FACT SHEET

Reconnecting Government with Youth Survey (2003)

Between March 6^th and April 13^th, 2003, Ipsos-Reid conducted a random telephone survey of 1,005 youth aged 12 to 21 on their participation and views on organized sport as part of a syndicated public opinion study entitled Reconnecting Government with Youth 2003. An overview of the findings of this study is presented below.

Youth Participation in Sport

• Overall, 69% of Canadian youth participate in organized sport at least occasionally during the school year (excluding physical education classes in school).
  
  
  • 38% participate at least once a week
  • 12% participate regularly but less often than once a week
  • 19% participate sometimes but not on a regular basis.
    
    
• From 2002 to 2003, the number of Canadian youth who have reported participating in organized sport at least once a week has decreased.
  
  
  • In 2002, 44% of Canadian youth reported participating in organized sport at least once a week. This number decreased to 38% in 2003.
    
    
• Weekly participation in organized sport is higher among:
  
  
  • youth in Quebec (47%) and British Columbia (41%)
  • males (41%) than among females (35%)
  • those aged 12 to 15 (43%) than those aged 16 to 21 (35%).
    
    
• Thirty percent (30%) of Canadian youth say they rarely or never participate in organized sport during the school year.
  
  
• The two leading reasons why respondents do not regularly participate in organized sport are:
  
  
  • they do not have the time (34%)
  • they are not interested (30%).
    
    
• Only a small minority of respondents indicated that they do not regularly participate in organized sport because they are not good at sports (7%) or because of health/injury (5%).
  
  

The Benefits of Sport

• A large majority of respondents indicated that playing sports has the following benefits:
  
  
  • improves their health (99%)
  • helps them make new friends (87%)
  • makes them feel better about themselves (85%).
    
    
• A small majority of respondents indicated that playing sports helps them:
  
  
  • do better at school (58%)
  • be more active with their family (54%).