Canadian Youth Sports Clubs Reconsidering Travel to Trump's America
Trump's policies led to one volleyball club eschewing U.S. travel this year. Will others follow suit?
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In a normal political climate - whatever that used to mean - teams from Canada’s Kingston Rock Volleyball Club would enthusiastically travel throughout the Central and Eastern United States. The club has historically participated in tournaments in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Orlando, Detroit, and Cleveland, to name a few. Kingston, Ontario’s location, 32 miles from the Alexandria Bay, NY border crossing, is just one reason the club has frequently played across the border.
“The States offer more competition given its population, and there are significantly more courts in a place like Chicago than in Canada,” says Matt Somerville, Kingston Rock Volleyball Club’s executive director and 18U boys coach.
Except little is normal or comfortable about the current political climate, including new turmoil between Canada and the U.S. Despite a long-standing relationship built on economic and security collaboration, Donald Trump has relentlessly bullied America’s neighbor to the north. Trump’s quest to annex Canada as the “51st State", coupled with tariffs (soon at 35%), the administration’s targeting of many marginalized groups, and severe immigration policies have left many Canadians asking themselves whether travel to the U.S. is safe. Or something they can even stomach.
Kingston Rock Volleyball Club has drawn a line in the sand, announcing last month that it would halt all travel to the U.S. during the 2025-26 season.
The bold Instagram post leads to an even bolder statement in which Kingston Rock provides its rationale and issues a call to action.
“This decision follows growing concerns over current trends in the United States, including safety, inclusivity, and broader socio-political factors. While Canada has. issued general travel advisories encouraging caution for travel to the U.S., we believe it is in the best interest of our athletes, families, and coaches to stay closer to home this year.”
“We encourage other Canadian clubs to consider doing the same, standing together in support of Canadian events, Canadian values, and investing in our local sports community.”
Somerville, a dual-citizen who lived in the Washington D.C. area for three years before returning to Canada, said the club’s board and members were “almost unanimous” in the decision to eschew U.S. travel.
There are a number of travel advisories that corroborate Kingston Rock’s decision. Canada Scouts has not restricted travel to the U.S. but in April, released a lengthy list of people who may be at increased risk including:
Identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and/or are from marginalized communities;
Were born in, or have ties to, countries under U.S. geopolitical scrutiny;
Wear religious or cultural dress;
Are youth who may not be equipped to navigate tense or biased interactions independently
“It’s a high risk when you’re responsible for 12-14 kids who might not be traveling with their own parents,” said Somerville.
Kingston Rock’s decision won’t impact the bottom line of youth sports tourism in America, which seems to be growing by the millisecond, but that’s not the point. It’s the symbolism, an alignment with the sleeping giant that many say has awakened in Canada.
“They don’t get it, your government’s actions are like an act of war against Canadians and it’s has really united us all like never before in my lifetime. It’s kinda great,” says Jeff, a Vancouver father of two boys (17 and 13) who play travel hockey. “The tariffs are the best thing that ever happened to this country, that gave us a long overdue kick in the ass to get our own shit together.”
The galvanizing sentiment comes from the top. In his April victory speech, newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said, “We are over the shock of the American betrayal, but we should never forget the lessons. We have to look out for ourselves and, above all, we have to take care of each other.”
Jeff says his sons’ hockey league does not pick teams until September but that parents are already saying no to U.S.-based tournaments, even resisting league games just across the border. It is with a tinge of sadness though as travel tournaments are an integral part of the youth hockey experience. “Hockey parents plan holidays around these events and tend to spend a lot of money when they are away, especially when we go to the US,” he said.
For Jeff, it was the 51st State comment but he also cites the threat of detainment at the border as an elevated concern given the multicultural nature of Vancouver.
Brent Bouthilette, general manager of the Saskatoon Slam Heat Basketball Club, had similar fears as he contemplated whether to cancel his team’s long-awaited trip to Minneapolis this past April. He was so anxious that he lost sleep.
“I’m up on current events and tend to keep my ear to the ground when it comes to those things. I’ve heard the stories about ICE and customs having to fill quotas. Then I would think about how not every player on this team was Caucasian.”
But after speaking to the parents, Bouthilette decided the team should travel given the planning and anticipation from the players. His fears evaporated as soon as the team arrived in Minneapolis. As they approached customs, friendly volunteer airport workers identified them as a team and guided them through immigration.
Having visited Minneapolis before, Bouthilette knew it as an inclusive spot. He felt the nothing had changed culturally despite the current White House regime “I only saw two MAGA signs. There were still plenty of Kamala signs up, and there seemed to be a lot of LBGTQ support,” he says. “ Every time we went somewhere they were welcoming. Some questioned why we came, but they were all friendly about it and happy to have us.”
The team’s four days in Minneapolis were rooted in fun and bonding. From navigating the monstrous Mall of America to winning the silver bracket of the tournament, Bouthilette says he’s thrilled they took the plunge. Ironically, it was the arrival home that proved the most difficult when Canadian customs officers had a lot more questions than their American counterparts.
As evidenced by the Saskatoon Slam, there are still positive tournament travel experiences to be in the U.S. but President Trump’s constant obsession with prodding Canada may prove too much for Canadian youth sports organizations.
"Frankly, Canada should be the 51st State, they really should. Because Canada relies entirely on the United States, we don't rely on Canada,” Trump said on Fox News last week.
These are the type of fan-flaming statements that will result in more Canadian youth sports organizations following Kingston Rock’s lead. “We're discussing this with our soccer club that had been starting to travel to the States for multiple tournaments this year. We will most likely be going out east or to Alberta for these trips. Not quite as exciting for the kids compared to San Diego but taking a team to the US and spending $20k doesn't sit right at the moment,” a Reddit user told me.
For many youth sports clubs in Canada, the powerful Buy Canadian movement doesn’t just mean skip the American-made shampoo - it now means skip the American tournaments too.
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What a shame. I have good friends that were in that hockey world. Such a commitment.
Wrestling teams are reconsidering who travels to the states too. Although there are still many who cross the border.