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| Jordan Miller, Lori Livingston, Emma Smith and Susan Tirone are the authors of a Dal study exploring issues of participation in sports by new Canadians. (Danny Abriel photo.) |
Two new studies recommend national and local sport governing bodies do much more to encourage new Canadians to play sports and serve as coaches.
鈥淲ho鈥檚 responsible for getting immigrants involved 鈥� the immigrants themselves or the sports providers? Right now, the baseball falls between the two,鈥� says Lori Livingston, one of the authors of the AV俱乐部 study, "Engaging New Canadians in Coaching and the National Coaching Certification Program." The study鈥檚 other authors are professor Susan Tirone, master鈥檚 student Jordan Miller and recent graduate Emma Smith, now a research officer for Nova Scotia Government Employees Union.
The AV俱乐部 study took a qualitative approach 鈥� researchers did interviews in gyms and on sports fields throughout Halifax Regional Municipality. They talked to numerous immigrant newcomers and volunteers who work as sport leaders, coaches and administrators.
At the same time, a second study, this one undertaken by researchers at Queen鈥檚 University and the University of Alberta, used questionnaires to survey immigrant coaches about their personal experiences. The studies were commissioned by the Coaching Association of Canada and funded by RBC Financial Group.
Two studies, similar conclusions聽
Interestingly, even with different approaches, the two studies came to similar conclusions. Both studies found cost, language and difficulties acclimatizing to a new culture and way of life were major barriers to newcomers鈥� involvement in sports and coaching.
鈥淓specially during the first years of transition, the cost can keep immigrants from getting involved or getting their children involved,鈥� says Dr. Tirone, associate professor at AV俱乐部鈥檚 School of Health and Human Performance. 鈥淭he desire to have your children involved is strong, and yet it鈥檚 very costly.鈥�
Which is not to say that sports organizations don鈥檛 offer financial breaks to families that need them, she notes. 鈥淭hey have supports in place, yet the immigrants don鈥檛 know about them.鈥�
Language is another main difficulty, especially with sports that have their own terminology.
鈥淥n top of learning a new language, immigrants have to learn all this jargon that鈥檚 not part of their lexicon,鈥� says Dr. Livingston. 鈥淚t just makes it that much more difficult.鈥澛�
On the other side, researchers found sports officials and coaches welcome the participation of immigrants, but being pressed to fill volunteer commitments, don鈥檛 have the time to actively encourage it. Some did not understand the challenges experienced by immigrant youth or cultural practices which may impede participation.
Dr. Tirone provides the example of older Muslim children who observe Ramadan by fasting in the daytime.
鈥淚f this is happening, it might be difficult for a child to play soccer during a game scheduled in the late afternoon,鈥� she explains. 鈥淐oaches have to feel comfortable to discuss these matters with the parents. But often, they鈥檙e reluctant to address issues related to cultural diversity for fear they may offend.鈥�
Recommendations for action
Based on the findings, researchers came up with seven recommendations for the Coaching Association of Canada. These include having sports governing bodies develop guidelines and policies to encourage more newcomers to take part in sports and coaching; developing and distributing information packages on coaching opportunities for new Canadians; holding community forums so coaches and athletes can share experiences; and having the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) develop a 鈥渟ociology module鈥� to enhance understanding about social conditions, including gender, ethnicity, race, religion and socio-economic status.
The soccer pitch, the basketball court and the local rink are ideal places for new and other Canadians to learn from each other, says Dr. Tirone. Participating in sports can ease the immigrant鈥檚 entry into their new home, help them develop social networks, improve their language skills and make new friends. But the benefits are two-way: Canadians stand to learn about other cultures, too. 鈥淭he whole community is enriched,鈥� she says.