Building Connections: The CO-PLAY Network’s Mission to Transform Sport and Physical Activity for Newcomer Youth

When a young Matt Kwan began working at a settlement agency years ago, he saw how newcomer children would light up during physical activities—but also how many barriers stood in their way. What started as a personal mission to give back to this settlement agency, has evolved into something much larger: the CO-PLAY Network, a $2.5-million national initiative working to improve how Canada can support physical literacy development in its newest young residents.

The Challenge: Beyond Language Barriers

Newcomers make up nearly one-quarter of Canada’s population today, with numbers continuing to rise. Yet newcomer children and youth face a stark reality—they’re at significantly greater risk of physical inactivity compared to their Canadian-born peers. The reasons run deep: language barriers, financial constraints, cultural differences, and systemic challenges that create invisible walls around recreational opportunities.

“Settlement agencies recognize the importance of sport and physical activity for the people they serve, yet they’re already stretched to capacity with other priorities,” said Kwan, Principal Investigator of the CO-PLAY Network and Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health and Performance at Brock University. “We asked ourselves: how can we better engage other sectors to support them?”

This question led to the creation of CO-PLAY (Co-creating Opportunities through Physical Literacy for All newcomer children and Youth), using a strength-based approach to build bridges between siloed sectors to create lasting change.

A Network Built on Connection

The CO-PLAY Network will be initially made up of five regional hubs—Victoria, Calgary, Hamilton, Sherbrooke, and Halifax—each serving as a catalyst for local innovation while contributing to national knowledge sharing. With over 65 community organizations and 40 researchers involved, the network takes a comprehensive approach to create opportunities for physical literacy development among newcomer children and youth populations.

“The governance structure provides direction while remaining flexible enough for each hub to work in ways that make sense for their communities,” Kwan noted. “What works in Calgary might not work in Halifax because of unique cultural nuances, and that’s exactly why we need this localized approach.”

Our strong partnership with Sport for Life made sense from the start, given their extensive experience working with newcomer communities. “Sport for Life has always been part of the equation,” Kwan said. “It would have been hard to imagine this project without them. Sport for Life helps translate research into practical tools, so they’ll be critical to sharing what we learn across the country.”

The network will draw from Sport for Life’s resources—including PLAYBuilder activities, workshops, and the New-to-Canada Long-Term Development pathway—to ensure programs are grounded in physical literacy principles while allowing for local adaptation.

Co-Director Kabir Hosein emphasized the collaborative nature of the approach. “We’re not coming in with predetermined solutions,” Hosein said. “Each hub works with their community to understand what’s already happening and how we can co-create together and build on those strengths.”

Innovation in Action: Novel Movement Programs

The IPLAY program, co-developed with CCIS and WinSport, is a flagship example of the innovation taking place in this network. This eight-week pilot program introduced refugee youth aged 12–16 to a range of activities, from traditional sports to unique experiences like ice luge and human curling.

“The program intentionally gets away from more traditional sports,” Kwan said. “It’s about helping youth understand where their strengths in movement lie, which hopefully will help motivate them to find activities they have interest in pursuing. The program focused on activities across different environments—ice, air, and ground—so participants can discover their preferences and build confidence.”

Research That Drives Real Change

The CO-PLAY Network will use multiple research methods to track changes over time through community profiles and environmental assessments, generating evidence on best practices for immediate use. The network combines flagship research projects spanning across all hubs with additional research projects integrated within each hub.

“We’re not just studying existing programs,” Kwan said. “We’re working with communities to evaluate what’s already happening, identify what’s working, and make improvements. The goal is to build on success stories and create flagship projects that demonstrate impact at the local and national levels.”

Collaboration at Scale

Managing such a vast network requires intentional structure. The CO-PLAY Network operates through communities of practice, with regular communication between hubs and an annual national summit for knowledge sharing.

“We’re planning to collaborate with Sport for Life and other organizations for knowledge sharing events,” Kwan said. “The key is creating multiple touchpoints for sharing insights and learning from one another, both within individual hubs and across the national network.”

Each hub maintains its own committee to organize activities and leverage local resources. Academic partnerships—including teams from University of Victoria, University of Calgary, McMaster University, and Dalhousie University—ensure rigorous evaluation and knowledge mobilization.

Building for the Future

The hub launches are underway. Halifax launched in late September, Hamilton and Calgary in October, with Victoria launching on November 4th. These formal meetings bring community partners together to begin profiling existing programs and identify specific local projects that will drive the network’s impact.

The network’s first major activity involves creating comprehensive community profiles to understand the existing landscape, identify gaps, and determine where they can have the greatest impact.

The network’s vision extends far beyond the initial funding period. “We want to create structures that will help ensure sustainability,” Kwan said. “This network should serve as a catalyst for the future. We’re hoping that what we do and demonstrate over the next several years will lay the foundation for long-term change.”

A Model for National Impact

The CO-PLAY Network works to address more than program delivery—it’s tackling the systemic challenges that prevent newcomer youth from accessing physical activity opportunities. By connecting settlement agencies, recreation providers, researchers, and local sport organizations with the unique perspective of the communities, the network aims to build an ecosystem designed to address barriers while celebrating the strengths newcomer youth bring to their new communities.

As Canada continues to welcome newcomer children and youth in record numbers, this work becomes increasingly important. Through evidence-based programming, cultural responsiveness, and sustainable partnerships, the CO-PLAY Network isn’t just changing individual lives—it’s working to transform how the country supports physical literacy development among young newcomers.

When we create welcoming environments and remove barriers to participation, we don’t just improve physical activity levels—we build connections to peers and to the community, support positive settlement experiences, and help new young Canadians reach their full potential. In a nation built on the contributions of newcomers, there’s no more important work than ensuring every child has the opportunity to play, grow, and thrive.