Sport for Life has received the TAFISA Mission 2030 Award for its New-to-Canada Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity Pathway (NLTD), a framework that builds new-to-Canada participant inclusion into the design of sport and physical activity systems from the start.
What Is the TAFISA Mission 2030 Award?
TAFISA (The Association For International Sport for All) leads the global Sport for All movement. Its Mission 2030 Awards recognize initiatives that advance sport and physical activity as tools for social inclusion, health, and community well-being — and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Awards are presented at the TAFISA World Congress.
What Is NLTD?
NLTD is a dedicated pathway for the inclusion and Long-Term Development of new-to-Canada participants within sport and physical activity. Developed between 2024 and 2025 in collaboration with researchers, practitioners, and newcomer-serving organizations across Canada, it serves two primary audiences:
- Organizations that support new-to-Canada participants (settlement agencies, newcomer-serving organizations, ethnocultural organizations, intercultural associations, faith centres) gain practical strategies to help newcomers navigate Canada’s sport and physical activity landscape, overcome barriers like language, cost, and unfamiliarity, and find the right activities for their age and stage.
- Sport and physical activity organizations (community organizations, schools, local clubs, provincial and national sport organizations) get concrete tools to create welcoming environments, develop culturally relevant programming, recruit and learn from coaches in newcomer communities, and measure the impact of their inclusion efforts.
The framework applies Sport for Life’s Long-Term Development principles to the new-to-Canada participant experience, mapping a participation pathway from Awareness and First Involvement through Active for Life, for participants of all ages.
From Concept to Action
NLTD moved quickly from framework to practice. Within months of its release, Sport for Life partnered with the Canadian Olympic Committee through the Bell Starting Line events, connecting new-to-Canada youth with Olympians. A collaboration with Canada Skateboard gave 100 new-to-Canada youth their first experience on the board in a single day. These co-created experiences combine access, inspiration, and development to shape positive first experiences in sport.
“Sport has the power to make people feel like they belong. NLTD gives organizations a concrete way to make that happen, and TAFISA’s recognition helps us bring it to more communities,” said Kabir Hosein, director of strategic initiatives at Sport for Life.
What’s Next
The award strengthens Sport for Life’s ability to scale NLTD across Canada and internationally, deepen global partnerships, and expand the reach of tools like PLAYBuilder. New resources like Aqua Welcome / Bienvenue dans l’eau, designed to help new-to-Canada participants access aquatic activities including swimming, water safety, and water sports, are already extending this work into new contexts.
Read the full TAFISA article.
