Sport For Development (S4D) clinics are a popular opportunity with increasing community interest year after year! These clinics provide in-community sport programming in a variety of sports – such as lacrosse, hockey, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and snowboarding! Through our experience delivering clinics with community partners, we have learned children and youth are excited to participate in sport and physical activity programs all year round. To help make this happen, in 2018-19, S4D programming will focus on building up local coaching skills, inclusivity for all children and youth, and being community-driven by:

1. Providing Community Mentors with training, resources and strategies that focus on making sport activities inclusive for all! Resources include an S4D Starter Kit and many sport-specific Pocketbooks that include the basic rules of the game, inclusive skill-building activities and drill ideas.
2. Leading 5 clinics with PLAY partner communities across Canada. These 3-5 day clinics involve professional athletes and clinicians, and allow communities to focus on the sport that most interests them. The goal is to (re)inspire children, youth and local coaches to make sport and physical activity part of their daily lives.
3. Supporting 3-5 communities to lead or attend Do It Yourself Sport For Development initiatives. Examples of these DIY opportunities can include: community-run clinics, access to coach certification trainings for community members, and equipment to ensure safe sports programming!

This year, Right To Play launched a new partnership with the Nexus, who specialize in an altruistic fighting art called Guardian Art that comes from Indigenous people. Inspired by ancient ninja training, Guardian Art is a modernized combination of MMA and parkour, and Right To Play is excited to offer it as a sport option at S4D clinics.

In November, participants in Wabigoon Lake, ON learned about this Anishnabek form of martial arts from Guardian Art facilitators Great Owl Lightning and Lion and about graffiti art from Grivanni Binger, otherwise know as Gene One.