Exciting New Partnership Between Athlete Institute and ISWO
Partnership aimed at supporting the development of young Indigenous athletes in Ontario, with best basketball development program in Canada.
Toronto, Ontario – November 20, 2019 – The Athlete Institute and Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO) are proud to announce a partnership, aimed at developing the great game of basketball for the Indigenous youth of Ontario.
“We are honored to be given this opportunity to work with ISWO and the Indigenous communities of Ontario,” says Jesse Tipping, President of Athlete Institute. “It is our goal to create as much inclusive opportunity in basketball for everyone in Canada and know that given the pathway and resources, these communities will thrive.”
The partnership brings together the best basketball development program in Canada and the designated Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body (P/TASB) for Ontario, to host regional and provincial tournaments, tryouts for national and international sport events, develop passionate coaches and create player pathways, camps, clinics and programming.
“The partnership with the Athlete Institute is an incredible opportunity for Indigenous youth and athletes in Ontario to develop their skills in a world-class program and facility” says Marc Laliberte, President of Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario. “We know that sport has the power to change lives; the Athlete Institute recognizes this and works to remove barriers to participation in sport by supporting the athlete development pathway and opening doors for these young athletes, to new and exciting opportunities, in sport, education and beyond.”
The partnership will host its first event on Saturday, January 11, when the Athlete Institute will host Team Ontario basketball tryouts for both male and female athletes in all of the NAIG sanctioned age categories (14U, 16U and 19U), in preparation for the upcoming 2020 North American Indigenous Games. Players from around the province will be able to learn from Athlete Institute coaches, enhance their skills and begin to develop a sense of where basketball can take them.
“Basketball is a tool to help facilitate a healthy mind and body but it can also be used to impact the trajectory of someone’s life. Our goal at Athlete Institute is to educate our student-athletes on utilizing the game of basketball to further their post-secondary education aspirations, and I truly look forward to working with ISWO on developing pathways for many Indigenous youth in Ontario,” Alex Dominato, Director of Admissions & Recruiting.
Additional information on specific initiatives will be released publicly as they occur. For any questions on the partnership please contact, Alex Dominato, Director of Admissions & Recruiting, Athlete Institute at alex.dominato@athleteinstitute.ca or Keir Johnston, Manager of Sport, High Performance and Games at Keir.Johnston@iswo.ca.
Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO) Quick Facts:
- ISWO is the designated Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body (P/TASB) for the province of Ontario, primarily funded through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
- ISWO serves all Indigenous Peoples and communities across Ontario, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis, living on and off-reserve, in rural and urban settings, encompassing more than 350,000 Indigenous Peoples in the province.
- ISWO promotes and creates opportunities for participation in sport and cultural activities that promote wellness and positive lifestyles for Indigenous Peoples across Ontario.
- ISWO provides opportunities for physical literacy and competitive sport skill development and training by creating sport development pathways, designed specifically for Indigenous youth.
- ISWO is recognized by the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) and the North American Indigenous Games Council, and is the designated sport body for the development, selection and management of Team Ontario, which participates in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) and North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).
For more information about ISWO, visit www.iswo.ca.
Athlete Institute Quick Facts:
- Athlete Institute is world-renowned for its preparatory Basketball Academy which is home to three teams: the Orangeville Prep Bears, AI Red Bears, and AI Black Bears.
- Since 2012, the Basketball Academy has developed 73 post-secondary basketball student-athletes, most notably 33 NCAA Division I and 21 U SPORTS student-athletes, which is the most in Canada and has facilitated over $10 million in athletic scholarships.
- Our most notable alumni include five NBA players: Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), Thon Maker (Detroit Pistons), Ignas Brazdeikis (NY Knicks), Luguentz Dort (OKC Thunder) and Oshae Brissett (Toronto Raptors).
- Athlete Institute hosts local, national and international year-round basketball training programs, camps and leagues across all age groups for boys and girls.
- Athlete Institute has diversified operations including the Athlete Institute Football Club, Athlete Institute Food and Beverage, CrossFit Orangeville, Core5 Fitness and Bear Cub Coffee Bar.
- Athlete Institute is situated on a 14-acre campus which is comprised of a 3,500 square ft. training centre, a 12,000 square ft. fieldhouse, a 24,000 square ft. sports dome with turf field, residence with 100 beds, a commercial kitchen, physiotherapy clinic, Pilates & yoga studio and outdoor soccer field and basketball courts.
For more information about Athlete Institute, please visit www.athleteinstitute.ca.
###
Acknowledgement
ISWO honours the traditional lands and homelands of all Indigenous Peoples and communities across the province of Ontario, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis living both on and off reserve, in rural and urban communities.
Contact Information:
Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO)
Kylie Thompson, Communications and Media Coordinator
Athlete Institute (AI)
Mark Peterson, Marketing and Communications
mark.peterson@athleteinstitute.ca
