Newcomers build community, skills through sport

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This article was published 22/10/2021 (1494 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In 2016 Carolyn Trono had a vision to bring the world of sport to newcomer kids in Winnipeg. Involved in sport across Canada in various capacities — from athlete to administrator — she had the knowledge, the connections and the passion to make this vision into a reality. The Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy became an official not-for-profit organization in 2019 and her dream to help kids have a sense of belonging through sport is now a reality.

The WNSA began with a soccer program and has developed into a multi-sport academy for kids to play sports, learn English, meet new friends and have a ton of fun while doing it. The girls programming is divided into two cohorts; first, girls ages four through seven learn physical literacy skills in co-ed programming. Second, girls ages eight — 14 are in a girls only program, although play the same sports as do the boys. The sport choice and programming are truly tailored to what the girls like and want to play. Swimming, soccer, badminton, synchronized swimming and yoga have all been part of the program, and they continue to provide new experiences and options for the girls to get involved.

Female coaches and role models for the girls program are a big piece to the programming plans. The aim is to have girls shift from this program into in-school programs.

The WNSA programming is completely free for kids to join: It is aimed to help low-income families who are new to Winnipeg find a place in the community through sport. Teachers in schools, settlement agencies in Winnipeg, resource centres and referrals from those who are currently or have previously been a part of the programming is how kids get involved. It is not a drop-in program for kids, which Trono explains is very important to ensure they provide barrier free, great programming, and have enough coaches to participant ratios for the high-quality programming they aim to provide.

Betlhem Kassa is a current leader in the girls programming and also attended WNSA when she was younger. She explains that transportation is a huge issue for newcomers to be involved in sport, and as a leader she helps to solve this issue. Walking girls from home or the bus to the programming is an integral piece to the puzzle. Parents of girls are often very leery of allowing their girls to walk anywhere alone due to past traumas experienced where they came from. This piece of the puzzle is something that is imperative to have programming exist.

“It’s important for the girls in the program to see someone like them, and engage and motivate them to be involved,” says Kassa, who arrived as a refugee from Ethiopia in 2015.

When Kassa first arrived in Canada, there were numerous cultural blocks preventing her from being involved in sports. In Ethiopia, girls did not have access to sports and participating was highly shamed. On top of the language barrier, she was also worried she would not be accepted in the sports community. When she started with WNSA, things changed.

“Sport has made my life better. I have connected with people, made tons of friends, developed my language skills, and gave me hope that I could really connect here in many areas,” explains Kassa.

Safety, transportation issues, lack of awareness of quality programming, uniform and cultural issues, and language barriers are just some of the issues cited for newcomer girls when it comes to sport in Canada. But really, all they want is a chance to play and to meet new friends.

Samira Jahmoun, 15, is currently involved in the WNSA as an athlete and helps with some of the younger girls programming. She plays soccer and badminton and has been involved with the program since 2017. She says the sense of connection the academy has provided to her is huge. She realizes there are a lot of people like her in Winnipeg and has had a chance to develop really great friendships because of the program.

“Sport helped me feel welcome when I first came to Winnipeg and brightened my spirits,” explains Jahmoun, who first arrived from Jordan in the middle of a cold Winnipeg winter.

Jahmoun and Kassa explained they really want to feel part of the Winnipeg community, not just the new-immigrant community. Being involved in sports with Canadian girls, hanging out with them at school or for after-school social or community fun. Becoming friends with people who aren’t “just like them” is something they strive for.

As Trono explains, that is the great thing about sport. “Sport is a language in and of itself,” she says. “And how true is that? If you have 10 girls and a soccer ball in a field, it doesn’t matter what language they speak, what school they go to, or where they live. They can simply play and have fun.”

From a sport perspective, administrators need to be more culturally aware when building programming that is open to everyone. Not every girl knows at the age of six what sport she wants to play as a teenager. We need to ensure there is greater access for girls to be involved no matter what the age or skill level. If a girl wants to start playing hockey at age 11, there should be an option for her. If a girl wants to start playing soccer at age 16, there should be an option for her. We can and must do better for girls in sport if we want to have sport involvement and participation rates increase.

Trono’s big dream for the Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy is both sustainability of the academy and to increase community development. Having Canadian born girls and newcomer girls all getting active together. This is truly something we can all be a part of. In a time when the world is seeing more division day in and day out, what a joy it would be to bring our communities closer. And what better way to do it than with sport.