8. Gender gap among active Canadians participating in tournaments narrows
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The proportion of active Canadians participating in tournaments or competitions continues to grow. In 2005, more than 2.8 million people participated in tournaments and they represented 39% of the 7.3 million Canadians who were regularly active in sport. That was up slightly from 36% in 1998. The proportion was 33% in 1992. Men tended to participate in tournaments more than women but the gap narrowed from a 12 percentage-point spread in 1998 to a 10 percentage-point spread in 2005.
Of the 2.8 million participants in tournaments, 1.9 million were men and they represented 43% of male Canadians who were regularly active in sports. In 1998, this proportion was 40%. Similarly, 33% of female Canadians regularly active in sports competed in tournaments, up from 29% in 1998 and 24% in 1992. The major tournaments for these females were soccer, volleyball and golf with soccer as the premier competition. For men, the tournaments were mostly in ice hockey, golf and baseball.
Chart 15
Participation rates in tournaments in the top ten sports by sex,
2005
8.1 Participation in tournaments highest among youths
The proportion of active Canadians participating in tournaments decreases with age. They are most likely to be young and still in school. The school environment is typically conducive to competitive sport at all levels of schooling. Schools have the facilities and infrastructure that make it easier for students to be part of teams that engage in tournaments.
In 2005, 59% or almost 6 out of every 10 active Canadian youths aged 15 to 18 participated in tournaments. This rate was about twice the rate for active Canadians aged 35 and over. This is a trend that has remained stable over the past 13 years.
However, those in the 19 to 34 age group slightly increased their participation in tournaments over this period. In 1992, 3 out of every 10 active persons in this age group competed in tournaments. By 2005, 4 out of 10 participated in tournaments.
Chart 16
Rates of participation in sport tournaments by age and sex,
2005
Table 11
Canadians (15 years and older) who participated in tournaments,
2005
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