More than 1/3 of Canadian children cannot participate in sports or recreational activities due to financial barriers.

Through sports, children are able to establish a pattern of physical activity that continues on into adulthood, helping to build self-esteem, leadership skills and social skills. With the financial support of A4K, these children can turn their participation in sports into a greater learning tool, where they can discover team-building skills, learn how to cope with failure, increase their confidence and build character.

* Through sport, children are less likely to:
• engage in early sexual activity
• smoke or do drugs
• be involved in an abusive relationship
• drop out of school

* They are more likely to:
• have a healthier body image
• make better lifestyle decisions
• have better interpersonal skills
• do better academically

*Source: Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University and the Women’s Sports Foundation