"When people think of people with disabilities, they always think in terms of limitations. They never think about the possibilities." - Toronto Blind Tennis player
"I was told that I didn't fit the 'demographic'. That scarred me after he said that. It is a reminder, that based on me being BLACK, I don't make the cut. This is the reason I coach now, so this doesn't happen to anyone of color." - founding member of Change Through Sport
NEWS
July 21, 2025
Canadian Women & Sport awards $4,500 in grant funding from the Next Play program to support Change Through Sport in creating access to sports for girls in Barrie, Ontario.
Through the support of Canadian Women & Sport, Change Through Sport is able to pilot a new multi-sport program for girls in the Barrie region of Ontario. The pilot will include various guest coaches who will introduce a wide range of sports and activities. Participants will also be invited to co-lead sessions with our coaching team to further develop leadership skills. Participants will be identified and registered through a network of social service agencies.
"Receiving funding from Canadian Women & Sport has given us an opportunity to pilot a new program for girls from ages 10-14 in Barrie, Ontario. We have been able to bring a muti-sport program which has exposed a variety of activities such as ballet soccer, volleyball, hip hop, skating, and more! Most of our participants so far have not tried or learned these sports or in a minimal capacity. Alongside our sport session, we have discussed issues of self worth, confidence, how to be a good friend, and more. We are excited to continue our progra m this summer and find out which activities were the favourite of the summer!" - Eeleah Cummins, Barrie Program Associate and Head Coach
Change Through Sport is a sport for development organization that utilizes sport as a vehicle to increase socio-economic outcomes for its participants. Visit www.changethroughsportcanada.com to find out more about its programs and services.
The Next Play program empowers sport leaders with tools and resources to engage more girls and gender-diverse youth from diverse backgrounds in active recreation. Participating organizations will complete training to counter gender bias in program design and receive a grant to fund an initiative they will design during the program. Over the last two years of the program, 288 sport leaders from 140 Ontario-based organizations engaged more than 6000 girls in community-based programming thanks to The Next Play. Visit www.womenandsport.ca to learn more about the program and their work.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
August 26, 2024
407 ETR provides $3,000 in sponsorship and invites Toronto Blind Tennis to the National Bank Open
Through the 407 ETR Keeping Moving program, Change Through Sport received sponsorship support to engage it's visually impaired and blind athletes in staying active this summer! What's more, our athletes, coaches, and volunteers were invited to the National Bank Open to experience playing blind tennis during an international sporting event.
"The support from 407 ETR was incredible," said Alan Ma, founder of Toronto Blind Tennis, "Together, we made a little bit of history by demonstrating the adapted sport of blind tennis to the fans and general public at the National Bank Open - raising awareness of the sport and the needs of our community."
Change Through Sport is a sport for development organization that utilizes sport as a vehicle to increase socio-economic outcomes for its participants. Visit www.changethroughsportcanada.com to find out more about its programs and services.
The 407 ETR Keep Moving initiative promotes physical and mental wellbeing for kids while also building friendships, honing important social skills and boosting confidence. Since 2015, 407 ETR has invested over $1,000,000 in local teams through our Keep Moving™ initiative. The program sponsors a wide variety of sports, including hockey, baseball, dance, soccer and swimming.
Visit Keep Moving™ by 407 ETR | 407 ETR, Express Toll Route to learn more.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
May 27, 2024
Toronto Accessible Sports Council Awards $2,000 to Change Through Sport to support the Toronto Blind Tennis Program
The support from the Toronto Accessible Sports Council will provide Change Through Sport the financial resources to host its 2024 outdoor Toronto Blind Tennis program for the visually impaired and blind participants. Thank you for the support and your work in promoting adapted sporting opportunities across Toronto. We look forward to work together for years to come.
Change Through Sport is a sport for development organization that utilizes sport as a vehicle to increase socio-economic outcomes for its participants. Visit www.changethroughsportcanada.com to find out more about its programs and services.
The Toronto Accessible Sports Council (TASC) was established in order to connect the Toronto disabled community with organizations and programs that deliver adapted sports and recreation. We help the diverse group of program deliverers better coordinate services through partnerships and collaboration while increasing awareness of their services to the disabled community. Visit Toronto Accessible Sports Council (TASC) to learn more about their incredible work.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries:
May 1, 2023
Ontario Trillium Foundation Awards $8,500 to Change Through Sport
With the incredible support of Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), Change Through Sport (CTS) received financial support to test and innovate its capacity to sustain its work for the future.
“The support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation was of incredible timing,” said Jessica Poon, chairperson of the board of directors at CTS. “The funds enabled us to test new approaches to generate new resources as we returned to in-person programming. The results from the testing will enable us to optimize approaches for years to come and thus, sustain our work for the long haul.”
The contribution from OTF will impact our participants from the Rexdale neighborhood in the city of Toronto and the visually impaired community in the Greater Toronto Area.
Change Through Sport is a sport for development organization that utilizes sport as a vehicle to increase socio-economic outcomes for its participants. Visit www.changethroughsportcanada.com to find out more about its programs and services.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Organization Contact for Media Inquiries: