Why This Matters
Why this matters, with sources. We make claims about access to sport on this site. These are the studies behind them, what they actually say.
| Claim on this site | Source | What it says | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income decides who plays | Aspen Institute, Project Play Research reports | Children from lower income households participate in organized sport at a substantially lower rate than children from higher income households, and the gap has widened rather than closed. Cost is consistently named as the leading barrier by parents. | Project Play research (opens in a new tab) |
| Sport does more than sport | UNICEF, Getting into the Game UNICEF Innocenti report | Links participation in organized sport to improved academic outcomes, better mental health and stronger social development, particularly for children who face disadvantage elsewhere. | Getting into the Game (opens in a new tab) |
| Hockey is the expensive one | Open Ice's own costs Our numbers page | Within Canadian youth sport, hockey sits at the top end for cost. Registration, equipment, ice time and travel compound, and equipment has to be replaced as a child grows. A family that can afford one season cannot necessarily afford the next. Our own figures: ice at $150 to $380 an hour, and $750 for one child's full set of equipment. | Ice rates Full set cost |
| Dataset | Published by | What it measures | How we use it | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Learning Opportunities Index | Toronto District School Board | Ranks TDSB schools by external challenges affecting student success, drawing on income, education levels and other census measures. | The best available proxy for where a free program is needed most. | TDSB Research (opens in a new tab) |
| Neighbourhood Improvement Areas | City of Toronto | Designates neighbourhoods with the greatest gaps in health, social and economic outcomes. | Our five target neighbourhoods sit inside or beside these designations. | NIA profiles (opens in a new tab) |
Neither dataset tells us anything about an individual family, and neither is used to refuse anybody. They tell us where to go looking. How we choose campers.
| Measure | Latest figure | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| The equipment that goes home with each child | 576 pieces | Numbers: equipment |
| The hours of programming delivered | 1,620 child hoursest. | Numbers: hours |
| The volunteer and organizer hours given | 1,670 hoursest. | Numbers: hours |
| What each place costs | $1,060 per camperest. | Numbers: per camper |
| Skill progress | Six skills scored on the first and last day, Summer Camp 2026 | Summer Camp 2026 |
| How campers keep playing after camp | Long-term follow-up in development | What comes next |
At Summer Camp 2026, coaches scored six skills on the first and last day, so progress is measured, not guessed. Next, we are building long-term follow-up so we can see how our campers keep playing in the seasons after camp.
Sources
Datasets
Our figures
The evidence
Income decides who plays
Research from the Aspen Institute's Project Play has repeatedly found that children from lower income households participate in organized sport at a substantially lower rate than children from higher income households, and that the gap has widened rather than closed. Cost is consistently named as the leading barrier by parents.
Beyond the rink
Sport does more than sport
UNICEF's report Getting into the Game links participation in organized sport to improved academic outcomes, better mental health and stronger social development, particularly for children who face disadvantage elsewhere.
The cost
Hockey is the expensive one
Within Canadian youth sport, hockey sits at the top end for cost. Registration, equipment, ice time and travel compound, and equipment has to be replaced as a child grows. A family that can afford one season cannot necessarily afford the next.
How we choose who to serve
We do not guess at need. Two public datasets do the work.
Learning Opportunities Index
The Toronto District School Board ranks its schools by external challenges affecting student success, drawing on income, education levels and other census measures. It is the best available proxy for where a free program is needed most.
Neighbourhood Improvement Areas
The City of Toronto designates neighbourhoods with the greatest gaps in health, social and economic outcomes. Our five target neighbourhoods sit inside or beside these designations.
Neither dataset tells us anything about an individual family, and neither is used to refuse anybody. They tell us where to go looking.
Accountability
What we track
Every figure we publish has a definition and a source.
We track the equipment that goes home with each child, the hours of programming delivered, the volunteer and organizer hours given, and what each place costs. At Summer Camp 2026, coaches scored six skills on the first and last day, so progress is measured, not guessed.
Next, we are building long-term follow-up so we can see how our campers keep playing in the seasons after camp. Every figure lives on our numbers page.
