Sport Participation in Canada
Sport participation rates in Canada
Sport participation was examined in the 2006-07
Sport Monitor, and was defined as physical
activities that involve competition and rules, and
develop specific skills. The reported rate of
sport participation in Canada in 2006-2007
stands at 36%.
those aged 18 and older, men are more likely
than women to participate in sport.
FIGURE 2: SPORT PARTICIPATION, BY AGE
FIGURE 1: SPORT PARTICIPATION,
OVERALL AND BY GENDER
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Activity level There is a general increase in the
proportion participating in sport with increasing
activity level. Active Canadians are more likely
to participate in sport compared to those who
are somewhat active or who are least active.
FIGURE 3: SPORT PARTICIPATION
BY ACTIVITY LEVEL
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Region Residents of British Columbia, the
Yukon, and the Northwest Territories are more
likely than the Canadian average to report
participating in sport.
Age and sex Sport participation in Canada is
significantly related to both age and gender.
Men are more likely than women to participate
in sport. Rates of sport participation among
Canadians decrease significantly with increasing
age groups; those aged 15 to 17 are the most
likely to participate whereas those aged 65 years
or older are the least likely to participate. Sport
participation does not differ between males and
females for those aged 15 to 17; however, for
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Socio-economic and demographic
characteristics Although there are no
differences in sport participation by education
level, sport participation does generally increase
with increasing household income levels. Those
2006-07 Sport Monitor
© Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
Bulletin no. 1
with low household incomes are less likely to
participate in sport compared to those with
higher incomes. Those who never have been
married are the most likely to indicate that they
participate in sport, while widowed, divorced, or
separated Canadians are least likely to
participate; these findings are likely associated
with age. Similarly, retired adults are also
generally least likely to say they participate in
sport.
FIGURE 4: SPORT PARTICIPATION
BY HOUSEHOLD INCOME
FIGURE 5: FREQUENTLY CITED SPORTS,
SPORT PARTICIPANTS, OVERALL
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Region Residents of Newfoundland and
Labrador are more likely than the national
average to report playing at least one team
sport, while residents of Quebec are less likely
to report this. Indeed, Quebec residents are more
likely than the national average to name only
individual sports as the most frequent ones that
they play.
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Which sports do Canadians play?
Most Canadians who take part in sport do so as
active participants, as opposed to as an official,
manager, coach, spectator, and so on. Those
who identified themselves as participants were
then asked to list up to four sports that they play
most often. Among those who play recreational
and competitive sport, the most frequently cited
sports are hockey, golf, baseball and softball,
racquet sports (such as tennis, badminton, and
squash), soccer, basketball, volleyball, skiing,
and snowboarding. Categorizing sports as
either team-oriented (e.g., hockey, soccer) or
individual-oriented (e.g., golf, skiing), a
significantly higher proportion of Canadians
(64%) play at least one team-oriented sport than
play at least one individual-oriented sport
(53%). Canadians are most likely to report
playing only team sports (46%), followed by
only individual-oriented sports (34%), followed
by a combination of team- and individualoriented sports (20%).
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Age and sex Men are more likely than women
to report playing hockey and golf, while women
are more likely than men to play volleyball.
Although their sport participation rates may
differ, men and women do not differ with
respect to the team- or individual-oriented
nature of the sports in which they participate.
Participating in at least one team sport or only
team sports is most prevalent among Canadians
under the age of 45 years, and this is true for
both men and women. Conversely, Canadians
over the age of 45 years are more likely to
report playing at least one individual sport or
playing only individual sports compared to
younger adults, and this is true for both women
and men. For example, Canadians aged 45
years or older are more likely than younger
Canadians to report that they play golf. No sex
or age differences appear with respect to
engaging in a combination of team- and
individual-oriented sports.
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FIGURE 6: TYPE OF SPORT,
SPORT PARTICIPANTS, BY AGE
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Women are more likely than men to report that
they are coached. Youth aged 15 to 17 are more
likely than 25 to 44 year olds to report training
for sport, and are also most likely to be coached.
Those aged 18 to 24 are more likely than 45 to
64 year olds to report that they have a coach.
Those who are active are more likely than those
who are least active to say that they train as a
part of their sport.
FIGURE 8: TRAINING AND COACHING,
SPORT PARTICIPANTS, BY AGE
How do they participate?
Competition The majority (63%) of sport
participants indicate that they compete in sport.
Of these, 71% compete locally, 22%
provincially, and 7% compete at a national
level. Those in Prince Edward Island,
Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories are
more likely to indicate that they compete in
sport, while residents of Quebec are less likely
to report this. Youth aged 15 to 17 are more
likely than adults 25 years and older to compete.
