Our work, across four phases
RE.sport is a 7-year national initiative. Our work moves through four connected phases — from understanding barriers, to building data and resources, to sustaining change alongside communities.
Four phases of our work
Documenting how race, gender, disability, class, and Indigeneity shape girls' access to — and exclusion from — community sport.
Explore Phase 1 ↓Building a national system to track participation, identify trends, and examine outcomes for girls in sport.
Explore Phase 2 ↓Supporting micro-grants and resources for youth and community organizations creating new opportunities for sport.
Explore Phase 3 ↓Creating an open-access toolkit so organizations can collaborate, engage, and sustain change in youth sport.
Explore Phase 4 ↓Phase 1 · Intersecting Identities
In Phase 1 of our national 7-year research initiative, leading experts across Canada specializing in youth sport, race, gender, social class, disability, body image, and Indigeneity are coming together to uncover critical gaps in the current youth sport literature. By examining existing barriers and surfacing missing data, this collaborative work aims to pave the way for a more equitable, inclusive, and empowering sport system for all youth.
As research unfolds, our team is also documenting key insights and recommendations that will be shared through a Delphi study process — inviting feedback from youth, parents, coaches, sport leaders, administrators, and organizations. Together, we'll co-create national guidelines to help shape a stronger, more just youth sport landscape — locally and globally. This phase is led in collaboration with the MLSE Launchpad.
Phase 1 research is underway
The Participation of Indigenous Girls and Young Women in Sport, Physical Activity, and Recreation across What is Now Known as Canada
Investigating the Utility of Trauma- and Violence-Informed Sport for Development in Supporting Youth SGBV Survivors in Canada
Understanding Sport and Physical Activity Opportunities and Barriers in Schools
Scan of Youth Girls Disability Research in Canada
Girls and Gender-Diverse Youth Experiences with Body Image in and out of Sport
Photovoice Study Exploring Girls and Gender-Diverse Youth Who Identify As Part of An Underserved Group in Sport
Re-imagining Sport from Canadian Youth Sport Leaders: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Considerations
Movember: Considerations for Youth Community Sport Mental Health
A Delphi: Youth Sport Research Recommendations
Transforming Sport, Affirming Youth: A Call to Action through Transfeminine and Non-binary Experience
Understanding the Impact of Sport Uniforms on Athlete Experiences
Phase 2 · National Sport Data Collective
Developing a national system to track sport participation, identify trends, and examine predictors and outcomes for girls across Canada.
Phase 3 · Resources & Programs
Micro-grants for youth and community organizations creating new opportunities for sport and physical activity in their communities — up to $500 for youth-led ideas and $5,000 for community-led initiatives. Applications open September 1, 2026.
See the micro-grants →Phase 4 · Sustainable Partnerships
Integrating and mobilizing knowledge into an open-access toolkit — a sustainable partnership model for researchers and community partner leaders to collaborate, engage, and contribute.