Written by Will Russell, Sport Law

When Robots Break Bad: Preparing for Technological Advancements in Sport

In an era of rapidly evolving sports technology, sport organizations face unprecedented developments and challenges that their rulebooks never contemplated. While innovation and pushing the boundaries of existing rules has always played a role in sport - from Dick Fosbury revolutionizing the high jump to Roger Neilson's creative interpretations of the National Hockey League’s rulebook - there is a fine line between improvements within the bounds of fair competition and advances that raise ethical concerns.…

(French version follows below)

Written by Mike Fleurantin, Sport Law

In less than a decade, basketball in Canada has grown from a sport with potential to a national passion. This change was driven by the Toronto Raptors' success and a wave of talented Canadian players making their mark internationally.…

Kaelem Moniz, for Sport Law

Have you ever been ziplining? Gone to a trampoline park? Or even played in an amateur sports league? If so, there is a good chance that you have, at some point, signed a waiver of liability.…

Written by Donny Jackson

In our last blog post, we made comparisons between “real life” sporting events and Esports events and highlighted the importance of maintaining competitive integrity. Competitive integrity is a significant part of any sports landscape, be it virtual or in-person.…

Written by Jason Robinson, Sport Law

In Part 1 of our blogs on Special Meetings of Members we shared the process for calling a Special Meeting and the common questions that we receive. Part 2 of our series addresses the specific scenario when a director/officer is to be potentially removed from a sport organization at a Special Meeting.…

Written by Greg Gilhooly, Sport Law

Why have I started working with the Sport Law team?

Because I believe in the power of sport.

Sport, when it’s at its best, can make us better. Sport can bring people together to forge communities of belonging.…

Written by Will Russell, Sport Law

Published May 14, 2024

Sport organizations have an obligation to control their environments, including practices, competitions, and events. This can mean limiting or denying access to specific individuals because of disciplinary sanctions, inappropriate conduct, as well as concerns for the safety of participants.  …

Written by Mike Fleurantin, Sport Law

Spring is often associated with new beginnings and rebirth. This spring, I am so proud to begin the next chapter in my legal career as a sport lawyer. This has been a goal of mine since 2016.…

This blog was first shared for a class assignment at King’s University College for the Diversity and Social Justice course.

“Not about us without us” could be a rallying cry among athletes looking to break harmful cultural stereotypes and promote positive social change.…

It’s hard to believe that this time last year, we were contemplating a national tour to connect with provincial and territorial sport leaders who were longing to re-imagine a healthier experience for sport participants.

The theme of ‘hope’ has been one that has kept us grounded, despite the turbulent waters we find ourselves in.…

To be bereaved is to be torn apart. On this national Grief and Bereavement Day, it is fitting for us to pause, reflect on all the losses that we have accumulated over our lifespan and consider how we might re-imagine a holistic relationship with loss. …

Published October 12, 2023

Recently, the Canadian Sport Dispute Resolution Code (the Code) was updated. Effective October 1^st, 2023, these changes largely reflect the evolving involvement of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) in the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) process.…

As far back as I can remember, I had my hair in a ponytail, glove on my hand, and cleats on my feet. I grew up on the softball diamond. Most of my early memories were forged on the field, even before I started playing myself.…

Published on August 24, 2023

On March 1, 2023, the International Olympic Committee announced that there would be an “Olympic Esport Series” games lineup. Yes, you read that right: Olympic Esports. And, what’s more, the qualifying rounds for the Olympic Esports circuit began following this announcement, and the live finals for the events were held in Singapore from June 22 to June 25, 2023.…

Published on August 3, 2023

The “F” word…

Fraud – it’s not something we talk a lot about in the non-profit world or particularly the amateur sport community, but just because we do not talk about it does not mean it isn’t happening.…

Published on July 12, 2023

As Sport Law team members, we care deeply about sport, people and dreams. We often find ourselves working alongside leaders when they are feeling vulnerable, scared, frustrated or uncertain. We’ve written about the state of sport for years and how we need to re-imagine a healthier and holistic system that includes, inspires and ignites potential.…

Published May 31, 2023

Over the past year, we have noticed an increase in the requests to assist with Special Meetings of Members. 