FIGURE 7: LEVEL OF COMPETITION,
SPORT PARTICIPANTS, OVERALL
* Proportion who compete = 63%
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Training and coaching Slightly more than half
(56%) of sport participants indicate that they
train for a recreational or comperitive sport and
40% use a coach. Residents of the Yukon are
more likely than the average Canadian to report
that they train for their sport.
Bulletin 1
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Degree of structure Among Canadians who do
participate in recreational or competitive sport,
47% exclusively participate in structured and
organized environments (for example at a sports
facility or fitness club), 19% participate
exclusively in unstructured and casual
environments (such as playing pick-up games),
and 34% play sports in both structured and
unstructured formats. Those living in the
Northwest Territories are more likely than the
national average to indicate that they participate
solely in structured and organized environments.
Women are more likely than men to participate
solely in structured and organized environments.
Individuals aged 18 to 24 are less likely than
younger adults (aged 15 to 17) and older adults
(65 years and older) to say that they participate
solely in structured sport. These same 18 to 24
year olds are more likely than Canadians aged
45 years or older to participate in both
structured and unstructured sport activities. No
disparities related to income or education appear
with respect to the degree of structure of sport
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participation. Among sport participants, those
who are least active are more likely than those
who are active to indicate that the sports that
they play are solely in structured and organized
environments.
FIGURE 9: DEGREE OF STRUCTURE,
SPORT PARTICIPANTS, BY AGE
unsupportive of sport participation. For
example:
Canadians generally spend significantly
more time both at work3 and commuting to
and from work4 than they did almost 15
years earlier.
15% of Canadian workers continue to work
more than 40 hours per week,6 and nearly
one-third of Canadians self-identify as
workaholics.5
Women (and especially mothers) have
experienced significant increases in work
time.6
2006-2007 Sport Monitor, CFLRI
Summary and Recommendations for Action
This bulletin reveals that just over one-third of
Canadians participate in sport, as defined by the
Sport Monitor. This proportion is higher than
that found in 2005 by the General Social Survey
(GSS)1 (28%), but similar to that found by the
1998 GSS1 (34%) and the 2004 Physical
Activity and Sport Monitor (36%).2 Like the
GSS, however, the 2007 Sport Monitor finds
that:
Men are more likely to participate in sport
compared to women,
Younger adults are more likely to participate
in sport than their older counterparts,
Higher income levels are associated with
higher rates of sport participation, and
The most popular sports among Canadians
include hockey, golf, baseball and softball,
racquet sports, soccer, basketball, volleyball,
and skiing and snowboarding. Further, team
sports appear to be more popular among
younger Canadians, while older Canadians
are more likely to favour individual sports.
Recent national data depict an environment
where Canadians’ lives are generally
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Canadians are experiencing greater
difficulty in striking a work-life balance;
women especially are affected by role
overload, work-to-family interference, and
membership in the ‘sandwich generation’
which demands caring for children and older
parents simultaneously.7
More than half of Canadians also report that
work has a negative effect on time for
leisure activities,7 and higher occupational
stress among working adults has been linked
to reductions in physical activity, including
sport participation.8,9
In light of these and other pressures on the lives
Canadians lead, policymakers need to tailor
their interventions to encourage Canadians to
include sport in their routines. For example:
Encourage strategic partnerships within
communities – Many Canadians report that
the infrastructure they require for physical
activity and sport is absent or sparse,2 and
many municipalities report having
infrastructure which requires significant
repair and maintenance.10 While the fiscal
and logistic issues within municipalities
must be addressed to encourage sport,
policies to encourage the cooperation of
municipalities, community leaders, and
organizations within the community can
bridge the gap between the needs of the
community and the infrastructure present.
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For example, schools and other facilities not
administered by municipalities may have
sport facilities that remain unused for
several hours every day. In working with
the administration of these facilities,
municipalities and community sport groups
may be able to address a need within their
communities; facilities and schools may also
benefit by customizing arrangements to use
existing municipal resources that are beyond
their fiscal reach, such as pools and ice
rinks.
Target sport participation among women
– Sport participation rates among women are
significantly lower than among men.
Though the reasons for this are complex,
competing family and work pressures are
often cited as concerns to women, and
women are more likely to feel little to no
control over fitting physical activity in their
daily lives.11 Additionally, sport may not be
viewed as ‘relevant’ to women and girls:
Constructs of femininity in Western
societies do not include participation in
many sports.12 Body image issues appear to
affect women’s participation in sport and
physical activity, whereby all-female
environments elicit the least anxiety about
one’s physique among women.13 In
addition, women who do participate in sport
are noted to have different sport preferences
than men.1 Policies that target participation
among women must take these complex
issues into account to be effective. For
instance, offering child care services or
helping to coordinate child care sharing,
offering women-only sport groups, and
offering preferred sports may encourage
more women to join sport programs.
