The Social Impact of Sport

Описание: Sporting events, games, and tournaments have long been touted as having social impact – fostering a rekindling of social values, developing community engagement, inspiring people to get off the couch and get active, or leaving a lasting legacy of excellence. However, social impact is only possible with intentional leadership and intervention. The 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games prioritized accessibility and inclusion as a key legacy. This meant that organizers, Games operations, legacy planning, and related elements considered distinction for para athletes, accessibility of venues and related sport services, and inclusive opportunities throughout and beyond the Games. A key example of this is the Ontario Parasport Collective, a group of provincial, multisport, and disability sport organizations that came together around the Games to leverage the event.

Now, four years after the event, the group continues to work together towards increasing opportunities for parasport and advocating for policies that support the development of parasport in the province of Ontario. This type of commitment before, during and after the Games was critical, not only to the successful delivery of the Games, but also to ensuring positive outcomes from the event. Host Dr. Jennifer Walinga welcomed Drs. Laura Misener and David Legg, kindred spirits following separate paths along distinct timelines to discuss the role of para sport in shaping, leading, and educating the sport system, more creative and enduring measures of sport’s impact and purpose, and the potential inherent in events hosting.

Learn more about the Sport, Leadership & Social Change webinar series: https://www.royalroads.ca/why-royal-r...