On Tuesday September 21st, we had Gary Shelton, Executive Director of the Edmonton Sport Council, speak to our club about the work that the Edmonton Sport Council does and how COVID has impacted youth sport in Edmonton. The Edmonton Sport Council is a non-profit society serving and representing the sport, active recreation, and active living community. Some of the objectives of the council are to raise the profile of sport in Edmonton, share best practices, and to facilitate access to expertise, education, and training in the areas of physical literacy, sport, and active recreation by Edmonton organizations.
Gary shared how COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the sport community and how socioeconomic status has a major impact on returning to sport. For example, youth sport has lost access to community use of schools gyms during the pandemic; golf courses reduced or eliminated youth subsides due to the high demand for tee times; and availability of equipment, such as cross-country skis, and bikes, has been limited. Gary shared some startling figures, including how approximately 365,000 girls who were in sport prior to COVID 19 are not expected to return to sport!
Thank you for the enlightening talk Gary.