CHPC Committee Report

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY (NDP) SUPPLEMENTARY OPINION

The Official Opposition members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage would first like to thank the witnesses, who took the time to present their views on amateur coaching in Canada.

We are pleased to support the report. However, to address the issues raised by the witnesses, important recommendations must be added regarding some of the key challenges facing amateur coaches and the Canadian sports world.

A number of witnesses stated that financial concerns are one of the main challenges for amateur coaching. For example, training costs, combined with the often voluntary nature of amateur coaching, mean that coaches’ ongoing professional development is expensive. However, though this training is costly, it remains essential to “ensuring a quality sport experience for physical activity participants.”[1] One witness noted that “[c]oach education falls into the area of lack of financial support.”[2]

Witnesses also cited the lack of funding for the bottom of the Canadian sports pyramid. A clear distinction must be made between competitive and recreational sports, each of which “needs to be funded accordingly.”[3] One witness argued that we must “stop thinking about Olympians all the time” and that “we would not be able to have any sports in Canada if it were not for the volunteers.”[4] These volunteers are indispensable to the Canadian sports system.

The underrepresentation of women and members of minority groups in amateur coaching was identified as an additional challenge. However, there is no recommendation on this subject.

Several witnesses also cited Canada’s sports infrastructure deficit as one of the main challenges to amateur coaching today. One witness stated that “Canada’s sports infrastructure is not up to the task” and that “more facilities need to be built in Canada. In addition, … they should be within the financial reach of the clubs. That aspect is a challenge because the municipalities are the ones that have to assume those costs.”[5] The shortage of sports infrastructure in Canada makes it more expensive to use and less accessible for sports clubs and amateur athletes. It is a significant problem for certain sports and parts of the country that are far from major urban centres. The lack of infrastructure is a major obstacle to high-quality, accessible and affordable amateur coaching. Again, the report contains no recommendation on this matter, even though several witnesses called the sports infrastructure deficit one of the greatest challenges to amateur coaching in Canada.

A number of witnesses regarded amateur coaches as a solution to the public health problems of low sports participation rates and declining physical activity among Canadian youth. According to the Statistics Canada study on sports participation, “[p]articipation in sport declined from 45% in 1992 to 28% in 2005 in Canada. … That was down from 9.6 million Canadians in 1992 to 7.3 million in 2005.”[6] Some witnesses argued that the federal government should do more to encourage healthy living in order to reduce health care costs and improve the quality of life of all Canadians. Several witnesses said that trained and certified amateur coaches should be at the heart of such a public health strategy. Said one, “[i]f we don’t have the committed educated and experienced people, … we won’t see the growth … in the participation numbers in amateur sport, which is such a huge factor for the overall health and development of our young people.”[7] The role that amateur coaches play in youth involvement in sports is worth emphasizing.

In light of these considerations, the Official Opposition would like to make the following three additional recommendations:

1. That the federal government study solutions to increase the number of women and members of minority groups involved in sports, particularly amateur coaching.
2. That the federal government work with the provinces and relevant jurisdictions to make up the sports infrastructure deficit, which is hampering youth participation in sports and amateur coaching.
3. That the federal government study various solutions to reduce the financial barriers to amateur coaching and, more generally, Canadians’ participation in sports.