Tim Adams, Executive Director + Founder
Tim Adams is the Founder and Executive Director of Free Play for Kids, a nationally recognized non-profit dedicated to ensuring that children from low-income, newcomer, and marginalized communities have access to safe, inclusive, and barrier-free opportunities to play, learn, and belong.
Tim founded Free Footie in 2007 while volunteering as a soccer coach at an inner-city school in Edmonton. During practices, he noticed younger siblings lingering on the sidelines and learned they were waiting to escort older siblings home and care for them. Recognizing that these children had nowhere to go and nothing structured to do, Tim created a free, school-connected soccer program that provided everything participants needed, including equipment, transportation, and trained coaches. As he reflects,
“When I became part of my players’ lives, I saw how believing in them and holding them accountable could dramatically change them.”
What began as a small volunteer initiative grew rapidly. In 2019, the organization expanded beyond soccer to include basketball, football, and hockey, and formally became Free Play for Kids, reflecting a broader mission: to provide vulnerable children with opportunities to play in a safe, accessible, and inclusive environment at no cost to them or their families, because when kids are empowered through play, families, schools, and communities are empowered as well.
Under Tim’s leadership, Free Play for Kids now serves more than 4,500 children annually, operates in 50+ locations, partners with approximately 60 high-needs schools, and employs over 100 staff.
Tim is widely recognized for his community leadership. He was named Citizen of the Year by the Kiwanis Foundation of Canada (2021) and received the Mel Osborne Fellowship Award for his tireless work supporting vulnerable children. He has also been honoured with the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Outstanding Community Leadership, the RISE Award – Building Futures from the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, the Northern Lights Award for Community Leadership, and the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General Crime Prevention Award for innovative efforts that build safe, strong communities through sport.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim led rapid program adaptations, launching daily virtual training sessions and initiating a food distribution program when school closures cut off access to meals. These efforts reinforced the organization’s belief that sport is not the end goal, but a powerful entry point for broader social change.
Tim is grateful for the community support Free Play for Kids has received, though he sees it as deeply rooted in Edmonton’s identity. “Edmonton has a perpetual image of itself as being an underdog,” he says. “So when people or programs are undervalued, the city rallies behind them. Together, we’ve made something really special that’s ready to be exported to other cities.”
At the core of Tim’s work is a simple belief drawn from his own words:
“Every child deserves a place to belong, grow, and play.”
