Unprecedented Queen’s study recommends sport coaching policies for new Canadians

Kingston, ON – Researchers at Queen’s University recommend developing policies to encourage more new Canadians to play sports and serve as coaches.

This is one of a number of recommendation in a groundbreaking study that focuses on the personal experiences of successfully engaged new-Canadian coaches by examining their coaching activities, and sport and recreational experiences.

Led by Jean Côté, professor and Director of Queen’s University’s School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, the study has important implications for sport in Canada. Its findings provide a starting point in efforts to reach out to new Canadians and involve them as coaches at all levels of the sport system.



“The study has uncovered issues that will inform the broader coaching communities about the barriers and facilitators that are unique to the involvement of New Canadians in coaching Canadian Children,” says Dr. Côté.

Other ecommendations include exploring alternative mechanisms and opportunities for entry into coaching by new Canadians, developing and distributing information packages on coaching opportunities for new Canadians, and providing sport associations with direction and incentives to improve methods of recruiting newcomers.

Dr. Côté and his research group at Queen’s identify two groups of new-Canadian sport coaches – the career coach and the family-oriented coach – and finds specific and universal barriers for the two groups.

Both groups are restricted by language difficulties, lack of time, lack of information on how to get involved in coaching, a perceived lack of opportunity and access, maladjustment and difficulties in acclimatizing to the new culture, and a lack of facilities.

A second study led by Susan Tirone associate director (Graduate Studies) and an associate professor in the School of Health and Human Performance, and Lori Livingstone, Director of the school at Dalhousie University explores issues of participation by volunteers from newcomer and minority ethnic communities, how to enhance participation in coaching and the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), and the impact of Canada’s multiculturalism policy as a tool of social integration.

It suggests that the NCCP develop a sociology module that enhances understanding about social conditions, including gender, ethnicity and race, religion and socio-economic status.

The studies conducted concurrently for the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) are expected to lead the way in effectively involving new Canadians in coaching and the NCCP, Canada’s leading edge coach training and education program.

Both studies were funded by the RBC Foundation.