Benefits of Sport

More than one-third 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.

When children participate in sports, they are more likely to:*

• Achieve better academic results
• Maintain a healthier body image
• Increase their interpersonal skills
• Develop and maintain feelings of high self-esteem
• Develop strong team-building abilities with an emphasis on mutual success

They are less likely to:*

• Drop out of school
• Engage in early sexual activity
• Become involved in an abusive relationship
• Smoke or do drugs

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