport system further on this topic in 2021 in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

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In keeping with its mandate to increase the participation of women and girls in sport and physical activity, Canadian Women & Sport has prepared a position paper on homophobia in sport. Homophobia — or the fear and hatred of people who are homosexual— is often an obstacle to participation in sport among all groups: women and men, young and old, of any sexual orientation. In particular, many girls and women shy away from sport out of fear they will be perceived as lesbians. Canadian Women & Sport feels that addressing the issue of homophobia in sport is very timely given Canada’s inclusive stance on minority rights as well as the Canadian sport system’s overall strategy of making the sport environment, and the sport experience, safe and welcoming.

The post Seeing the Invisible, Speaking About the Unspoken: A Position Paper on Homophobia in Sport appeared first on Canadian Women & Sport.

Learn about strategies community, provincial, and national service providers in Canada have used to better understand the needs of newcomer girls and women and increase their engagement in healthy living, physical activity and sport programs. 

Quality engagement in physical activity can further the integration of newcomer women and girls into their communities and positively impact their overall quality of life.

With funding from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, Canadian Women & Sport supported 20 organizations over the past two years to engage newcomer women and girls. This webinar will review their challenges and successes, and discuss tangible tips and guidelines that sport and community organizations can use in designing their own programming.

Presenters

Shelley Callaghan, M.A., BSc and President of the Ontario Ball Hockey Federation, Canadian Women & Sport Program Manager

Nancy Clement, Community Engagement Manager, PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada

Kathy Brook, Teacher, Huron Heights Secondary School

Jason Jones, Community Programmer, Corporation of the District of Saanich

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