April 24, 2015
Mayor John Tory and City of Toronto staff, in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Toronto, the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board, today celebrated the graduation of students from the Toronto Sport Leadership Program (TSLP).
"Participating in sports and extra-curricular activities are great ways to obtain leadership skills," says Mayor John Tory. "The Toronto Sports Leadership Program has excelled in providing an opportunity for young adults to grow as individuals and become well-rounded citizens of our city. I'd like to congratulate the graduates for their excellent work, and wish them continued success in their future."
Following the graduation ceremony, certificates were awarded at a reception featuring keynote speaker Amy Agulay. Agulay is a retired goalkeeper who earned 24 international caps for the Canadian Women's National Field Hockey Team.
The TSLP began in the winter of 2006 and the first students completed the program a few months later. To date, more than 1,600 students have graduated from the program.
The aim of TSLP is to provide students with access to high-quality training to improve their ability to secure future employment. The youth also become leaders in their communities for younger generations. The program helps prepare qualified graduates to be lifeguards, camp counsellors, coaches and tennis instructors.
The students receive training and certification at no cost. Many program graduates are now employed by Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation division.
The TSLP grew out of Toronto’s Vital Signs® Report, an annual snapshot on quality of life in Toronto produced by the Toronto Foundation. In 2005, the report identified issues involving youth violence and unemployment, prompting the Toronto Foundation to convene community leaders, leading to the creation of the TSLP. The program benefits youth, 16 years of age and older, who demonstrate leadership potential and have an interest and some proficiency in a sport but who could not otherwise afford training. The youth come from diverse cultural communities. The leadership program recruits students from many neighbourhoods across the city. The TSLP focuses on investment and prevention through employment, education, training, mentorship and engagement with community organizations.
The growth of this program is credited to collaboration among the six founding partners. This year, four of the original partners continue to participate in the program, including the City of Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation division, Toronto Catholic District School Board, Toronto District School Board and the YMCA of Greater Toronto. All founding partners have made substantial donations to ensure the program’s success. The program has benefited from the funding provided by the Toronto Foundation, Jump Start and United Way.
In addition, the Coaches Association of Ontario, Lifesaving Society-Ontario, Ontario Soccer Association, Ontario Basketball Association, Tennis Canada and WaterArt assisted the program by waiving fees and/or providing material for free or at cost.
Toronto is Canada's largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world's most livable cities. Toronto is proud to be the Host City for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit
http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us @TorontoComms.
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Media contact: Ann Doggett, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, 416-936-3280, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
