What You Can Do: Schools

• Become a True Sport School by making a conscious decision to join the True Sport Movement. Involve the administration and student council in the decision.
• Add your school to the growing list of communities, schools, sport organizations, groups and individuals across Canada who believe in the power of good sport by completing the online form at www.truesport.ca/declare.
• Host an event or assembly to recognize the school’s commitment to the True Sport Principles. Acknowledge that the commitment is not just related to varsity sport, physical education or intramurals but an overall commitment to creating a positive, safe and welcoming environment in your school.
  • Have a ceremonial signing of a True Sport declaration form by your school’s administration, student council and parents association.
  • Display your duly signed declaration prominently in the school.
• Know your values. Have students identify what they value most in their school. By a democratic vote or a dotmocracy, determine the top 4-6 values that your students feel are important. Adopt these as your school’s values and proudly display them throughout the school. Incorporate these values into your daily activities and in your decision-making processes.
• Discuss how the True Sport Principles align with your school’s mission, vision and values. Conduct a self evaluation of how well you are already living the True Sport Principles for Sport and areas where you can improve.
• Share your commitment to True Sport and the True Sport Principles with your students, faculty and families as well as your community and its residents.
  • Add a True Sport logo and link on your school's website.
  • Include information about True Sport in your newsletters.
  • Prominently display True Sport in your school – in the lobby, gym and/or classrooms.
  • Be creative – design your own True Sport flag and/or add the logo to your school uniforms.
  • Add a True Sport page to your yearbook or student planner.
  • Incorporate a “True Sport Report” as part of your morning announcements or in the school paper to share the great things happening in your school.
  • Use social networking to spread the word about how you are living True Sport and about True Sport events and activities.
  • Give a True Sport presentation to faculty, administration, students and/or parents’ associations.
• Create a True Sport display or bulletin board to announce award winners, display posters, pamphlets and upcoming events.
• Ensure your volunteers understand their role in helping True Sport live in your school. Adapt the True Sport Volunteer Engagement Kit to your needs.
• Establish a True Sport student-athlete mentoring program. Partner older students with younger ones when playing and teaching games and sports. True Sport mentors can also coach and organize activities within your school or for younger grades.
• Create a True Sport Challenge with classes competing to increase student participation in intramurals or school activities.
• Ensure intramurals appeal broadly to a variety of skill levels and ages. Have a True Sport player of the game for the participant who best demonstrated the True Sport values – the participant who had the most fun, who demonstrated inclusiveness, the spirit of fair play or who simply tried their best.
• Invite students to nominate their peers for True Sport athlete of the week/month. Honour the recipient by telling their story during your school’s daily/weekly “True Sport Report” and posting their name or picture in your display case.
• Sponsor an annual True Sport award or bursary to reinforce the True Sport Principles.
• Hold a True Sport writing, drawing or photography contest to get kids thinking about the True Sport Principles. Create True Sport colouring sheets for younger grades.
• Create a system for students and teachers to identify actions that demonstrate the True Sport values and principles and develop a creative way to recognize these True Sport Moments.
• Introduce visiting/opposing sport teams to the True Sport Movement and True Sport Principles.
  • Recognize a True Sport player of the game for home and visiting sport teams.
  • Give out True Sport momentos during the post-game handshakes (e.g. True Sport pins, gel bracelets, stickers, tattoos, etc.)
  • Give the opposing coaching staff a True Sport Coaches Kit.
• Make True Sport a focal point of tournaments and championship events hosted by your school.
• Create a True Sport Task Force or Athletic Council in your school that empowers the students to take a leadership role in shaping how True Sport can live in your school and in your community.
• Create a transparent and consistent coach and team selection process and post it in a public place.
• Add the True Sport Principles and logos on the walls, on the gym floor, etc.
• Incorporate True Sport into your curriculum and lesson plans.
• Host a True Sport Day to celebrate your school spirit, encourage students to get active and to be healthy. If possible, partner with other local teams or schools to create an event that provides an opportunity for many schools and community groups to participate.
• Invite guests to your school to help celebrate True Sport. Ask high performance athletes (national team, Olympians, professional or local high school, university and junior team) to speak to the students and to share their True Sport story.
• Have high school students complete their mandatory volunteer hours by becoming True Sport Champions. Students can volunteer their time to introduce and speak to community and sport groups, municipal officials as well as elementary and middle schools about True Sport.
• Have a student competition to create a school cheer that incorporates the True Sport values and principles.
• Host pep rallies and events that create excitment around your school’s sporting events. Encourage your fans to wear True Sport tattoos, to cheer loud, proud and respectfully and to support your athletes and teams.

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