Our Story
Athletics4Kids was founded 21 years ago when two friends from North Vancouver, BC, were compelled to get kids from low-income families in their own community into sports. Inspired by the transformative power of sports, they each invested the money to start Athletics4Kids.
Today, Athletics4Kids remains a grassroots organization with significant reach as our team of two staff and small army of volunteers ensures that kids across BC have the chance to play.
With the help of individual donors, companies and foundations, we have provided over $2.5 million through over 13,000 Sport4Life Grants. This has enabled thousands of kids to participate in over 55 eligible sports.
We work hard every day to get more kids off the bench and into the game
We champion families
We champion low-income families across BC and our province's most vulnerable children. Through a simple, discreet granting process, we help parents and caregivers say "yes!" to their kids by ensuring they have the funds to help cover their registration fees for over 55 different organized sports — season after season, year after year. In 2024, we are excited to expand our program to include funding registration fees for multi-week summer sports camps.
We work with our community
Through our growing network of coaches, counselors, educators, and administrators, we connect with families across BC that need our support to get their kids in the game. We focus on serving communities where child poverty rates are high, and access to sport is low. In 2023, the communities we prioritized were Surrey, Delta, and Coquitlam.
We partner with donors
We believe in the power of our collective action and partner with individual donors, foundations, businesses and government to ensure we are able to fulfill every grant application we receive. With a small, talented team and efficient processes, we maximize the impact of every dollar given to ensure as many kids as possible are able to play sports.
Meet our Staff Team
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Valerie Gosselin joined Athletics for Kids as Financial Administrator in September of 2020 after returning from her travels in Europe and working in mortgage underwriting and brokering in Vancouver for 4 years. Valerie has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Sauder School of Business at UBC where she completed the Co-Op program with a specialization in Accounting. Valerie has been active in sports from a young age, competing in volleyball tournaments, undertaking ballroom dance lessons, joining the Vancouver Ultimate League and more recently doing outrigger canoeing as part of the False Creek Racing Canoe Club as well as playing tennis regularly within her community. With a strong appreciation for physical activity and an admiration for the playfulness in children, Valerie is passionate to help put more kids in sports! She believes A4K’s mission will empower future generations to “hit it out of the park” as compassionate and driven “front runners” in the game of life!
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Anna joined Athletics 4 Kids in March 2022. Before coming to Canada, she had been working for a charity based in Dublin following her graduation from college. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in International Relations. The non-profit sector is where she would like to pursue her future career in Vancouver. She has previously worked with children and has a great interest in sports as she played a wide variety of different team sports growing up. She believes these were fundamental to building her confidence, learning new skills, and making life-long friends. She is still participating in team sports here in Vancouver. This job seemed like the perfect fit for Anna! She is excited for what is to come for A4K over the next few years and ultimately, to help within her role to put as many kids into sports across BC!
Meet our Board of Directors
Our board of directors consists of 12 dedicated members. While they are from all different backgrounds, each Board Member has a unique passion for ensuring that every child has the opportunity to play sports.
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Lumber Broker, Canken International Wood Products
Craig Knapton, a founding sponsor of A4K, joined the Board in 2003 and became President in 2005. Craig is the President of CanKen International Wood Products and has travelled the world extensively for both business and pleasure. He knows first hand the positive connection that sports can provide within many diverse cultures and countries. Craig participated in a variety of sports while growing up and was an accomplished long distance runner. He credits sports with helping to keep him grounded and as a great stress reliever. Having two active children who also played sports, Craig has been involved in many athletic associations and served at board level. He believes firmly that participation in sport gives kids positive direction, self-confidence and respect for others – it puts them in the game.
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Speciality Sales Representative, Novartis
Ryan has been with Athletics 4 Kids for almost 6 years, and was elected Vice President in late 2013. Ryan is blessed to have three lovely daughters who keep him busy in activities like swimming, dancing, bike riding and occasional wrestling matches – teaming up on their poor Dad! Ryan participated in many different sports growing up, including soccer, lacrosse, football, hockey and baseball. He played Junior Baseball and Hockey locally in BC. Pursuing his hockey dreams, he played for the Wentworth Leopards in Boston, Mass – part of the NCAA. Ryan completed his University degree at UBC, specializing in Human Kinetics and has first hand knowledge of all of the qualities that come from a life enriched by sport. As a young father of three, Ryan is already looking forward to more coaching opportunities. He believes strongly in the values that sport teaches – good sportsmanship, respect, teamwork, social skills, the value of hard work and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
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Director, Staub Electronics
Scott Trotter has been a supporter of A4K since 2012, a member since 2013 and joined the Board of Directors in 2015. Through sports Scott has learned valuable life lessons such as teamwork, sportsmanship, perseverance, hard work and how to deal with success and failure. Through his involvement with A4K, Scott’s goal is to see young athletes achieve their dreams of playing sports and building important skills that will be the foundation for a healthy and successful life. Scott is the President of Staub Electronics, a proud father of two and is active in a number of sports including golf, squash and snowboarding. When not travelling throughout North America for business, Scott is regularly involved with his boys athletic pursuits which include baseball, golf, skiing, swimming, BMX biking and skateboarding.
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Bright Futures Education Fund Selection Committee, Big Sisters of BC
Mary McGivern has been a supporter of A4K for the past few years, and joined the Board of Directors in 2019. Mary holds an MBA and spent her 35-year career in business, including for-profit and government roles in business development and marketing, before bringing her business skills and experience to the non-profit sector for the last phase of her working life. She retired in 2017 as Executive Director of ONE TO ONE Literacy, another grassroots charity working with underprivileged children, and understands well the challenges (and opportunities) of the non-profit sector. Mary serves on the board of two other North Shore non-profits and is working with Big Sisters of the Lower Mainland to provide post-secondary bursaries for their Little Sisters. Growing up, her three now-adult daughters were all active in sports on the North Shore and Mary knows how important the role of sport is to youth development. Mary continues to pursue many sports herself, including running, squash, tennis and swimming. Mary is thrilled to join such a committed board as that of A4K, and to help all BC children benefit from participation in sports.
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Realtor, FormanPilkington
Upon graduating from UBC with a Bachelor of Commerce in Urban Land Economics, Ross entered the commercial real estate sales and leasing industry on the North shore where he has excelled in that field, winning multiple awards such as top 30 producers in Re/Max Western Canada, and top 30 worldwide (of over 40 countries). But along with his work achievements, Ross has always believed that giving back to his community is equally as important, and he has won the Realtors care Award and taken part in such initiatives as the Cinderella Project Ball (“helping encourage youth to stay in school and achieve the milestone of high school graduation, giving young people the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families”) over the past few years. Ross joined Athletics 4 Kids in 2014, and became a Director in mid- 2015; he is an active member of the Gala committee and over the past year, has worked tirelessly to engage sponsors, prizing and donations in support of A4K initiatives. He is an avid believer that sports can play a vital positive role in the development of children and youth and has been passionately involved with the North shore sports community both through his own pursuits and those of his son and daughter, who are very active in a number of sporting pursuits.
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Vice President of Finance, GEC, Global Education Communities Corp
Paul joined A4K in 2020 as part of the finance committee and joined the Board of Directors in 2022, hoping to use his knowledge of accounting and finance to benefit a cause about which he was passionate. He grew up in Adelaide, Australia where he played cricket, Australian rules football, soccer, golf and volleyball along with downhill mountain biking throughout his school and university years. He moved to Vancouver in 2018 and continues to play golf (poorly), along with making the most of living in close proximity to the abundance of mountain biking and snowboarding playfields. He truly values the friendships made, life lessons learnt, and support received through participating and volunteering in organized sports in his formative years. He strongly believes that removing barriers holding back kids from playing sports is a fantastic way to enrich communities, but more importantly, to enrich children’s lives as they grow up.
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Management Consulting, DCI Consulting.
