Sport development and delivery in Canada, México, and the United States: Commonalities, differences, and future needs

This chapter provides an overview of the structure and delivery of education in sport in North America, including Canada, México, and the United States. Representatives from each country give attention to the following topics: type and prevalence of sport education delivery (e.g., physical education, youth sport, club sport), the governance of and policies specific to sport, the role and possible impact of coach education. To some extent, the three North American countries overlap in how sport is delivered and experienced. However, differences are present in how sport generally is defined, the role that the government plays in the delivery and its oversight, and the degree to which there is equity in creating quality access to sport for all children and youth. In addition, we introduce a view to the future with an eye towards (a) increasing participation levels, (b) improving the quality of the sports experiences of children and youth, and (c) sustaining participation levels.