In Part 1 of this series, we explored how digital media is transforming the way youth in Canada engage with sports. From Instagram highlight reels to YouTube training tutorials, today’s kids are deeply connected to athletics through their screens. While this digital shift has expanded access and inspiration, it also brings challenges—reduced physical play, performance pressure, unequal access, and an over-commercialized culture.
In this follow-up, we dive deeper into those challenges and explore practical, Canadian-focused solutions. How can we help youth unplug, lace up their sneakers or skates, and rediscover the thrill of being active? The answer lies in creating balance, fostering community, and making real-world sports more engaging than scrolling.
Challenge 1: Reduced Physical Play
One of the most pressing issues is that screens often replace time on the field, court, or rink. According to ParticipACTION’s 2024 key facts and stats, children and youth in Canada spend approximately 8.4 hours per day being sedentary, which includes significant screen time. That leaves limited time for outdoor play, practice, or recreational sports.
Solutions
- Set Clear Boundaries: Families can establish screen-free hours, particularly before school, during meals, and after dinner. Instead of scrolling TikTok, encourage a walk around the block, a family basketball game, or backyard soccer.
- Use Screens to Encourage Play: Fitness apps like Strava or Apple Fitness can gamify activity. Canadian kids can set friendly challenges with friends or family, like biking 20 km in a week or walking a distance on maintained and safe municipal or provincial trails.
- Leverage Schools: Teachers can weave short bursts of activity into the school day. Initiatives like Ophea in Ontario provide resources for daily physical activity that can counterbalance sedentary screen time.
Challenge 2: Pressure to Perform
Social media highlight reels create a culture of comparison. Young athletes may feel pressured to replicate impossible tricks or only showcase their “best” moments, leading to anxiety and burnout.
Solutions
- Normalize Realistic Play: Coaches can share videos of mistakes and growth, not just polished highlights. Highlighting Sidney Crosby’s early years in Nova Scotia, for example, shows that greatness takes time.
- Encourage Process Over Results: Parents can celebrate effort and teamwork instead of likes and shares. Asking “Did you have fun?” is more powerful than “Did you score?”
- Media Literacy Education: Schools and sports clubs can teach kids how social media is curated. Understanding that online content rarely reflects the full story helps reduce unhealthy comparisons.
Challenge 3: Accessibility Gaps
Not every Canadian household has access to high-speed internet or devices. This digital divide is especially pronounced in rural and Indigenous communities, where both sports facilities and online resources can be limited.
Solutions
- Community Partnerships: Local governments can partner with telecom providers to expand internet access, while also investing in sports infrastructure. Programs like Jumpstart Charities have already provided funding to underserved communities.
- Equipment Banks: Organizations across Canada run gear exchange programs. SportAbility BC supports athletes facing financial barriers or living in remote areas. They offer temporary loans until individuals can afford their own gear.
- Hybrid Training Options: Coaches can provide both digital and print training materials, ensuring kids without reliable internet still have access to drills and practice plans.
Challenge 4: Commercialization of Sports
Youth are bombarded with ads promoting gear, supplements, and paid memberships. The commercialization of digital sports can shift focus from joy and play to profit and appearance.
Solutions
- Promote Community Leagues: Parents can emphasize low-cost, inclusive programs like YMCA basketball leagues or city-run soccer programs that focus on fun rather than flashy branding.
- Highlight Canadian Role Models: Show kids athletes like Christine Sinclair or Damian Warner, who represent dedication and teamwork rather than celebrity status.
- Encourage DIY Sports: Pickup hockey on a frozen pond, driveway basketball, or backyard obstacle courses remind kids that play does not require expensive gear or fees.
Practical Strategies for Parents
Parents are on the front lines of balancing digital and physical play. Some practical steps include:
- Be a Role Model: Kids are more likely to choose activity if they see parents biking, skating, or going for walks while also staying off their devices, fully engaged and present.
- Family Playtime: Replace family movie night with family sports night. In Canada, that could mean skating at a community rink in winter or biking along the Waterfront Trail in summer.
- Set Device-Free Zones: Keep phones out of bedrooms and off the sidelines during practices to reduce distractions.
Practical Strategies for Coaches
Coaches have the opportunity to shape how kids experience sports in both digital and physical contexts.
- Build Connection: Create team traditions that make in-person practices more appealing than scrolling. Pizza nights after practice or team hikes in local conservation areas can strengthen bonds.
- Limit Screen Use: If digital tools are used, keep them short and focused. A five-minute video on stickhandling should lead directly into on-ice practice.
- Focus on Fun: According to Sport for Life Canada’s underlying Long Term Athlete Development principles, youth are far more likely to stick with sports when experiences are enjoyable, social, and tailored to their developmental stage—not rigid or solely performance-driven.
Practical Strategies for Community Leaders
At the community level, leaders can create environments that make physical play accessible and appealing.
- Invest in Local Facilities: Cities across Canada have invested in multipurpose sports complexes that encourage year-round play.
- Run Screen-Free Challenges: Communities can host initiatives like “Unplug and Play Week,” encouraging families to swap screens for outdoor fun.
- Celebrate Success Stories: Highlight local athletes who grew up playing in community leagues, showing kids the impact of grassroots sports.
Canadian Success Stories
Several Canadian programs demonstrate effective approaches to balancing digital media with real-world sports:
- ParticipACTION’s “Move More” Campaign: Encourages Canadian youth to get 60 minutes of activity daily, often through community-led challenges.
- Playworks in Toronto: Runs after-school programs that combine structured and unstructured play, reducing screen dependence.
- Jumpstart’s Play From Home Resources: Delivered equipment and activity guides to families during the pandemic, bridging the gap between digital inspiration and physical play.
These initiatives prove that with creativity and investment, Canada can lead the way in helping youth balance the digital and physical.
Looking Ahead: A Balanced Future
The future of youth sports in Canada depends on balance. Digital media is not going away—it will continue to shape how kids engage with athletes, teams, and training. But by creating opportunities for active play, teaching media literacy, and building strong community programs, we can ensure that Canadian kids are not just watching highlights but creating their own.
How Rising Stars Helps Kids Engage in Sports and Away from Screens
At Rising Stars, we know that digital media has a place in inspiring kids, but it should never replace the joy of real-world play. Our programs are designed to help Canadian youth step away from their screens and back into active, physical sports. By offering accessible, inclusive, and community-driven opportunities, we make it easy for kids to rediscover the thrill of teamwork, movement, and fun. Whether it’s on the basketball court, soccer field, softball diamond, or on the track, Rising Stars helps children rise above the digital noise and build lasting connections through the power of sport.