Written by Becky Kolberg, Canadian SportWORKS Officer, Sport for Newcomers Ottawa
May was when Ottawa’s Sport for Newcomers program really got underway. Over the course of the month, youth picked up basketballs, pickleball paddles, and lifejackets as they challenged themselves, learned new skills, and connected through sport.
What stands out most to me isn’t just what was happening on the court or in the pool. It’s everything happening around it. A hesitant participant becoming an active one. Strangers become teammates. An unfamiliar space becomes a comfortable one. The quiet being replaced with activity and cheers from the sidelines. That’s when you can really start to see confidence taking shape. And by the end of the session, you can feel the difference.
The more sessions we’ve delivered, the more I’ve come to appreciate the role instructors play in creating that environment. It’s one thing to teach a skill. It’s another to make a participant feel comfortable enough to try it in the first place. Our coaches and instructors consistently did both, creating welcoming spaces where youth felt supported regardless of their experience level. Seeing that firsthand is a big reason I’ve continued looking for opportunities to bring qualified instruction into as many sessions as possible.
BASKETBALL was our first gym session, and going into the evening I knew the coaches from Prezdential Basketball had something active planned, but I wasn’t entirely sure the youth knew what they had signed up for! I was fortunate to connect early on with Manock Lual, founder of Prezdential Basketball, whose program closely aligned with ours. Prezdential is a local non-profit that uses basketball as a vehicle for mentorship, leadership, and youth development. The coaches brought energy into the gym from the very beginning, jumping right in to offer pointers as participants shot around and even taking on some of the more skilled youth in one-on-one matchups.
The active warm-up set the tone and pushed many participants outside their comfort zones, but with encouragement and structure from the coaches, they stuck with it. As the session progressed through dribbling and shooting drills, you could see confidence building. By the time relay races rolled around, the gym was full of cheering, competitive spirit, and participants putting their new skills into action. Everyone seemed engaged, whether racing down the court to make a basket or cheering from the sidelines. We wrapped up with game play, and it was tough to end the session when so many wanted to stay and play longer.
PICKLEBALL brought a completely different kind of experience. For this session, almost everyone was starting from the same place as participants, and honestly myself included, were learning the sport for the first time. That created a fun dynamic right away because nobody felt like they were the only beginner in the room.
The session was led by Arthur, a local instructor whose passion for the sport was contagious. He did a great job breaking the game down into manageable pieces, introducing fundamentals like how to hold the paddle, serve, and rally before quickly getting participants onto the courts to put those skills into practice. Rather than settling into the same groups while they played, I liked that the youth regularly rotated partners and opponents during gameplay. The constant movement kept the session engaging while creating opportunities for new connections to form on and off the court. Pickleball’s more simplified rules and social nature make it a great entry point for new participants, and Arthur did an excellent job creating an environment where everyone felt comfortable jumping right in and giving it a try. Looking forward to building on that momentum with a friendly tournament planned in June!
SWIMMING may have provided the most visible confidence growth of all. The session began with plenty of uncertainty. While a few youth were comfortable in the water right away, others entered slowly or were reluctant to leave the wall. The YMCA instructors did a fantastic job delivering the Swim to Survive program, adapting throughout the evening and breaking skills down into manageable steps that met participants where they were. As confidence grew, so did participants’ willingness to challenge themselves. Youth began moving more comfortably through the water, trying new skills, and venturing farther from the wall than they had at the start of the session. By the time free swim began, the atmosphere in the pool felt completely different. Youth were swimming around, talking with friends, and making the most of the extra time in the water.
While I was focused on the skill development taking place in the pool, an interesting observation was pointed out to me afterward. It was how naturally the group embraced using lifejackets and flotation equipment when they needed it. It’s common to see younger children wearing them, but here was a group of youth ages 13–25 doing the same thing without hesitation. There was no embarrassment or judgment. Participants wore the equipment that helped them feel comfortable and then focused on participating. To me, that said a lot about the environment that had been created. The goal wasn’t to prove who was the strongest swimmer. The goal was to learn, build confidence, and have a positive experience in the water. Equipment wasn’t viewed as a barrier or something that set participants apart, it was simply another tool that helped make participation possible. In a session where many youth were entering a pool for the first time or building water confidence, that sense of acceptance may have been just as important as any swimming skill that was learned.
If there was one thing that connected all three sessions, it was that nobody seemed ready for them to end. It has shown up in the feedback again and again: “More time!” I always smile when I see that written on a survey where it usually comes in response to the question, “What would you change about today’s activity?” I’ve never taken it as criticism. If anything, it’s the opposite. It’s a sign that youth were engaged, having fun, and wanted the opportunity to keep going.
A huge thank you to our coaches, instructors, partners, and youth participants for bringing such positive energy to these sessions for newcomer youth. Basketball, pickleball, and swimming may have been the sports on the schedule, but the moments I’ll remember most are the new connections, growing confidence, and sense of belonging that developed along the way!
– Becky