The Champions for Life Foundation
is a Canadian charity dedicated to helping children aged 4 to 12 develop their physical literacy. Its goal is to provide all children with a positive and accessible experience to develop fundamental movement skills. Through fun and engaging activities, the Foundation aims to equip every child with the skills, knowledge, confidence, and motivation they need to be more active every day—for life.
The Champions for Life Foundation works closely with school teams to create practical, child-friendly tools that meet real needs and can be easily implemented in various school environments.
What is Physical Literacy?
Most of us are familiar with the term language
literacy. It means we are able to use our language
actively and passively in a variety of ways
including reading, writing, and speaking. Similarly,
the term physical literacy means that we are able
to move our bodies with competence and
confidence in a wide variety of physical
activities across multiple environments.
A Complete System With Measurable Results
Make a Measurable Impact
All Champions for Life physical literacy programs,
tools, and resources are structured, evidence-based, progressive, and simple to use. We make it easy to bring physical literacy to life and make a lasting impact in children’s lives.
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Training and access to our Physical Literacy Toolbox.
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Turnkey tools, resources and support to facilitate teaching & programming.
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Age-appropriate and gamified programs to stimulate engagement.
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Assessment, measurement and badging to track and inspire progress.
Fundamental Movement Skills Cue Cards
Fundamental movement skills are basic movements on land, air, water, and ice or snow involving various body parts. These movement skills form the basis of physical literacy and must be learned and practised by children to build competence in their movements and confidence in their abilities.
Movement Skill Cue Cards are provided for every Fundamental Movement Skill in our programs. Skills are broken down into 4 cues and are organized into the 3 movement categories: Balance, Locomotion and Object Manipulation.
We also include QR codes on all our Cue Cards that
link directly to our skill videos.
Inclusive
Our programs and resources provide children of all abilities with the opportunity to be involved in high- quality, accessible physical activities in a safe and positive environment.
A Suite of Physical Literacy Solutions to Help
Activate Your School Community
An engaging after-school program that helps children develop their fundamental movement skills through fun games and dynamic activities.
A series of interACTIVE stories and adventures that introduce movement skills to children as part of their journey of engaging in a
lifetime of physical activity.
A collection of easy-to-use
resources to bring physical
literacy into the Physical
Education curriculum in a structured and measurable way.
A leadership program designed to empower students in grades 4, 5 and 6 to organize and facilitate dynamic physical activities during recess.
Founder’s Message
In hopes of inspiring others, I have always wanted to share my experience of learning physical literacy from a young age.
Growing up playing multiple sports and being active in every way possible, my brothers became high-level hockey players, I started taekwondo at the age of 14 and eventually became a National Champion. Later in my career, I had the privilege to pass my experience and knowledge to others, such as NHLers like Vincent Lecavalier, Patrice Bergeron, and Matt Lombardi, to name a few.
I was extremely blessed in many ways over the course of my life, making valuable connections with colleagues, mentors, and people from within my community. That ability to connect served as an inspiration during difficult times.
In 2006, our family lost my brother, Marc, to cancer. We were devastated. Marc was a community pillar, a loving husband, son and brother.
I started a non-profit organization back home in Dorval, Quebec, called Athletic Community Centres, to honour Marc and keep him in our memory. Through this program, I learned more about the lack of physical literacy and the general inactivity affecting much of Quebec’s and Canada’s children and youth. It was a problem I wanted to devote all my time and talents to solving.
In starting the Champions for Life Physical Literacy Program in 2013, I focused on tackling this issue while preserving my brother’s legacy in what I do, think, and feel. I hope to continue to positively affect the lives of children who may not have had the same opportunities that we did growing up.
To my parents and brother Steve, Marc’s wife Isabelle, and his children, Mathieu, Marie-Ève, and Laurie, I can’t think of a better way to honour Marc and hope we can all ‘Champion’ his spirit, energy, and light.
David Arsenault
Founder
Our Core Values in Action
Positive Energy
We are hard-working and ambitious, relentlessly compelled by the need to accomplish our goals. We believe in the spirit of "kaizen" and are dedicated to continuous improvement.
Connection
We connect authentically with our participants, staff, volunteers, collaborators, and partners.
Respect
We treat our participants, staff, volunteers, collaborators, and partners with a feeling of courtesy & respect.
Determination
We are hard-working and ambitious, relentlessly compelled by the need to accomplish our goals. We believe in the spirit of "kaizen" and are dedicated to continuous improvement.
Knowledge
We demonstrate a clear understanding and knowledge of all matters related to physical literacy. We continuously expand our understanding, remaining subject matter experts in our field.
Accessibility & Inclusion
We strive to provide equal access and opportunities to ALL children. We work collaboratively and inclusively to reduce and overcome barriers to foster equal participation in our programs.
Let’s Stay Connected
Join our mailing list so we can keep you updated about upcoming events and new program initiatives, share our impact and more.
Champions for Life Foundation
Our mission is to empower children ages 4 to 12 to develop their physical literacy | Charitable Registration No. 79670 4328 RR0001
