April 7/21 9:55 am - One Third of Canadian Youth May Not Return to Sport - Study

Posted by Editor on 04/7/21
 

One month ago, I wrote a piece about the potential for a generation of Junior riders to miss out on this entire phase of their development due to the pandemic - Missing Junior Cohort - Another Pandemic Casualty. Now, I am sad to say, a study has been released confirming these concerns.

The Canada Games Council (CGC) has issued a national study on the impact of the pandemic on youth activity in sport, titled 'Return to Sport'. The survey involved more than 2,000 Canadians ages 13 and over, including 600 youth between the ages of 13-24, and was conducted by by IMI International. In it, respondents were asked if, once COVID restrictions were lifted, whether they planned to return to sport.

Among the key findings:

• A majority of youth/teens describe sports restrictions during the COVID-19 Lockdown as "Sad" and "Unfortunately Necessary"
• 1 in 3 Canadian youth were unsure if they would return to sport
• 1 in 5 active Canadian youth (20 percent) say they do not intend to return to sport after the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted
• 69% of Canadians feel that sports will be essential in getting teens/youth motivated and engaged after the COVID restrictions.
• 84% of Canadian youth/teen parents believe that sport has a positive impact on their child's mental health and/or stress levels

"The pandemic has had a tremendous impact on all Canadians, but this concerning data suggests that our sport community needs to do everything we can to support the long term welfare of Canadian youth, by remaining engaged in sport," said Dan Wilcock, President and CEO, CGC. "The benefits of sport are clear in developing the next generation of Canadians, but many thousands of Canadian youth appear at risk of missing out on those physical and mental benefits coming out of the pandemic. As we move forward, we want to support a safe and welcoming environment that motivates Canadians to experience the positive benefits of sport."

Read the full report Here.