Home to pro hockey, soccer and once again to pro football, Ottawa is also home to a growing sports fan base.
The NHL Senators, OHL 67’s, CFL Redblacks and NASL Fury count on community support and youth and children are often the most energetic and fanatical spectators.
However, the typically high cost of attending pro sporting events makes it difficult for youth from low-income families to participate.
The Ottawa 67’s recently announced it will offer free admission to home games for minor hockey players age 16 and under.
The 67’s program is modeled after the Ottawa Fury Fanatics program, in which players 14 and under who play with city soccer associations (that are part of the Fanatics program) can attend Fury home games at TD Place for free.
Programs such as the 67’s and the Fury’s give youth from low-income families the opportunity to attend pro sporting events and get more involved in the community and their sports.
But what about youth in families who can’t afford to join minor sports teams in the first place, and therefore don’t qualify for these free tickets?
According to Statistics Canada, 69 per cent of children from high-income households participate in sports and attend sporting events versus 44 per cent from low-income households.
Attending pro sporting events, in particular, is beyond financial reach for many families.
At a Senators’ game at the Canadian Tire Centre, fans would be lucky to get an upper-bowl seat for under $40. They often pay $100 to $200 to sit in the lower bowl.
That may not seem like much to a family who is considered well-off by today’s standards, but for a family with multiple children and trying to get by on less than $40,000 a year, sporting events are a rare indulgence.
Many young athletes who want to see their favourite player live in action at a pro sporting event, often hope to one day play at that level themselves.
But there are also proven benefits from regularly attending sports events.
A CNN article from 2012 cites researchers who say that attending sports events has an enormous range of benefits for spectators, including increased emotional, psychological and overall social health, as well as increased language skills and a stronger connection with their community.
Lowering or eliminating the cost for young athletes to attend pro sports events is a step in the right direction towards making this form of community entertainment affordable and attainable for everyone.
Pro teams should reflect upon the programs directed towards youth involvement as implemented by the Ottawa Fury and the Ottawa 67’s. Not only will they help raise attendance at their games, but the youth will foster the community love for sport and athletic achievement.
Perhaps someday sporting events will be free and attainable for all youth, whether they’re from high-income or low-income families.