There are a lot of kids in this city who want to play.
They want to try something new. Be part of a team. Feel like they belong to something bigger.
But for a growing number, cost gets in the way.
That’s what makes Sport Hub so important.
This partnership reflects a long-standing collaboration between The City and United Way of Calgary and Area.
Together, we’re bringing engaging coach-led sport experiences directly into schools and neighbourhoods, helping to remove barriers like fees, equipment and transportation.
Through United Way’s Planet Youth Calgary initiative, this is a targeted investment to ensure those opportunities are now free for youth in select communities.
That one shift, removing cost, opens the door in a completely different way.
Because when there’s no fee to sign up, more young people show up, and no one is left on the sidelines.
That’s the real impact of this collaboration between Sport Hub and Planet Youth Calgary. Together, they recognize this is about more than physical activity. It’s about connection, confidence and community at a stage in life where those things can change everything.
“I’ve seen how sport can change a young person’s path, from isolation to confidence, from disconnection to belonging,” said Karen Young, President and CEO of United Way of Calgary and Area. “Through Sport Hub, we’re opening the door to free opportunities for youth, right where they already are.”
At the media and public launch of Sport Hub, after the formal remarks, Karen Young jumped into a series of creative questions, unlocking laughter, creativity and unfiltered joy from the kids and teens around her.
They are the kinds of questions that don’t have right answers, only big imaginations.
In that moment, the focus shifted away from programs and partnerships and onto the kids themselves.
It was about creating space for young people to be heard, to be playful, to just be themselves.
In many ways, that moment captured the heart of Sport Hub.
Built in collaboration with The City of Calgary, Calgary school boards, sport organizations, community partners and supporters, Sport Hub is designed to meet young people where they are.
At the centre of it is Planet Youth Calgary, United Way’s prevention-focused movement that is helping to ensure young people have the supports and opportunities they need to thrive.
None of this would be possible without the donors who stepped forward to make it real.
We’re incredibly grateful to the individuals, families and organizations helping to bring this work to life and expand it across our city. Their belief in this work is helping create something lasting for young people today and for generations to come.
For more information about Planet Youth Calgary, including a full list of our Founding and Supporting Investors, please visit the Planet Youth Calgary website.