In the years post-Covid, traditional childrens sport funding groups like Kidsport and Jumpstart were having a hard time maintaining funding levels to help kids in need register for sports.
With Kidsport funding levels having been reduced and Jumpstart not handing out grants at all, all while application numbers had skyrocketed, the City of Richmond and the Richmond Sports Council stepped up last year and started the Richmond Active Recreation and Sport Funding Program.
The fund, built to help children who slipped between the cracks in sports that traditional bodies don’t cover, offers funding of up to $500 for children involved in an organized activity, with an instructor or coach, running on a set schedule for least one session per week, and with camps and active recreation programs like dance, martial arts, cheer, and sports that have an established presence in Richmond.
In the year since, Kidsport has once again found its feet with a wildly successful fundraiser gala, allowing the programs to work side by side and better serve Richmond’s families.
The Active Recreation program is designed to accommodate players who aren’t already covered by other programs, so the Active Recreation & Sport Fund doesn’t cover City of Richmond programs (as they are funded by the City Recreation Fund), nor does it cover sports affiliated with a Provincial Sport Organization which are eligible for KidSport funding.
In BC, not all youth sports fall under Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs). While provincial-level disciplines like soccer, hockey, swimming, basketball, volleyball, and ultimate are governed by PSOs, many local recreational programs—such as those run by Parks & Recreation bogies—do not require PSO affiliation. These typically include youth, community, and drop-in leagues, and programs for smaller and/or newer sports.
Here are the 30 most popular youth sports in Canada (aged 5–17), ranked by participation, along with whether they operate under a Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) in B.C.:
| Rank | Sport | Estimated % Participation | PSO‑governed in BC? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soccer | 28% | ✅ Yes (BC Soccer) |
| 2 | Basketball | 17% | ✅ Yes (Basketball BC) |
| 3 | Ice hockey / Ringette | 16% | ✅ Yes (BC Hockey, Ringette BC) |
| 4 | Swimming (incl. diving) | 16% | ✅ Yes (BC Aquatic Sports) |
| 5 | Baseball / Softball | 9% | ✅ Yes (Baseball BC, Softball BC) |
| 6 | Running, jogging, hiking | 8% | 🚫 No (no formal PSO) |
| 7 | Volleyball | 7% | ✅ Yes (Volleyball BC) |
| 8 | Cycling | 7% | ✅ Yes (Cycling BC) |
| 9 | Martial arts (e.g., taekwondo) | 6% | ✅ Some (e.g., Karate BC) |
| 10 | Dance | 6% | 🚫 No (regulated by arts, not PSOs) |
| 11 | Badminton | 6% | ✅ Yes (Badminton BC) |
| 12 | Gymnastics | 5% | ✅ Yes (Gymnastics BC) |
| 13 | Racquet sports (tennis, squash) | 5% | ✅ Yes (Tennis BC, Squash BC) |
| 14 | Football / Rugby | 5% | ✅ Yes (BC Rugby, BC Football Assoc.) |
| 15 | Ice skating (figure/speed) | 4% | ✅ Yes (Ice Skating BC) |
| 16 | Skateboarding | — | 🚫 No PSO (municipal/club-run) |
| 17 | Pickleball | — | 🚫 No PSO (club/rec-level) |
| 18 | Parkour | — | 🚫 No PSO |
| 19 | Ultimate Frisbee | — | 🚫 Mostly club-run (no PSO) |
| 20 | Roller skating/derby | — | 🚫 No PSO |
| 21 | Disc golf | — | 🚫 No PSO |
| 22 | Dodgeball | — | 🚫 No PSO |
| 23 | Street hockey | — | 🚫 No PSO (recreation-level) |
| 24 | T-ball (intro baseball) | — | ✅ Under Softball/Baseball PSOs |
| 25 | Cheerleading | — | 🚫 Regulated by cheer orgs, not PSO |
| 26 | Lacrosse | — | ✅ Yes (Lacrosse BC) |
| 27 | Curling | — | ✅ Yes (Curl BC) |
| 28 | Canoe/Kayak | — | ✅ Yes (Canoe Kayak BC) |
| 29 | Alpine skiing / Snowboarding | — | ✅ Yes (BC Alpine, BC Snowboard) |
| 30 | Adaptive sports (e.g., boccia) | — | ✅ Yes (BC Blind Sports, etc.) |
Applicants must have family income below certain thresholds (for example, $52,800 for a two-person family, $90,200 for a six-person family) and application cut-off dates are:
July 15th for September programming
November 1st for January programming
May 15th for summer programming
For more information, CLICK HERE.