This blog focuses on the process of calling a Special Meeting of Members and the common questions that we receive about these meetings, both from a procedural and legal perspective. …

Published on May 4, 2023.

What is the line between off-duty activities that are captured by your conduct policies - and subject to your complaint process - and behaviours away from the sport environment that fall outside the scope of these policies?…

Published on April 13, 2023

We need to name it to tame it. Our words shape our worlds. What got us here, isn’t what we need to get us to where we want to go.

Sport is in transition. And with transition comes loss.…

Published on February 16, 2023.

Money. Medals. Morals. A new triple bottom line to measure success in sport.

In a keynote last year, I was asked to present on Management by Values, the research I completed in 2010 for my master’s thesis that examined how well values were being lived in National Sport Organizations.…

Published on February 2, 2023.

Hope. The one thing that can change everything.  

A year ago we shared Hope on the Horizon by offering our views on the many ways sport leaders could intentionally manage through the mammoth amount of change, including the aftermath of the pandemic. …

If we want to make sport better, we need to know better.

After completing hundreds of governance presentations over the past 30 years, one of the most common comments we hear from volunteers is “we didn't sign up for this". “This” being a placeholder for managing risks, navigating crises, and dealing with low trust.…

Published on October 14, 2022.
Read part 1 and part 2 of this conversation now.

Sometimes leading means leaving.

It may feel counter-intuitive but read on if you are curious about where I'm going with this blog.

It's sad for those of us who have served in a sector we all care so deeply about, to see leaders become entrenched and defensive when what is needed is to be open, humble, and courageous.…

Published on October 6, 2022

Last month I wrote about how humans try to organize complexity into nice little boxes. Dealing with challenges, maltreatment, conflict, the pandemic, increasing scrutiny and low levels of trust requires a quality of leadership that embraces the murky waters sport is swimming in.…

As a long-time passionate advocate for healthy, human sport, I have made a conscious decision to focus on hope-filled solutions to counter so much of the negative and depleted narrative that is dominating the national sport scene of late. For decades I spoke about how sport needed a system overhaul and far too often, these comments and invitations were met with raised eyebrows.…

I have just completed a weeklong integration learning session with Coaches Rising – a global community of professional coaches who believe that the work we do can transform lives, build resilient communities, and evolve the consciousness of humanity.

As a professional with 30 years of experience working in high-performance sport, I have come to know a thing or two about the impact that coaches can have on a single human being and on a country.…

Published on August 11, 2022

Justice delayed is justice denied. But exactly how long is too long?

Sport organizations are frequently required to manage administrative processes, from team selections to the evaluations of officials to overseeing Code of Conduct and disciplinary proceedings.…

For the past decade, the team at Sport Law has sometimes felt alone on an island, speaking about humanistic and values-based approaches to leading, competing, and coaching in sport. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of connecting with hundreds of thoughtful, caring, and committed leaders who believe in a better way for sport.…

Published on June 24, 2022

“Our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” This quote from author and researcher Brené Brown sums up how I feel about forging more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming environments where people feel free to show up as they are, on behalf of the sport they are so passionate about.…

Published on May 31, 2022

This blog is Part 3 of our ongoing virtual meeting roadshow, where we share our learnings and interesting moments from the hosting of online member meetings.  You can also read Part 1 and Part 2 in our blog archives.…

Published on May 25, 2022

The Rolodex. Fax machines. The watercooler.

Icons and increasingly relics of ‘the office’ that are no longer relevant in the modern workplace. Mobile technologies, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops have dissolved the physical and metaphoric walls of the office, allowing us to connect and communicate from anywhere at any time.…

Sport Law has been accompanying sport leaders since 1992, helping them address legal, governance and communications issues. During this time, we listened to the growing needs of leaders who were longing for leadership training opportunities to get ahead of the numerous risks that were keeping them up at night.…

In a widely anticipated decision, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the termination of a 30-year employee for a single incident of misconduct. In Render v. ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Canada) Limited, 2022 ONCA 310, the Appellant (the employee whose employment was terminated) argued that they should not have lost their job for striking their female co-worker’s buttocks.…

Published on March 31, 2022

Anyone else feel that sport is in deep transition?

