Canadian Women & Sport is pleased to recognize the ten Greater Toronto Area (GTA) sport and recreation organizations that have been selected to join the GTA Same Game Challenge. It is exciting to see the influx of applications for this year’s program and we applaud the efforts of all of the applicants who are motivated to take on this transformational gender equity work.
The Same Game Challenge helps sport and physical activity organizations to build their capacity to create equitable and inclusive opportunities, leading to greater engagement of of women and girls in their programming. Thanks to funding support from Nike as part of the company’s Made to Play global commitment to get kids moving, organizations will advance gender equity and improve opportunities for women and girls as participants and leaders.
“All kids need play, but too many girls are left on the sidelines or never even have the chance to start – missing out on all the good that comes from being active,” said Matthew Geschke, Senior Director of North America Social & Community Impact for Nike. “Through Made to Play, Nike is working alongside Canadian Women & Sport and community partners, investing in local programming that prioritizes inclusion to bring all kids to the playing field.”
“We are delighted to welcome these organizations into the Same Game Challenge,” says Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women & Sport. “Their participation in this program speaks volumes about their commitment to including girls and women from diverse communities. We are grateful to Nike Canada for their support to deliver this impactful program, particularly when many girls and women are at risk of being left on the sidelines due to COVID-19.”
This cohort of selected organizations targets some of the most diverse communities within the GTA to help build better sport through an intersectional gender equity lens. Participating organizations include:
- Basketball World Toronto
- Burlington Centaurs Rugby Football Club
- C U Cricket
- Durham Dragons Athletics
- Freestyle Ontario
- John Polanyi Collegiate Institute
- Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association
- Scarborough Synergy Volleyball Club
- Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF)
- Urban Squash Toronto
The GTA Same Game Challenge will begin with onboarding in August 2021, providing participating organizations with opportunities such as: coaching and mentorship, professional development, financial support and knowledge and competency to better understand how to engage women and girls in sport. The program will The Same Game Challenge will conclude in March 2022 when participating organizations will have the opportunity to share their learnings and successes of the program.
“Freestyle Ontario is thrilled to be a part of the Same Game Challenge. This project comes as we enter a new strategic plan, in which a stated goal is to reinvigorate the organization’s focus on achieving gender equity in our sport. The resources and structure provided in the Same Game Challenge provide an amazing framework to build a comprehensive plan to achieve this goal.” Austin Stanton, Events, Systems, and Communications Manager, Freestyle Ontario
Interested in bringing your organization’s Gender Equity vision to life? The Same Game Toolkit walks you through a systematic process for embedding gender equity into your organization – from creating your vision, to implementing initiatives, to reflecting and revising what you have done, and all the steps in between.
We would like to thank Nike Canada for funding this project.
About Canadian Women & Sport
Canadian Women & Sport is dedicated to creating an equitable and inclusive Canadian sport and physical activity system that empowers girls and women—as active participants and leaders—within and through sport. With a focus on systemic change, we partner with sport organizations, governments, and leaders to challenge the status quo and build better sport through gender equity.