Canada has Rich sporting history. It is part of the fabric of the country. But in recent years, this fabric has begun to tear apart.
from Hockey lake Gymnastics And soccerAmong other things, the news was full of reports about… Abusive behavior, Financing issueslack of transparency and accountability, Boards of directors Failure to perform their fiduciary duties, Medal chase decision making,Capacity issues and Mismanagement of resources.
The Canadian Press/Adrian Wild
the New measures These are positive steps recently announced by Federal Sports Minister Pascal Saint-Onge. By 2025, all federally funded national sports organizations will have to adopt sport-specific governance principles Canadian Sports Administration Act, including the presence of an athlete representative on its board of directors. Sports Canada is also set to have a compliance unit to hold national sports organizations accountable on these aspects.
But the problems facing Canadian sports are multi-faceted and multi-layered. Now the problems are happening at the local level. Although changes are needed at the national level, they are equally needed at the local, regional and regional levels.
(Bad) governance, chasing medals and lack of public confidence
The Canadian sports system as well complicated, with many organizations, associations and administrative bodies participating at the national, regional, territorial and community levels. This complexity has led to confusion, duplication of effort, resource exhaustion, and failure Lack of accountability.
There is a shortage of Transparency and consistency in decision makingWhich may lead to injustice and favoritism. Winning and losing medals is an integral part of any sport. But the federal government and national sporting bodies did Prioritizing medals over sports participation throughout one’s life.
READ MORE: To clean up Canadian hockey, financial transparency is essential
Third edition of Canadian Sports Policy Scheduled for release later this year should address this issue with its introduction Lifelong sport as a key context and focus area for stakeholders in the Canadian sport system. But it remains to be seen whether lifelong sport will continue to have an inexorable presence in this new ten-year policy. However, The system’s focus is on medals It led to an overemphasis on some sports or athletes, while others were neglected.
The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
Unfortunately, Local sports initiatives are not as well funded as national efforts. This is despite there being more people playing the sport locally. Grassroots sport is also vital to the development of future professional athletes and a healthy, active life.
Public confidence
The recent several scandals have eroded Canadian sports Public confidence. While we have heard from the federal government, provincial, territorial and municipal governments have remained relatively silent. Why does this happen when most Canadians interact with sports at the local level?
Solutions must serve local needs and realities. They need this in all sports and for all levels of sport.
The new administrative oversight processes announced by the Minister of Sports are a step in the right direction, but as we have seen, sports organizations reviewing themselves leads to… Evaluate policy on paper, not actual practice.
Independent Standards Committee
There are consistent standards that have been established and maintained in other sectors. Organizations such as Canadian Standards Association Approves equipment used in sports. In workplaces, there are many organizations ISO certification. In industries where health and safety is a critical issue, there are formal committees and Safety culture.
There are standards associations and independent review groups in other sectors, so why not sports? Canadian sports require Independent Standards Committee Composed of experts in various fields, including sports, which would establish and enforce standards for organizations and individuals involved in the entire sports system.
The standards will cover areas such as governance, ethics, transparency and accountability. The committee will be empowered to impose consequences such as fines, suspensions, disqualification, or even a lifetime ban, for violations or substandard behavior.
A committee with the power to hold organizations and individuals accountable can ensure that all participants in the sports system adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.
An important aspect of this independent standards committee is that it will embed safety and duty of care into everyone’s work. The committee’s standards will prioritize the well-being of athletes, coaches and other stakeholders, ensuring that all participants in sport are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment.
The benefits of such a committee are clear. By establishing formal and consistent standards for the entire sporting system, it would address systemic problems of governance, medal-chasing, and public distrust. can support Canadian Sports Policy Values related to safety, positive experiences, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, affordability, alignment, efficiency and sustainability throughout the Canadian lifespan.
Establishing an independent standards committee for the entire sports system will not be easy. It will take support and funding from the Canadian government, the thirteen provincial and territorial governments, and a lot of hard work. But the benefits of doing so will be great.
By prioritizing integrity, professionalism and duty of care, we can work collectively to address problems across Canadian sport. We owe it to every Canadian to repair the fabric of sports in this country. It is time for action, not just words, from all government orders. The ball is in their court.
Mathieu Fleury, co-founder of the Ottawa Sports Council and former Ottawa Sports Commissioner, also co-wrote this article.
