Taylor Rowe recently saw perseverance play out on the sports field.<\/p>\n
The Applied Health Sciences PhD candidate heads up the Youth Advisory Council of CO-PLAY<\/a>, a Brock-led national research network to boost physical activity in newcomer children and youth.\u00a0Last month, CO-PLAY held a community event that allowed almost 100 newcomer girls and their families in the Riverdale neighbourhood to participate in local sport and recreation activities offered by the City of Hamilton, Sport Ball<\/a> and SCORE!Club<\/a>.<\/p>\n Within the crowd was Maria Hayder, a 15-year-old IWC volunteer. Rowe and Hayder quickly formed a bond, with Rowe encouraging the teen to try kicking a soccer ball around for the first time.<\/p>\n \u201cMaria was able to do amazing tricks with the soccer ball, and we were all absolutely shocked,\u201d says Rowe. \u201cShe had never played soccer. We told her, \u2018You\u2019re so good. You can sign up for programs. You\u2019re way better than us.\u2019 Maria even started coaching us when we played soccer.\u201d<\/p>\n For her part, Hayder says her \u201camazing\u201d experience at Try It taught her communication skills and how to help her peers in a relaxed environment.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a great time playing soccer \u2014 it was very fun and exciting. I also played volleyball, which was amazing,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Try It was hosted in partnership with Hamilton\u2019s Immigrant Working Centre (IWC), where Rowe is conducting her doctoral research on how newcomer adolescent girls experience sport and physical activity.<\/p>\n Events such as these help break down barriers that may hinder newcomer families and their children from participating in community sports and activities, says IWC Director of Settlement Services Wasan Mohamad.<\/p>\n She says parents from IWC and Riverdale Community Centre who attended Try It were pleasantly surprised such activities were available locally.<\/p>\n \u201cNewcomers receive an overwhelming amount of information when they arrive in Canada,\u201d says Mohamad. \u201cEven when information is available through flyers or community centres, families may not notice it, understand what is available or feel confident taking that first step.\u201d<\/p>\n Building trust with those offering sport and recreation programs is another important consideration, says Mohamad.<\/p>\n \u201cNewcomer families are often more comfortable exploring an unfamiliar opportunity when the information comes through an organization they already know and trust,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n That is a view shared by Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies Matthew Kwan, Project Director of CO-PLAY, which aims to build more equitable opportunities for newcomer children and youth to thrive through sport and recreation.<\/p>\n \u201cBy offering welcoming, accessible opportunities like Try It, we hope to foster greater confidence, belonging and lifelong engagement in physical activity,\u201d says Kwan, who is Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health and Performance.<\/p>\n