CALGARY- They say you have to pay to play, but that’s proving problematic for many Canadian parents whose budgets are being stretched thin.
A new report from CIBC shows seven out of 10 Canadians think it’s important for children to participate in organized sports. However, one third of children don’t, due to the costs.
“We are fortunate enough it isn’t an issue for us, but I can see how if people are living paycheque to paycheque, to get their kids in especially competitive programs it’s definitely costly,” said Judy Tarnowski, while watching her daughter Ashley practice gymnastics. “I find that kids need exercise in order to be able to have better concentration in school, and be overall rounded kids.
“To have sports in their lives is very, very important.”
With that in mind, CIBC is giving the organization Kidsport $1 million, to help get more kids active.
“It’s a no brainer. You have to do sports to live a happy and active life,” says Olympic gold medalist Kyle Shewfelt. “You have the high performers, the Olympians and champions that inspire us all to get involved. But then how do you get involved if you don’t have the funds to do so?
“This is really bridging that gap.”
In Alberta, parents spend an average of over $1,400 per child annually on activities.
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