Bell Starting Line opens the door to sport participation for young newcomers to Canada
It’s a beautiful Saturday in mid-August. Families filter into the Richmond Olympic Oval, where the atmosphere hums with a mixture of nervousness, anticipation, and excitement.
A DJ spins music to set the upbeat vibes for the day. Along one side of the gym, children are directed to move between three golf stations, learning all about putting, chipping, and swinging a club. Another section is divided into quadrants, where the young participants can discover some of the fundamentals of basketball: ball handling, dribbling, shooting, passing, and teamwork.
Everything is happening under the watchful eyes of coaches and mentors, plus a few national team athletes. Parents proudly film their kids having a fun experience learning new skills.
It’s all part of a fulfilling and inspirational day at the latest Bell Starting Line event.
“If I had this when I was younger, I think it would have been so fun to go out and do,” said Lauren Kim, a member of Golf Canada’s high-performance program who currently sits in the top 20 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking. “When I was growing up, I didn’t have a lot of people to play my sport with, so I think for them to come out here and play basketball, hit putts, and hit shots, it’s really unique.”
Kim was in Richmond alongside fellow golfer Mary Parsons as well as basketball players Paige Crozon and Trae Bell-Haynes to help make it a memorable day for the 150 young people aged 6 to 16 who got introduced to two popular sports that were new to them.
“I think trying something new is incredibly difficult. I think it takes a lot of courage and bravery to step into a new environment. However, sport is something to be enjoyed. Sport is a universal language,” said Crozon, an Olympian with Team Canada’s 3×3 basketball team at Paris 2024.
Bell Starting Line is a long-term legacy program that was launched by the Canadian Olympic Committee and Bell, one of its Premier National Partners, in the fall of 2025.
“Team Canada inspires Canadians through excellence on the world stage, and we’re proud to extend that impact into communities across the country,” said Devorah Lithwick, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer at Bell. “Through Bell Starting Line, we’re helping newcomer youth access the opportunities, connections, and sense of belonging that sport can create. It’s a meaningful example of how our partnership with Team Canada and our commitment through Bell for Better are helping create lasting positive change.”
READ: Bell Starting Line: Long-term support for newcomer youth sport participation
The first Bell Starting Line event was held in Toronto last October. In collaboration with Athletics Canada, it focused on getting newcomer youth to try out track and field. In December, another Bell Starting Line event in Montreal featured an introduction to speed skating, supported by Speed Skating Canada. That was followed by an event with Curling Canada in Calgary in February and another track and field event in Ottawa in June.
In Richmond, there were two participating National Sport Organizations—Canada Basketball and Golf Canada. Each of them has their own youth development programs, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Youth Basketball and First Tee — Canada, respectively, which provide a natural pathway for the kids who want to further explore the sport they became enthralled by at Bell Starting Line.
“We’re really proud to be part of Bell Starting Line. For us, it was a natural fit,” said Stephanie Withall, Vice-President of Business & Marketing Operations at Canada Basketball. “Basketball is a globally accessible game, and for us, having the opportunity to introduce the sport to more kids is really impactful— both for the sports system in general and for our organization as a whole.”
“Bell’s investment in sport, particularly towards providing welcoming, inclusive opportunities for kids, it’s so vital to the entire Canadian sport ecosystem and we feel very lucky to be a part of it,” said Adam Hunter, Executive Director of First Tee — Canada. “First Tee fits seamlessly in Bell Starting Line as it provides a welcoming, inclusive space for kids to thrive, to build confidence, to build resiliency and perseverance, some of the inherent life skills that are built into not just golf, but all sport.”
By having elite athletes there to provide support and share their stories, Bell Starting Line connects sports from the grassroots level right up to the highest competition level, which Withall says is vital.
“These athletes [Trae Bell-Haynes and Paige Crozon] that we have with us today, they started in a gym with a ball and with friends. It’s really important for participants who don’t know the sport to see what they could potentially be,” said Withall.
She describes Bell Starting Line as “the first door” that some kids can have opened to experience what happens on the court. “It’s really important to have a safe and inclusive environment to be able to do that, which Bell and the Canadian Olympic Committee have absolutely created.”
For Hunter, being able to provide an accessible, inclusive entryway into golf as Bell Starting Line has helped do is a big deal.
“Golf Canada sees First Tee as the primary lever to ensure that golf’s demographics more closely resemble the strengths of multicultural Canada,” he said. “You know the saying ‘high tides lift all boats’. Having Bell’s support is very instrumental in the continued growth in access for kids’ sport across the country.”
The support of Bell Starting Line continues well beyond the initial introductory event, however. A key part of the program is that it provides subsidized access for participating youth who want to take the next step in their newly discovered sport through their local club.
“This system-access portion of the program, which supports these athletes, participants, and players financially after the event itself, is extremely meaningful because it helps mitigate the cost and financial barriers that some Canadians face when they look to play sports,” said Withall.
“We’ve designed [the First Tee] entryway to be very, very low cost and in most cases—75 per cent—no cost to children so they can get into the sport of golf, once perceived as an affluent, non-accessible sport,” Hunter said. “Children now have that important pathway where they can play golf for the rest of their lives. Having Bell’s support to provide those no-cost opportunities is something that Golf Canada is very thankful to be part of.”
Whether any of the children who got hooked on basketball or golf through Bell Starting Line develop into an elite athlete is a question for the far-off future. What everyone can agree on is that just participating in sport brings an abundance of benefits.
“I play basketball because I love it and it brings me joy. However, I know that the impact it has had on me is so much bigger than that. I have a friend group. I have people that quite literally help care for and love my child. I’ve developed confidence, leadership, teamwork,” said Crozon. “I’m so excited for these youth here today to be able to receive the benefit of sport and be able to try something new so hopefully they’re encouraged to continue to play and have a lifetime of moving their bodies.”
Asked what they would take away from the day, a few Bell Starting Line participants made clear the positive impact.
“My favourite part was spending time with friends and family, meeting Olympians, getting to know them, asking for tips, advice for the future,” said 14-year-old Petros, who added the biggest thing he learned was the importance of teamwork in basketball. He also “100 per cent” wanted to try golf again after being taught the basics of how to stand and swing a club.
His sentiments were echoed by a few other excited attendees.
“My favourite part was how me and my team worked as a team,” said Eldana.
“My favourite part was meeting the new coaches because they were really kind,” chimed in Naomi.
“My favourite part was learning how to play golf, because I’ve never played golf,” remarked Naeme.
For her part, Kim loved seeing the kids get out of their comfort zones to try something new. There was even one talented teenager who defeated Kim in a quick chipping competition soon after picking up a club for the first time!
While Bell Starting Line may still be growing, there is great optimism for the future.
“In five to 10 years, we hope that Bell Starting Line has introduced thousands of kids across Canada to a number of different sports, of which we’re really proud that basketball is one,” said Withall. “We hope that those kids that started with the program are back as coaches or volunteers and that they have stayed connected to their sport, whether they chose to become a competitive athlete or if they’re playing for fun once a week to get together with their friends.”
Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Youth Basketball is focused on kids aged 5-12 and is offered through select clubs across the country. Parents can use Canada Basketball’s Find a Club page to connect with trusted, verified programming in their area that have the highest standards of operation.
First Tee – Canada is a youth development program that provides children with life-enhancing experiences through golf. First Tee – Canada offers accessible and inclusive programming at golf courses, schools, and community centres, striving to ensure that the sport of golf reflects the diversity of Canadians. The program is offered at over 100 golf courses across Canada.
