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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
Inclusivity in Sport HOW THE NSL IS MOVING THE NEEDLE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Diana Matheson
NORTHERN SUPER LEAGUE FOUNDER We're in a new era, and the future is going to look so different than anything we've seen before. It's a great time to be in women's sport, and we're just getting started.
Kaylee Hunter
AFC TORONTO
We’re showing young girls that there is a place for them in this sport and that female athletes deserve the same opportunities, support, and recognition as anyone else.
Meggie Dougherty Howard CALGARY WILD FC
The opportunities that women’s sports provide go far beyond just the players. The game builds community, whether you’re working in it or supporting as a fan. And that’s what sport is all about.
Tanya Boychuk MONTREAL ROSES
We’re not just growing a league; we’re creating a place where more people can feel that they belong in sport.
Tiff Cameron HALIFAX TIDES
As a Canadian, it has been a dream to be able to play professionally on home soil. It represents an opportunity for the younger generation, exposure for those who have been overlooked, and a space for experienced players to leave their mark.
Read the entire interviews online at truenorthliving.ca.
PHOTO CREDIT: DAN HARBRIDGE/BGHC
Black Girls and Women Are Creating Community in Sport Black girls and women in Canada continue to find ways to overcome barriers to participation in sport.
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articipating in sport can help young people build physical fitness, self-confidence, community, and leadership skills. For Black girls and women, accessing these benefits has required overcoming barriers to inclusion in sport, including a lack of representation and microaggressions, by creating their own programming. “Black girls and women are increasingly finding ways to stay involved in sport,” says Kaleigh Pennock, Assistant Professor and Director of the RISE Youth Sport Lab at the University of Waterloo. “We have to think about all the financial, cultural, religious, and interpersonal resources that Black girls and women need in Visit uwaterloo.ca/rise-youthsport-lab and janellejoseph.com for more information.
order to be successful and welcomed into sport,” says Janelle Joseph, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Racial Justice, Health and Sport and Founder and Director of the IDEAS Research Lab at Brock University. Through community-based research, Pennock and Joseph are working to better understand the experiences of Black girls and women in sport and collaborating on initiatives that support more inclusive sport environments. Recent projects include Joseph’s partnerships with Hill Run Club, a Black women’s running group, and GirlPower’d, a Black girls’ and women’s gymnastics and dance program, and working with Pennock and MLSE LaunchPad to
This article is sponsored by Brock University & University of Waterloo.
Kaleigh Pennock Assistant Professor and Director, RISE Youth Sport Lab, University of Waterloo
study their program for racialized coaches. Pennock is doing research on Black hair and belonging in sport and recreation and recently partnered with Black Girl Hockey Club to host a community research event dedicated to Black girl hockey players and their mothers, aunties, and women fans at MLSE LaunchPad. Written by Tania Amardeil
Janelle Joseph Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Racial Justice, Health and Sport & Founder and Director, IDEAS Research Lab at Brock University
Publisher: Jonah Sofer Country Manager: Samantha Taylor Content & Client Success Manager: Nicole Kansakar Creative Director: Kylie Armishaw Digital Traffic Manager: Vansh Chandwaney All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.