About the ASC

The Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) is Canada’s national voice for Aboriginal sport, which brings together the interests of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. Established in 1995, the ASC was created through a national consensus-building process, in response to the need for more accessible and equitable sport and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal peoples.

The ASC is a collective of Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies. Each of them carries the mandate to represent the grassroots sport and recreation interests of the Aboriginal peoples of their regions. It is their voice that guides the direction of the ASC and establishes its national priorities.

The ASC views sport and recreation as an integral part of the Aboriginal community wellness model because of its positive impact on the quality of people’s lives. Sport and recreation promote positive lifestyles, develop individual life-skills, encourage youth leadership, and reinforce family and cultural values. For these reasons, the ASC refers to sport and recreation as powerful medicine, because they can prevent many of the social ills facing Aboriginal peoples, and foster community healing.

The ASC is committed to the development of Aboriginal athletes and coaches by supporting their efforts to achieve personal excellence through sport. The ASC takes a holistic approach to sport by promoting an environment which offers a balanced approach to the physical and mental, as well as the spiritual and cultural development of Aboriginal athletes, coaches and community sport leaders.

The ASC takes a proactive approach to sport development.  By partnering with mainstream sport organizations, we create integrative programs, which bring expertise in athlete and coaching development to Aboriginal communities.