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How To Register Your Child in a Quality Sport Program

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/01/2024 (620 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you want your kids to develop skills and confidence while enjoying a particular sport or physical activity, register them in a quality sport program.

Sport Manitoba partners with over 65 Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs). When you sign up for one of their programs, you can expect:

• Well-rounded programming and training specific to age, skill level, and stage within the long-term development framework
• Trained and certified coaches
• Safe and inclusive policies
• Scholarship and grant opportunities

Your kids deserve a well-rounded introduction to sport, where they learn lifelong skills and have positive, safe experiences that will keep them engaged in and playing sport for life.

Step 1: Choose a Sport

Take time to explore your child’s interests and preferences, and keep them in mind when discussing their involvement in sport. For children to continually pursue an activity, they need to find it enjoyable and intrinsically motivating. By researching opportunities and making their own choices, children can learn a great deal. Parents can be a big help by being open-minded and encouraging.

Step 2: Find a Program

Browse our list of recognized PSOs at sportmanitoba.ca/partners to see which stand out. Then, visit the PSO’s website and search for youth and/or introductory programs. Not all programs are the same, so it’s important to know what to look for.

Step 3: Ask Questions

While on the PSO’s website, review their policies and resources. Then reach out to program coordinators – this could be the PSO staff directly, or the person running programs at a club or community centre in your neighbourhood – and ask questions before you sign up, including:

• Are you a member of your Provincial Sport Organization?
• Are your coaches trained through the National Coach Certification Program (NCCP), and Respect In Sport (RiS) certified?
• Do your programs ensure the safety of participants through criminal record checks, safe sport, and concussion protocols, and emergency action plans?
• Are all participants actively engaged in the game and included by teammates?
• Do you outline the structure of your programs? (e.g. the skills to be learned, number of practices and games for the season, etc.)
• Do your programs include options to make activities more or less challenging based on participant’s skills and capabilities?
• Do your programs, especially those for younger participants, emphasize skill development over winning?
• Do your programs provide training and competition facilities that are safe, clean, and accessible?
• Do your programs provide equipment? Is it in good condition?
• What are the methods of two-way communication between parents and coaches or coaches and participants?
• Am I covered by insurance when I register for this program?

Step 4: If Eligible, Apply for Financial Assistance with KidSport Manitoba

KidSport is a national charity administered in Manitoba by Sport Manitoba that reduces financial barriers for families getting involved in organized sport. KidSport Manitoba can provide funding assistance of up to $500 per child per year to help with sport registration fees through a confidential application process. Learn more about eligibility and apply at kidsport.ca.