Hearing about Ottawa's 4th homicide of the year inspired me to write this article on "Navigating Violence and the benefit to year-round sports programming".
Before I decided to start a small media company back in 2011 and focus on my true passion of building infrastructure in amateur sport, I worked as a youth worker in Ottawa's full custody and open custody youth Correctional Facilities for the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa. It was a great experience interacting on the ground level with some of Ottawa's most disadvantaged and troubled youth. I can truly say that YSB is doing some very important work, and they employ some very talented and dedicated people. I had majored in Psychology at McMaster University in the early 2000's and had always been fascinated by the mind and how much of a role it plays in people's success or, in the case of young offenders, their failures. As a long time athlete, growing up playing football in The National Capital Amateur Football Association, I was exposed from an early age to the feelings that come with competition, the fear of failure and learning to work towards the outcome you desire in the face of uncertainty. I can easily say today, these were some of the most important lessons I have learned to date. During my studies at McMaster I gravitated towards the preventative side of mental health and criminal justice as oppose to the reaction and enforcement thereof. In the case of young offenders, it is well documented that staying occupied and surrounding themselves with positive role models can make a tremendous difference to an adolescent. In the case of youth that lack the neccessary financial means to participate in organized sports, or proper parental guidance in the home - the result can be crippling to the potential of the youth. Since I returned to Ottawa in 2010, upon completing a Master's in Crime Prevention, I have been interested in using my media company,House Edge Media and our new dedicated sports divisionThe House Edge Sports Network (HESN), to promote athlete's achievements, build interest in amateur sports and develop unique fundraising opportunities that athletes can easily access themselves. It has been my experience that participating in sports can provide youth abundant opportunities, life-long friendships and access to a like-minded community for life.
We have found, unfortunately, for every youth that can access sports related services, league fees and off-season programming, there are at least two, highly dedicated, youth that cannot. Although programs like "The Canadian Tire Jumpstart Program" and The Boys and Girls Club are very useful in closing this gap - additional community partners are needed to contribute and help make a larger impact.
As such, we have created the Ottawa "Adopt An Athlete Program" specifically designed for small to medium sized businesses to make a donation, and the team at HESN will provide an athlete (that has qualified for funding) the equivalent in HESN services, league fees or off-season training. We want to make sure that our youth are being occupied, and are learning valuable lessons from the many coaches, trainers and sports organizers across the city of Ottawa. Every dollar helps us continue to build great sport experiences in neighbourhoods across the city. If you would like to become a Ottawa "Adopt An Athlete Program Partner, there are lots of local advertising benefits to partnership. We can also offer you the equivalent in credit towards a custom media package with House Edge Media. Contact us and we can get started! You can also visit the House Edge Media website here - www.houseedgemedia.com
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