Sport For All
IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility) in sport.
At Lethbridge Sport Council we strive to be a voice for sport- believing that everyone should experience quality sport. An inclusive sport culture embraces, respects, and values differences in people regardless of their age, gender, or background.
Lethbridge Game Changers: The Wellness Series
Lethbridge Game Changers: The Wellness Series will focus on mental health and wellness. It will include 6 presentations, delivered by Lethbridge Family Services. All athletes 12 years of age and older, as well as all sport leaders and sport organizations are invited to attend and participate in these sessions.
Click for The Wellness Series Details
SESSION 1: Feelings and Basic Needs - Wednesday, January 8, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
This presentation will address common beliefs around feelings, the purpose of our emotions, and how our basic needs impact the way we interact with the world around us.
SESSION 2: Anger Awareness - Tuesday, January 21, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
This presentation will explore thoughts and beliefs about anger, the way anger impacts the brain and behaviour, and healthy expression of anger.
SESSION 3: Healthy Communication & Relationships - Tuesday, February 4, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
This presentation will examine the connection between communication and relationships including boundaries, communication styles, and respect.
SESSION 4: Grief & Loss - Wednesday, February 19, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
This presentation will dispel myths about grief and discuss different recovery models.
SESSION 5: Personal Empowerment - Tuesday, March 4, 5:00 - 6:30 PM
This presentation will explore the connection between an individual’s sense of self-worth and their need for choice, through self-compassion and challenging negative self-talk.
SESSION 6: Responding to Stress - Wednesday, March 19, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
This presentation will highlight the impact of stress on one’s life both positive and negative and identify tools and skills to help manage stress.
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All sessions will be hosted at the Lethbridge Sport Council Community Room. The Community Room is located on the second floor of the Nicholas Sheran Ice Centre and is accessible via the arena concourse. The facility has wheelchair parking and a flat entrance into the facility. As well the door partition can be removed to create a double-door entrance if needed. There is an elevator, a lift, and stairs in the concourse to access the community room. The facility has wheelchair-accessible bathrooms.
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SESSSION PRESENTERS
Chayse Stasiuk holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Calgary in the Lethbridge division. Chayse has a deep passion for mental health education and community work and continues to enjoy connecting to the community on the Outreach and Education team at Lethbridge Family Services. Chayse also enjoys cooking, playing video games, and participating in various sports as both an athlete and coach.
Mikail Tate holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree from the University of Lethbridge, majoring in Addictions Counselling. She has worked in a variety of roles including youth & preschool program development and delivery, fundraising, crisis intervention, and addictions support work. She is passionate about community development, adult education, and capacity building. Mikail loves learning, and is fascinated with the neurobiology of feeling safe. She loves acquiring new knowledge in these areas and integrating this into the use of practical skills in work and life. Mikail has been involved in the arts as a lifelong learner, and lover of various art forms. As a former dance instructor and summer camp enthusiast, she aspires to inspire and empower others to embrace their creative side as a means to promote well-being and personal growth.
John Thompson holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Lethbridge in Anthropology, as well as the designation of Registered Social Worker. John has worked in Suicide Prevention since 1989 and has been with the Outreach and Education Program since 2001, with a primary focus on Suicide Prevention and Family Violence Prevention. In that time, he has represented Lethbridge Family Services at local, provincial, and national conferences on Suicide and Family Violence. John is grateful for the opportunity to be a member of such an eclectic and exciting team. John currently enjoys his role as stepfather and grandpa.
Inclusive and Accessible Sport Programs
Everyone deserves quality sport. For some participants, this requires various degrees of support.
Organizations that offer accessible, adaptable, and/or inclusive programming
These organizations offer adaptable, accessible, and/or inclusive programming. Select the organization you'd like to check out, then click the 'Accessible and Inclusive' button on their profile to learn more.
Sport for All Events
Sport For All Resources
Our resource library has a number of resources for parents, athletes, organizations, and coaches. Here are a few of the 'Sport For All' resources you'll find:
Racism in Sport
Lethbridge Sport Council
Everyone has a role to play in making sport anti-racist. There are many tools, resources, education opportunities and supports to address racism in sport. For example, Anti-racism in Sport is a campaign which seeks to increase, promote, and engage in discussions on anti-racism in sport.
Why is active allyship important in sport?
Lethbridge Sport Council via Coaching Association of Canada
Active allyship is about addressing systemic change and using your voice for positive change. Within sport, active allyship is extremely important for addressing systemic racism within sport. Specifically, in sport informed/active allyship consists of using the privilege associated with being a non-racialized coach to advocate for and work toward supporting all racialized participants and coaches.
Understanding and improving equity, diversity and inclusion in sport
Lethbridge Sport Council via InMotion Network
The majority of EDI policies and practices focus on 'welcoming' those who have historically been excluded instead of attempting to address the structural causes of exclusion that stem from the interrelated factors related to settler colonialism, racism, sexism, ableism and capitalism.
The Community Coordinator, Sport for All position is an extension of the Pathway to Participation initiative which spanned from 2020-2022. Over the course of P2P, we are proud to have held a number of events and programs with the intention of increasing Indigenous access to sport. In 2023 the P2P initiative has expanded to include other groups experiencing barriers to sport. To learn more about the original P2P initiative, we welcome you to check out the webpage.
People in Sport Publication
Why inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility within sport?
A recent 2023 SIRC article focused on the need to reframe sport; highlighting a similar mandate as Lethbridge Sport Council that sport needs to place excellent experiences for all at the center. In this article SIRC highlights that gold standards will return to sport in the shared values of respect, friendship and excellence.
SIRC suggests that six elements contribute to a quality sport experience: belongingness, engagement, achievement, challenge, choice and personal and social meaning. These elements contribute to everyone who’s involved in sport; athletes, coaches, officials, parents, administrators and supporters to having positive sport experiences.
In our efforts to provide quality sport experiences to all there is a need for a mindset shift to see sport for development. This is the intentional use of sport and physical activity to build healthy communities and help all people reach their full potential. As we look to make sport accessible and inclusive to all within our community, there are practical steps that sport organizations and teams can do to assist in achieving this goal. A starting point for organizations is to truly embrace inclusion by fostering a culture of inclusion. Some strategies to achieve this are:
- Use language and imagery that is inclusive and respectful of all cultures and identities.
- Adjust program activities and make them adaptable to cater various skill levels.
- Communicate with participants, families, parents and caregivers.
- Create a culture where participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, feelings and experiences and where they are celebrated for their differences.
- Ensure that policies and procedures are equitable and consistent for all.