Christine is an engineer by profession but more recently has been volunteering her time to support youth sports through coaching, organizing events and joining A4K as an active member in 2019. Christine is currently sitting on both our match campaign committee, and our newly formed Marketing committee, and we are delighted to have her joining us in these capacities. Having played competitive soccer in her hometown of Montreal, Christine recognizes the many joys, challenges and life-long benefits that come with playing in organized sport. The importance of sport has been passed on to her two active teenagers who now themselves play competitive soccer and baseball in Vancouver. Having learned of the financial obstacles faced by many of the youth here in BC, she wanted to help support A4K's efforts to get as many kids as possible into sports and playing the games they love!
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Vice President, Development, Pacific Capital Real Estate Group
Matt became a member of A4K in 2021 and joined the board within 18 months as he saw the incredible impact A4K has on so many families in British Columbia. As a new board member, he is keen to jump in and contribute to A4K’s mission. He believes all kids deserve the opportunity to participate in organized sport and knows the leadership, communication and teamwork skills developed through sport are foundational to a successful future. Born and Raised in Richmond, BC, Matt has been active in sports all his life. An avid cyclist and golfer, as well as hockey and squash player, Matt considers some of his oldest friendships a result of his involvement in organized youth sports. In his professional career, Matt is the Vice President of Development for a BC based, multi-faceted real estate developer. He leads the group’s development activities which include commercial and multi-family residential projects on Vancouver Island, Squamish and the Sunshine Coast.
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Director, Business Development, CPHR BC & Yukon
Having volunteered with A4K since 2019, Kelly is excited to continue her involvement by joining the Board of Directors. As the active parent of two sports-obsessed teens, Kelly has spent the past 12 years serving in various volunteer positions within local youth sports organizations. She has witnessed first- hand the positive impact that staying active and connecting to community via a sports team or shared athletic pursuit can make on a child, and has a keen interest in supporting those who may face barriers to participating. Kelly has seen that greater confidence, resilience and compassion for others can emerge for youth who join teams, get physically active and put themselves in novel situations, separate from school and family. Every child who wants to broaden their horizons through athletic pursuits should have the opportunity and Kelly is heartfelt in helping A4K make that happen. Kelly’s professional career began in youth education and now sees her leading a Business Development team for a professional association. Kelly brings to the A4K Board of Directors expertise in relationship building, stakeholder communications and event planning. She looks forward to working alongside this dedicated team of directors, volunteers, and partners.
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Vice President, Gulf Pacific Group.
Ryan is excited to join the board in 2020 working along side a great team. Being able to continue to give back to kids sports is important to him. He played multiple sports growing up and believes the lessons learned from them have transferred to leading the team in the commercial property management business. While he’s still playing hockey, golf, softball and cycling, his greatest sports pleasures now are watching, supporting, and driving (coaching days are done) their two teenage kids who play soccer, volleyball and baseball. 4 years ago he put together a cycling team to participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, with hopes to make a difference in some small way with the funds raised. Ryan, his wife Jacqueline and their two kids live on the North Shore.
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CFO, Nelson International
Annette Johanson, CPA-CGA joined A4K/ board of directors in 2022 and will use her finance and accounting background to assist where needed. Annette started playing squash in her teens and is still playing in North Vancouver where she also enjoys playing golf, tennis, or hiking with her dog. She was on the board of Evergreen Squash Club of North Vancouver for ten years, including being Treasurer for three years and President for five. Evergreen has a very strong Junior Program whe re she worked closely with the coaches and parents to ensure there was an opportunity to participate at all levels from novice to tournament competitions. Annette has always felt strongly that sport provides a supportive community and positive environment in addition to the health benefits. Team sports can be the building blocks of life for our younger generation, whether just wanting to have fun and participate or play at an intermediate or higher level. A4K’s focus on providing those opportunities to families that would otherwise be unable to participate is what brought her to the board of A4K.
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Meet our Spokesperson
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After a 19 season NHL hockey career, including the infamous Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup run in 1994, Dave Babych joined Athletics for Kids as an inaugural member of the Board of Directors in 2002. He has remained involved ever since as a public ambassador to the cause, and has recently resigned as a director. Dave has coached baseball and hockey for over 15 years, both amateur and professional (hockey), and remains involved in the Canucks’ organization working in Player Development. Dave has 5 kids that were all involved in a variety of sports and he feels that all children deserve the right to do the same.