Canada's Sports Hall of Fame encourages youth athletes to get out and play

You can tell Lois Mitchell cares deeply about the Canadian sports ecosystem because she even sympathizes with referees.

"Don't laugh for me, I care about referees. I do," Mitchell said. "Why can't we respect them and give them encouragement?"

Mitchell, 83, comes from a family steeped in sports. A former physical education teacher, Mitchell coached various sports and is now on the board of Football Canada.

Her husband Doug Mitchell, who died in July, was a former CFL player who went on to serve as commissioner for four years in the 1980s. Her son, Scott Mitchell, co-founded the Canadian Premier soccer league.

And so it should come as no surprise that when Olympic silver medallist and Canada Sports Hall of Fame president Cheryl Bernard approached Mitchell about supporting Beyond The Win, an education program promoting youth sports, Mitchell didn't hesitate.

"It's important to encourage young people to really build upon the skills that they develop as an athlete. It's all about fitness, it's all about teamwork and I think it's leadership skills that will last them a lifetime," Mitchell said.

WATCH | 2020/21 inductee Jackie Barrett reflects on Special Olympics career:

Mitchell announced her backing last week for the Education Endowment Campaign, which Bernard says has raised nearly $2 million in support of Beyond The Win. Its ultimate goal is to raise $8 million.

Beyond The Win provides digital lessons from Hall of Famers to schools nationwide. One such example includes Willie O'Ree talking about facing racism in hockey.

"Teachers can go in and go, 'OK, this aligns with the curriculum in Alberta' and now there's activities that follow it, questions for the students and the kids can learn about racism and how Willie overcame