Sport Matters Group

Background of organization:  

Sport Matters Group (SMG) originated in the late 1990s with Victor Lachance of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, Ian Bird of Athletes CAN and Esteem Team, Karen O’Neill of Commonwealth Games Canada and a dozen other well-known sport leaders. Their vision and purpose was to transform Canadians’ perception of sport from “elite athletes winning medals” to “the development of healthy communities by engaged citizens”.

SMG functions with a small staff using a co-operative investment model. By pooling human, financial, and technological resources, it draws upon the experience, expertise and contacts of about 30 other sport organizations and universities, including the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, Physical and Health Education Canada, the Canadian Olympic Association, and Own the Podium.

Full Grant description: 

From 2011 to 2014, SMG will focus on influencing government policy and transferring the lessons from successful community sport programs into the hands of people who train coaches, lead municipal parks and recreation associations, and directors of national sport organizations.

A grant from the Foundation will support several elements of this strategy, including policy development, communications, evaluation tools and collaboration with other sectors.

As part of this grant, the Foundation will support the participation of community sport organizations in the innovative work of the Working Together Initiative.