Support of needs-assessment and program
evaluation activities are vital to the success
of any sporting program.
Bulletin 1
Encourage implementation and expansion
of workplace sport – Though many larger
workplaces in Canada do offer opportunities
to participate in team sports,14 data show that
team sports are less likely to be offered by
smaller workplaces, at which nearly half of
Canada’s private sector workforce is
employed; regardless, sport opportunities
are not the norm among workplaces both
large and small,15 and many Canadians feel
they cannot incorporate activity into their
work routines.16 Further, a moderate
proportion of Canadians favour individualoriented sports over team sports; a focus on
team sports may favour some groups of
workers (e.g., younger workers) at the
expense of others. Policies should therefore
encourage more workplaces to implement
workplace sport opportunities, including
allowing flexibility for all employees to
participate. These policies may also require
tools to assess the most appropriate form for
new programs and the type of sports they
should include. Workplaces that already
have sport opportunities should consider
expanding the number and variety of
workplace sport opportunities to allow a
greater number of workers to participate in
sport at work.
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References
1
Ifedi, F. (2008). Sport Participation in Canada, 2005 [Statistics Canada Cat. No. 81-595MIE]. Ottawa, ON: Statistics Canada.
2
Cameron, C., Craig, C. L. & Paolin, S. (2005). Local Opportunities for Physical Activity
and Sport: Trends from 1999 – 2004. Ottawa, ON: Cdn Fitness and Lifestyle Research
Institute.
3
Turcotte, M. (2007). Time spent with family during a typical workday, 1986 – 2005.
Canadian Social Trends [Statistics Canada Cat. No. 11-008], 83, 2 – 11.
4
Turcotte, M. (2006). The Time It Takes to Get to Work and Back: 2005 [Statistics Canada
Cat. No. 89-622-XIE2006001]. Retrieved May 28, 2008 at
http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/89-622-XIE/89-622-XIE2006001.pdf
5
Keown, L. (2007). Time escapes me: Workaholics and time perception. Canadian Social
Trends [Statistics Canada Cat. No. 11-008], 83, 28 – 32.
6
Usalcas, J. (2008). Hours polarization revisited. Perspectives on Labour and Income
[Statistics Canada Cat. No. 75-001-X], 9(3), 5 – 15.
7
Duxbury, L. & Higgins, C. (2003). Work-Life Conflict in the New Millennium in Canada: A
Status Report. Retrieved May 28, 2008 at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/worktravail/pdf/rprt_2_e.pdf
8
Ng, D. M. & Jeffery, R. W. (2003). Relationships Between Perceived Stress and Health
Behaviors in a Sample of Working Adults. Health Psychology, 22, 638 - 642.
9
Lutz, R. S., Lochbaum, M. R., Lanning, B., Stinson, L. G., & Brewer, R. (2007). Crosslagged relationships among leisure-time exercise and perceived stress in blue-collar workers.
Journal of Sport & Exercise Physiology, 29, 687 – 705.
10
Cameron, C., Craig, C. L. & Paolin, S. (2005). A Municipal Perspective on Opportunities
for Physical Activity: Trends from 2000 – 2004. Ottawa, ON: Cdn Fitness and Lifestyle
Research Institute.
11
Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. (2008). Intentions to be active and
personal control over choice to be active. Changing the Canadian Landscape…One Step at
a Time: Results of the 2007 Physical Activity Monitor [bulletin]. Ottawa, ON: Author.
12
Roth, A. & Basow, S.A. (2004). Femininity, sports, and feminism: Developing a theory of
physical liberation. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 28, 245 – 265.
13
Kruisselbrink, L. D., Dodge, A. M., Swanburg, S. L. & MacLeod, A. L. (2004). Influence
of same-sex and mixed-sex exercise settings on the social physique anxiety and exercise
intentions of males and females. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 26, 616 – 622.
14
Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute. (2007). Ensuring a supportive
environment at work for physical activity. Working to become active: Increasing physical
activity in the workplace [Bulletin]. Ottawa, ON: Author.
15
Industry Canada. (2008). Launch of Small Business Week 2008. Retrieved on 29 October
2008 at http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/ic1.nsf/en/02922e.html
16
Cragg, S., Wolfe, R., Griffiths, J. M. & Cameron, C. (2007). Physical Activity among
Canadian Workers: Trends 2001 – 2006. Ottawa, ON: Cdn Fitness and Lifestyle Research
Institute.
—a CFLRI project initiated in partnership with—
Sport Canada, Canadian Heritage, and
the Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council
Published in 2009
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Bulletin 1