Inclusion Policy
Including People from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities
Approximately half of the 250,000 immigrants to Canada each year settle in Ontario. The five most commonly spoken languages are: English (8 million), French (490,000), Chinese (405,000), Italian (296,000) and German (157,000) with other significant languages including Greek, Spanish, Punjabi, Ukrainian and Portuguese. This creates a great opportunity for all soccer clubs to broaden their club base by including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The Issues
- People who are new to Canada may lack an awareness of soccer in general
- Where knowledge of the sport does exist there is still often a lack of awareness of individual club activities, opportunities and options available
- Cultural and religious differences and expectations can act as a barrier to participation in your Club
- Lack of parental support due to parents having other priorities considered more important than sport
- Language can act as a barrier to approaching and becoming involved
- Your Club may not be seen as culturally relevant
- The perceived potential threat or previous experience of racial prejudice may deter people from becoming involved in soccer
- Participation of women in soccer may be affected by different cultural practices or values with regard to the participation of women in sport and physical activity.
Strategies for Overcoming Barriers
- Educate your Club Members about the barriers that people from CLD backgrounds may experience and other relevant cultural issues
- Broaden the promotion of your Club and its activities to include your Migrant Resource Centre
- Capitalize on soccer being the ‘worlds game’ with strong soccer cultures and role models in many countries around the world
- Promote The Ontario Soccer Association and your own Club’s policy on racism. Ensure this policy is enshrined in all practices and make it clear to your members and supporters that racist jokes, language and behaviour are not acceptable
Birth date: 18 March 1993
Birth date: 12 February 1990
Birth date: 4 April 1983
Birth date: 06 January 1981
Birth date: 10 April 1988
Birth date: 21 August 1992
Birth date: 24 February 1986
Birth date: 21 August 1983
Birth date: 31 October 1990
Birth date: 12 July 1989
Patricia was born in Toronto but raised in Portugal where she spent most of her life. Since diagnosed with celiac disease at 12 years old she was forced to understand every single ingredient going into her body. She later decided to take a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Porto in Portugal with one semester spent in Poland in between. Specialist in nutritional counselling and follow-up with patients under a weight loss program, Patricia looks to help our athletes and their families find a healthy diet with emphasis on the pleasure of eating well.
Alicia is an avid soccer player and former youth soccer coach, who has been playing in pickup games, leagues, and tournaments for decades. She completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Kinesiology/Exercise Sciences at McMaster University and the University of Toronto, and recently underwent a one year training certification to become a Functional Health Coach. In 2015, her passion for soccer as a tool for personal and community development led to her co-founding NUTMEG Soccer, a Toronto based not-for-profit soccer and life skills organization. Alicia is so excited to combine her love for soccer with her health coaching skill set to support players and their families in achieving their health, wellness, and mindset goals and flourishing as humans!
Chaitanya is a toy engineer at Spin Master, as well as a photography enthusiast since 2011. Growing up in Oakville, Chaitanya participated in many sports as a child, including soccer and baseball. During his final season of baseball, a father of his teammate acted as a volunteer photographer for the team. Sitting on the bench, Chaitanya found himself more fascinated by the equipment the photographer was using than the game he was supposed to be playing. Today, Chaitanya is a part time photographer covering sports and events. Chaitanya looks to build passion for soccer through his photography by capturing the spirit of the game in his images.
Jason King is an Australian born athlete, coach, mentor and talent scout. He was born into football – learning to play from his Grandfather who was a well-respected professional player in England. His goal is laser focused on developing and helping student athletes across Ontario get into College or University in Canada or America through athletic and academic scholarships. Jason is a huge advocate for these kids and wants them to realize their own capabilities and their potential on the football field and in the classroom. In his spare time, Jason will be seen in the kitchen or at the park with his kids, wife and two dogs. He is a huge believer that family always comes first. His favourite Football teams are Man Utd and Napoli, and all-time favourite player is Ryan Giggs.
Andrew was born and raised in Toronto, who has been playing competitive soccer and other sports recreationally for years. He’s currently enrolled at Ryerson University, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Sport Media. Andrew has a profound love for sports and content creation, combining his two passions to create his own soccer-based podcast, Premier Talk. He has experience in video editing, graphic design, sports writing, and is working to one day be a part of the sport media landscape. Andrew has also worked with the indigenous youth of Attawapiskat, conducting soccer and media related programs in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Andrew is excited to channel his appreciation for the beautiful game of soccer, to create meaningful content for people to enjoy.