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SportWORKS Blog

COMMONWEALTH SPORT CANADA

S4N Hamilton – Sport for All

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Written by: Ronald Hollingsworth, SportWORKS Officer, S4N Hamilton

The 6th of April is a significant day. It’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which celebrates the role sport plays in the everyday life of society. This is a day to honour the importance of sport in the lives of those who are simply trying to better themselves and the good mental and physical effects it can have on everyone. This is a momentous day for us in Hamilton. Many of our students come from war-torn countries around the world. Throughout their lives, sport has been their sole solace. They’ve been able to gain new skills, make new friends, and have fun as immigrants and refugees. In their individual home countries, this has not always been the case. Many young people have now discovered that they have more opportunities through sport. Sport is a fundamental human right to which not everyone has access.

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Newcomer girls and women now have more opportunities to participate in sports while in Canada, which is a perfect example of this. As a SportWORKS Officer for Hamilton’s Newcomers, I’ve made it a mission to lay a solid foundation. We have sparked a lot of interest in athletics among female youth in collaboration with the YMCA. They’re all thrilled to try out a range of sports and socialize with other girls. We’re now running a Newcomer girls beginner soccer program, which is growing in popularity as the weeks pass.
Our local, provincial, and national sports organizations are also enthusiastic about promoting sports participation among Newcomer girls and women. They also recognize that Newcomers have a difficult time gaining access and they want to help bridge that gap. Here in Hamilton, we’re delighted to develop young Newcomer females not only as participants, but also as leaders. In general, we want to leave a greater legacy with women in sports.