The landscape of sport participation is complex. While previous episodes of Sports Clamor explored the impact of increased choice, Episode 4 brings a crucial perspective on the other major forces at play: cost, competing priorities, accessibility, and the power of narrative. Host PJ Kwong welcomes her longtime friend Teddy Katz, an award-winning CBC Sports journalist turned communications expert (Think Redefined), whose work with the Olympics, Paralympics, and grassroots organizations offers invaluable insights.

Teddy agrees that the sheer number of options fragments participation, but argues sport today faces even broader competition.

The Evolving Challenge: Sport vs. Everything Else

"I think there's so many different options for parents and for kids beyond sport that sport is competing with," Teddy observes. Compounding this is the current economic climate: "Cost is such an issue... each household is dealing with rising costs for food for gas... and they're trying to deal with that and then get their kids into sport or other activities." This pressure on time and finances makes choosing sport more challenging than ever.

Breaking Down Barriers: Accessibility, Diversity & Cost

How can sport organizations respond? A key focus for Teddy is improving accessibility and ensuring sport reflects Canada's diverse population. He highlights positive steps like the Ontario Minor Hockey Association advertising registration in multiple languages (Mandarin, Punjabi, Korean, Arabic) to make newcomers feel welcome.

However, he also points to systemic issues, like the rise of "pay-to-play" fees even for national team representation. "If that's the case," Teddy warns, "you have to be fairly well-to-do... you can imagine what that's going to do for accessibility."

Proactive Outreach: Taking Sport TO the Community

Crucially, Teddy stresses that organizations can't just wait for participants to find them. They need to take sport to the people. He shares powerful examples from his work with Volleyball Canada's Community Sport for All grant program:

• A soccer program established in a high-crime neighbourhood in Surrey, BC, providing positive after-school activity.

• A Muslim youth association in Winnipeg receiving support to create culturally appropriate sports opportunities for their community.

"If you don't go to those communities and take the sports to them," Teddy asserts, "I think it's too much to expect they're going to come to you."

The Power of the Narrative: Making Sport Stories Heard

In today's saturated media environment, compelling storytelling is vital. Teddy, drawing on his extensive journalism background and his work with the Refugee Paralympic Team, emphasizes the need to find and amplify impactful stories that often go unheard.

"My career has been trying to get stories out there that I just think need to be out in the public domain... aren't given nearly enough attention and can just have such an impact," he says. He speaks movingly about Zakiya Khudadadi, the Afghan refugee Taekwondo athlete who won a medal in Paris after fleeing the Taliban, demonstrating sport's transformative power. Communicators and organizations need to actively help these stories cut through the noise.

Building Community and Identity Through Sport

Despite the challenges, Teddy firmly believes in sport's irreplaceable role in building community (sharing his own experience joining curling later in life) and forging national identity, citing iconic Canadian sporting moments from the 1972 Summit Series to Terry Fox. It also teaches invaluable life lessons about teamwork, resilience, and confidence.

Our Take: Facilitating Access and Amplifying Stories

Teddy Katz paints a vivid picture of the modern hurdles facing sport participation – cost, competition for time, and the need for deliberate, inclusive outreach. He highlights the necessity of proactively bringing sport to diverse communities and telling compelling stories to capture attention.

While systemic change is vital, Communiti's tools are designed to help organizations tackle these challenges at the ground level today. Creating an easy-to-find branded marketplace (like the "ingenious" Ontario Volleyball Connect model Teddy praised) makes programs discoverable and accessible. Providing clubs and coaches with simple ways to convert social media interest into bookings helps them cut through the noise and connect directly with potential participants in their digital communities. These platforms also become a space for organizations to tell their own story effectively, showcasing their programs, values, and the successes of their members.

By simplifying discovery, streamlining registration, and empowering organizations to connect directly, we aim to lower the barriers Teddy described and help more people experience the profound benefits of sport.

Hear the full conversation with Teddy Katz for more insights:

• His reflections on decades covering the Olympics and Paralympics.

• More details on the incredible Refugee Paralympic Team story.

• His take on the evolution of sports media.

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Ready to make your sports programs more accessible and easier to find?

Learn how Communiti can help you build your Branded Marketplace (like Ontario Volleyball Connect) or Convert Social Media Buzz into Bookings