TORONTO, Ont. (November 30, 2021) -- Canada Basketball announced Tuesday night during halftime of the Grizzlies-Raptors game that a $10,000 donation from the Canada Basketball Foundation has been made to Lay-Up, a community-based cost-free basketball program designed for children and youth (6-14) of all skill levels.

The funds will be used to redesign their Youth Coach Development Program. With a focus on women and racialized youth between the ages of 15-29, the program will provide ten participants from Toronto’s Neighbourhood Improvement Areas with training and certification, expanded skill development opportunities, practical work experience, and access to mentorship and professional networks to establish a strong foundation for their success as coaches and officials.

“Canada Basketball is proud to support Lay-Up and its Youth Coach Development Program which continues to have a tremendous impact both on the court and in the community,” said Michael Bartlett, Canada Basketball President & CEO. 

“As outlined in our Unified 2024 plan, Canada Basketball is committed to investing in programs which intentionally increase the diversity of our coaching and officials pipeline in this country,” said Bartlett.  “Our organization remains committed to removing any barriers standing in the way of racialized youth, as they seek to participate in, coach or officiate the game they love.”

Lay-Up’s Youth Coach Development Program works to address a substantial under-representation of diverse communities in coaching and officiating by providing participants not only with coach training, but also foundational skills in officiating, which is vital to their overall understanding of the game.

“Creating space at a community level for training, certification and employment in coaching and officiating is vital to making sure that kids see themselves reflected in the opportunities connected to the growth of basketball,” said Chris Penrose, Lay-Up Director of Programs and Operations.

The program, which began in 2018, originally offered training, volunteer and employment opportunities to former Lay-Up participants to gain coaching experience.

"The Youth Coach Development Program is critical because it provides training and certification opportunities at the grassroots level,” said Brittania Brown, one of four Head Coaches supporting a team of 25 young Lay-Up coaches. “The grassroots level is where youth are typically introduced to sports and is also one of the most impactful periods in youth sport development. It is our hope that we see participants having an impact at the highest level of the coaching and officiating world for years to come."

Funding in support of Lay-Up’s Youth Coach Development Program, and other future community-based initiatives, is made possible thanks to a generous donation from the Lake Family’s All One Fund to the Canada Basketball Foundation.

The Youth Coach Development Program is just the latest initiative between Canada Basketball and Lay-Up as the two organizations have previously partnered to help grow the game of basketball domestically.  Earlier this year, 15 female-identifying coaches participated in an Introduction to Officiating pilot program, while seven Lay-Up coaches took part in Canada Basketball’s redesign of the NCCP Learn to Train Module.   

In April, Canada Basketball announced the launch of Unified 2024, a multi-year program designed to lead the organization’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives and establish the organization as a leader within the Canadian sports industry by 2024.

Partnerships between Canada Basketball and community-based basketball organizations are one of several strategic commitments, which serve as indicators for the equity, diversity and inclusion outcomes that the organization will hold itself accountable to and align with the purpose of the Canada Basketball Foundation to help individuals succeed in life through the game of basketball.

Since 2013, Lay-Up has brought the game of basketball to over 2,500 participants through their youth basketball and coach development programs.

The Canada Basketball Foundation™ (CBF) is a registered charitable organization dedicated to growing all aspects of the game of basketball. Working directly with Canada Basketball, the CBF aims to improve the health of the nation through basketball, provide a pathway for excellence for young athletes, and deliver dynamic basketball development that will result in international success.