Everywhere we turn we see organizational leaders being fired or leaving because they are burned out. We witness athletes finding their voices and pushing back against outdated systems and rules.…

Published on March 10, 2022

A challenging issue that sport organizations have navigated in recent months is the implementation of mandatory vaccination policies. While vaccination requirements, along with testing and masking, are key mechanisms to provide a safe return to sport, mandatory vaccination policies are not without their criticisms and legal concerns, particularly for objections based on protected grounds under human rights legislation.  …

Published on February 25, 2022

Overview

Social media use is abundant today, especially as COVID restrictions have moved much of our personal and professional lives online. Many sport organizations have found increased visibility and other benefits from a strong online presence however, missteps in communication using online platforms by employees, board members, coaches, and athletes can have significant negative implications.…

Published on January 27, 2022

Part of our commitment to elevate sport is providing accessible information and practical guidance to the Canadian sport community, including clarifying frequently used terms. Given the potential for confusion regarding the different ways to manage conflict, maltreatment, and complaints in sport and how we can address deficiencies that cause or contribute to these issues, it is always helpful to be mindful of the terms being used.…

Published on January 25, 2022

Last year I delivered a dozen keynotes on the state of sport and what we believe is needed to better meet the needs of the 21st-century athlete, coach, administrator and volunteer. The dominant theme across all conversations is “What got us here won’t get us to where we want to be.”…

Published January 19, 2022

I Thought YOU Were Doing That

You’ve probably seen it before. Lofty goals and program objectives are listed in a strategic plan, but just don’t seem to be met over time. Who was responsible? Well, no one really knows because the roles and responsibilities were never really defined.…

Published January 12, 2022

As we turn our tired hearts to 2022, the team members at Sport Law are here to support sport leaders, coaches, athletes, and volunteers through the pandemic. This blog highlights some of the strategic issues we are monitoring in 2022 – our hope is that it serves our clients as they prepare for the year ahead.…

Published December 14, 2021

Having just completed the 4^th Sport Leaders Retreat, Sport Law is accompanying a group of technical leaders on what will be our 5^th Quest in a few weeks. These leadership journeys take us up a metaphorical mountain that is filled with new discoveries.…

Published November 12, 2021

As a femtor, I have made a commitment to say ‘yes’ when I get asked to have a conversation with an emerging sport leader or an athlete. It’s one way that I can ‘give back' and more importantly, fulfill my deep-seeded desire to support others.…

Published November 9, 2021

Since the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, we have all shifted to a new virtual reality. When we posted our initial blog about hosting your AGM amidst COVID-19 and when we acquired a subscription to the Simply Voting platform to support sport organizations, the rationale was that this virtual reality would be somewhat temporary. …

Published October 29, 2021

The Virtual Sport Leaders Retreat: Sport Coaches and Technical Leadership Edition was inspired by the lessons learned from the Sport Leaders Retreat – a leadership experience that was launched by Sport Law Partner Dina Bell-Laroche in collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.…

Published October 19, 2021

A few months ago, we paid homage to the great Phil Collins in our blog on generative tension which explored the natural tension that arises when two or more people work together towards a common cause. Relationships, left unattended, can quickly sour which can create all kinds of unnecessary conflict and can sometimes, more so these days, result in complaints around maltreatment.  …

Published October 5, 2021

November 3, 2021 – Sport Law is excited to launch a new virtual offering to support grief and loss literacy for caring leaders in and outside of sport. The virtual workshop has been designed to create a safe and enriching learning environment for people who want to better understand the impact of unreconciled grief, how to support self and others through life transitions, explore myths related to grief and loss, and increase capacity to more skillfully accompany people who are grieving.…

