Community

Community

We are new to Ottawa but already we are utilizing tennis as a vehicle to make a difference in our community.

Ottawa Tennis Community Centre is a Community Tennis Association which provides the community with affordable and fun programming that will get everyone active from the very young to the elderly. All ages can play for a lifetime, become active and fit on beautiful courts right in their community. We also partner with schools to introduce the game to youth who normally wouldn’t be exposed to the game.

Love of Tennis provides the community with programming to target inner city youth. Our programming is unique as we provide nutrition, fitness and character development through tennis training. Our focus is on childhood obesity and poverty.
Below are some facts which have moved us into action and why we feel this is a priority for us!

Facts on childhood obesity from Heart and Stroke Foundation Ottawa:

In Canada, rates of obesity among children and youth aged 2 to 17 years are increasing. In 1978/79 3% of children and youth were obese. By 2004, 8% or an estimated 500,000 were obese. (1)
An estimated 18% of Canadian children and youth are overweight. Combined, one quarter, (26%) of Canadian children and youth are overweight or obese.( 2)
Excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adult life may be one of the most important determinants of future development of heart disease and stroke. (2)
Healthy behaviours including regular physical activity that begin at a young age and continue throughout life are important to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. (2)
Only 38% of children in families with incomes below $25,000 participate in organized sport, compared to 44% amongst middle income children and 50% of children in families with income of %80,000 or more. (4)
Only 20% of children receive daily physical education in school, 41% receive one to two days per week, while 10% receive no physical education at all. These numbers get worse as students move through the higher grades. (5)

1. Shields Nutrition:Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey Overweight Canadian children and adolescents (Catalogue 82-620-MWE2005001) Ottawa: Statistics Canada 2005
2. Connelly C. Interventions Related to Obesity: A state of the evidence review. 2005 Report commissioned by the Heart and Stroke Foundation
4. Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card 2006
5. Canadian Association of of Physical Health Education, Recreation and Dance, Time to Move 2005

Facts on Childhood Poverty:

All information taken from the Ottawa Vital Signs – A report done by the Community Foundation of Ottawa
From March 2008 – March 2009, an average of 43,800 people per month requested assistance from Ottawa Food Bank Agencies. Food banks also reported a 9% increase in visits from March 2007 to March 2009.
Household Composition for Ottawa Food Bank Agency Beneficiaries
Single – parent families 30%
Two parent families      27%

Primary Source of Income for Ottawa Food Bank Agency Beneficiaries
Employment                 17%
Employment Insurance   3%
Social Assistance          46%

In 2006, the overall poverty rate in Ottawa, based on the Low Income Measure (LIM), an indicator of relative poverty, was 18.6%, compared to 18.4% in 2000.

During the 2008/2009 school year, the number of students being served by the School Breakfast Program in Ottawa was 9,880 with a total of 1,877,200 breakfasts served.

Youth Taking Action

During Ottawa’s School Break in March 2009, the Community Foundation of Ottawa and its youth Advisory Committee hosted a City Wide Youth Taking Action Event. Following are some of the ideas taken directly from the youth.
What are the most important things affecting youth today:

• Homelessness
• Safe and accessible housing
• Students unable to pay for school programs
• Bullying
• Horrible poverty
• Teen pregnancy
• Poor body image
• Lack of help before things become a crisis, more focus on prevention

How our program helps youth in our community:

• Increases self esteem
• Kids learn to set goals and make responsible decisions well into the future
• Improve marks in school
• Improve chances of a brighter future through education and life long learning
• Focus on six core values integrity, honesty, teamwork, respect, perseverance and commitment. These values help kids in all decisions they make now and into the future. Character development program integrated into daily learning on court
• Fitness program encourages an active and healthy lifestyle and increases body image, self confidence
• Nutritional teaching helps kids make healthier choices – both fitness and nutrition along with the fun tennis brings to the court helps with a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
• Our program addresses many of the needs identified by youth in our community

We need to help our kids now – and decrease childhood poverty and obesity

How you can help!

Register a team in the McGuinty Grand Slam September 17-19th

See our website for more information about this exciting event!