Sport Participation

Publication date: January 25, 2024

B.C.'s sport system welcomes participants of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. Explore the many ways to be involved in sport in your community.

Play, Learn, Join or Compete in a Sport

Provincial and multi-sport organizations such as Basketball BC, BC Wheelchair Sports, BC Special Olympics and 55+ BC Games offer opportunities to play, learn, join or compete in a sport. These organizations can also help you find clubs and teams in your community that provide opportunities to participate in sport. Visit the viaSport website for more information.

Coaching Certification

The National Coaching Certification Program provides training and certification for coaches. These courses – offered throughout the province – instruct and certify coaches in how to teach fundamental movement skills for children learning to play sport as well as how to coach community or competitive sports. The BC Government supports coaching through funding to Coaches viaSport and provincial sport organizations to help ensure participants of all ages have access to trained and certified coaches and instructors.

Community or provincial sport organizations grants

The B.C. Government provides support for programs such as the BC Sport Participation Program and Community Sport Development Program grants that help organizations provide opportunities to British Columbians to get involved in sport. These programs are administered by viaSport.

After School programs

The B.C. Government, through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport funds the After School Sport and Arts Initiative which supports after school sport, physical activity, and arts programming in selected school districts around B.C. The initiative’s programs are targeted to children who face barriers to participation, help them develop skills that contribute to a healthy life through creative thinking and physical activity. For more information contact us at assai@gov.bc.ca

Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport also funds the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I•SPARC) to implement the Indigenous Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Strategy, regional action plans, the annual Premier’s Awards for Aboriginal Youth Excellence in Sport and Team BC’s participation in the North American Indigenous Games.  For more information, visit https://isparc.ca/.  I•SPARC and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport also won a 2018 Premier's Innovation and Excellence Award for Organizational Excellence - to see why, visit YouTube.