November 3, 2025
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities supports Captains & Poets to Empower 50 Youth Sport Teams Across Canada
Initiative integrates emotional intelligence and leadership into sport, with a focus on keeping girls in the game.
[Toronto, Ontario] — Today, Captains & Poets, with the support of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart), announces a groundbreaking initiative to offer Captains & Poets’ global leadership program to 50 youth sport teams across Canada, beginning in November, 2025. Support for this initiative is part of Jumpstart’s commitment to gender equity and empowering girls to remain in sport.
Women’s Sports Foundation’s (WSF) 2024 study ‘Play to Lead: The Generational Impact of Sport on Women’s Leadership,’ proved that the longer girls play sports, the more likely they are to hold formal leadership roles in workplace environments. The collaboration is timely and designed to help amplify the positive impact of sport on youth and, and with the expansion of women’s professional sport, equip girls to navigate these pathways with confidence, ensuring they can thrive in sport and beyond.
“Sport offers an incredible opportunity for self-discovery,” said Marco Di Buono, President, Jumpstart. “We are proud to support Captains & Poets to help young athletes develop courage and empathy, confidence and connection — qualities that they can carry with them long after the final whistle.”
Captains & Poets offers workshops that foster self-awareness, self-leadership, leadership, connection, and belonging among youth. With funding and support from Jumpstart, the program will be rolled out to teams across the country. Coaches will also receive training and support to help promote positive and inclusive team cultures.
“Every person has a Captain and a Poet inside of them that, in partnership, empower them to show up as their best selves,” said Jennifer Johnson, CEO, Captains & Poets. “This partnership offers the opportunity to build confidence and resilience, foster belonging, and unlock leadership potential in hundreds of youth through sports. When youth gain understanding of who they are and how they can contribute to stronger teams and communities, it’s an inner compass they can take with them their entire lives.”
Why This Matters
- Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs like Captains & Poets have been shown to improve resilience, and build stronger, more resilient teams and communities.
- The Rally Report 2024 highlights that Canadian girls have a distinct experience in sport and drop out at a higher rate than boys.
- Barriers contributing to dropout include cost, access, confidence, negative body image, feeling unwelcome or lacking a sense of belonging.
What’s Involved
- 50 youth sport teams, selected through Captains & Poets’ network, will participate in team workshops over the next few months.
- Coaches will also be trained in the Captain & Poet model so that they can create more positive and inclusive cultures that empower youth to bring their best selves to the game.
- Youth will be introduced to the concept of authentic leadership in sport and beyond the field.
Expected Impact
- Empower youth ages 11 to 15 with increased confidence, leadership, and resilience.
- Strengthen team culture, with inclusion and belonging at the heart.
- Expand the reach of the program nationally to more teams and communities in Canada.
What the Research Says
- “Researchers have found that when sport programs are intentionally designed—like those that include teamwork, self-awareness, and leadership—they can have a positive impact on youth development.” (Bruner, M. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology)
- “Intentional sport programs—those that are well-designed, include trained adult mentors, and focus on key goals like self-esteem, leadership, and social skills—consistently help young people grow. Areas that need more focus, include girls and underrepresented youth.” (Holt, N. (2025). Positive Youth Development Through Youth Sport, Psychology of Sport and Exercise)
About Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities
Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) is a national charity committed to helping kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in an effort to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities. With an extensive national network comprising more than 1,000 grantees and 289 local chapters, Jumpstart is dedicated to supporting families in financial need and empowering community partners to develop inclusive programming and infrastructure for all Canadian kids. Supported by the Canadian Tire Corporation, Jumpstart has provided more than 4 million opportunities for Canadian kids to get into the game since 2005. For more information, visit jumpstart.canadiantire.ca.
About Captains & Poets
Founded in 2018 in Toronto, Canada, Captains & Poets is a global emotional intelligence and leadership program empowering people with self-awareness, self-leadership, and leadership skills to enable them to reach their full potential. Their Champions program is focused on creating healthier team environments by igniting untapped leadership potential and fostering more positive and inclusive cultures. The unique Captains & Poets framework translates seamlessly into sports, education, and professional development settings offering a simple and memorable way for people of all ages to explore their inner drivers, authentic identity, and innate leadership capabilities. For more information, visit www.captainsandpoets.com.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Johnson, CEO and Chief Learning Officer, Captains & Poets
416 997-0998
jjohnson@captainsandpoets.com