The University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) and the E-Alliance Research hub for gender+ equity in sport have partnered with AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, to conduct an anonymous survey that will assess the demographics of its members and nature and quality of their sport experiences, particularly as they relate to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
The goal of the survey will be to develop an enhanced understanding of national team athletes’ experiences within their National Sport Organization (NSO) environment to help address systemic inequities in the Canadian sport system, including monitoring AthletesCAN programs and designing new initiatives to advance EDI practices.
“The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education is delighted to be partnering with AthletesCAN on this important initiative. The anonymous survey will give athletes an opportunity to have their voices heard and in so doing inform the design and delivery of safe, welcoming and more inclusive sport in Canada,” said Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE and co-director of E-Alliance.
The survey is open to all current and retired national team athletes within the last eight years who are 16 years of age or older. Individuals of all intersectional identities are welcome and encouraged to participate.
The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and will request general demographic information and ask about specific aspects of members’ sport experience in the NSO environment, including, overall impressions of EDI, the nature of personal experiences (i.e., positive and negative), and perceived progress of EDI initiatives. All participation in the survey is entirely voluntary.
“We are excited to partner with U of T on this critical survey. This important initiative will provide us with key data on the EDI experiences of our members and be the first step in using the athlete voice to create meaningful change for the future,” said Neville Wright, AthletesCAN board member and chair of the Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee.