Jumpstart, the non-profit organized sponsored by Canadian Tire, dedicates itself to giving kids a chance to discover their passion for sports. This non-profit funds a variety of sports and activities all designed to help kids grow and develop by accessing more sport and play in their lives.
As part of its mission, Jumpstart collaborates with Ipsos to conduct and publish an annual State of Sport report assessing the community sport landscape in Canada. The 2022 report showed some very modest increases in participation levels across the country but points to a growing issue with the affordability of organized sports for kids.
IMPACT OF A LACK OF ACTIVITY
Jumpstart's 2022 report also quantifies the impact of a lack of physical activity on kids. The parents of 44 percent of children whose participation in sport was significantly impacted by COVID-19 reported a deterioration in their child's mental health.
Four in 10 parents continue to report adverse effects in their children from reduced participation in sport and play, including signs of being less physically fit, and feelings of loss, resentment and anxiety. - Jumpstart 2022 Sport Report
For its part, Jumpstart continues to fund an impressive amount of initiatives designed to help Canadian families afford access to youth sports programs across the company and to encourage more gender, ethnic, and social-economic equality as well. These efforts are, of course, very admirable and important to the future of kids and youth sports.
SO, WHAT'S MISSING?
Making sports more affordable for all Canadian families and accessible for more athletes is just half the battle. In truth, the crisis in Canadian youth sports has as much to do with the prevalence of abuse, racism, sexism, and bullying. What is the point of making sports more affordable and inclusive if the young athletes themselves come out of the system worse off, not better?
3/p to the rescue
By design, the Player Performance Platform takes on the crisis in youth sports, acting as a new source of neuroscience-based principles, strategies, and interventions for both players and coaches to adopt with confidence. Unlike any other program in the world, 3/P's brain-first approach to educating athletes and coaches promises to change the culture of youth sports by offering an alternative to badly outdated attitudes and practices .
Ready to try the Player Performance Program? Register your team to participate in our beta program!