Published September 30, 2021

As we gradually return to organized activities, many Sport Organizations are looking to update their COVID protocols for their employees, volunteers, participants, and spectators. A key issue is whether to introduce a mandatory vaccination requirement into return to play protocols as well as workplace health and safety policies.  …

Published September 29, 2021

September 29, 2021 – (Ottawa) Sport Law is committed to serving sport organizations in their desire to fulfill their mission and live their values. To support our clients in managing through turbulent times, we are delighted to announce the arrival of five new team members, whose knowledge, experience and commitment will fuel our commitment to elevate sport.…

Published September 25, 2021

Written by: John Gobin

In our continuing series of blog posts on the ONCA, this post will focus on the implementation of the Act, new amendments to the legislation, what this means for Ontario sport organizations and what they have to do, and the relevant timelines for these actions.…

Published September 1, 2021

I was in a conversation with a client recently and they remarked how they were exhausted all the time and were struggling to recharge their depleted batteries. I asked them what felt like a simple question … ‘what might it feel like if you just let things be for a bit?’…

Published August 25, 2021

By: Will Russell

I am very excited to be joining Sport Law and contributing to the continued success of the group as well as the Sport Organizations that we assist.  

Writing this post gave me the chance to contemplate the role of sport in my life.…

Published July 29, 2021

This blog is dedicated to the care professionals … the ones who go the extra mile, who put the needs of others before their own, who feel compelled to do whatever it takes to help others achieve their full potential.…

Published July 12, 2021

When we are bereaved, we feel ‘torn apart’. Words that often accompany our losses, both death and non-death related include ‘gutted, heartbroken, empty, dead inside, devastated, shocked.’ You won’t hear someone suffering through a loss speaking to the ‘gift of the experience’ or ‘grateful that this has happened because it’s made me a better person.’…

Published June 30, 2021

June 30, 2021 – Sport Law is pleased to announce that seven members of our team are now certified in the use of the NOVA Profile, a psychometric tool that supports increased self-awareness, greater team synergy, and enhanced communications. …

Published June 17, 2021

It feels like Phil Collins understands a thing or two about tension. It is not widely known that arguably his best solo song, “In the Air Tonight,” was written during the grief he felt after divorcing his first wife. He shared in an interview that he wrote the lyrics spontaneously and while he can’t clearly articulate what the song is about, there’s a lot of anger, despair and frustration that reflects the anguish he was feeling at the time.  …

Published June 10, 2021

‘What got us here, won’t get us there.’ That seems to be the prevailing sentiment when I sit down with leaders to figure out how we are going to resolve some of the sticker issues sport is facing.…

Published June 1, 2021

Ottawa – June 2, 2021 –Getting to simple requires such hard work. After almost a year of soul searching, working with our branding partner Godzspeed, engaging our team members, and updating our website to ensure our vast library of curated content was preserved, we are deeply proud to unveil our new brand.…

Published May 27, 2021

May 26, 2021 – Sport Law is excited to launch a new virtual offering to support grief and loss literacy for coaches, athletes, sport administrators, and other caring leaders. The virtual workshop has been designed to create a safe and enriching learning environment for people who want to better understand the impact of unreconciled grief, how to support self and others through life transitions, explore myths related to grief and loss, and increase capacity to more skillfully accompany people who are grieving.…

Published May 18, 2021

Ottawa, May 18, 2021 - Sport Law is responding to the sport community’s need for leadership development training that is customized, sport specific, and supported by leading-edge human development approaches. Since 2017, the SLSG and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) have collaborated to offer the Sport Leaders Retreat, an annual 3-day leadership boot camp that has supported nearly 30 sport leaders in their leadership development.…

Published April 27, 2021

Who am I to grieve?

This question has surfaced over and over while hosting facilitated conversations with athletes, coaches, sport leaders, and others.

My response … who are you not to?

Meeting people’s question with a question often leads to frustration … but in this case, the look of relief that washes over their faces speaks a thousand words.…

Published April 5, 2021

Saying goodbye is hard.

Have you noticed that sport leaders are really good at taking on new challenges, initiating things, and managing by objectives? I think it’s fair to say we are less effective in the art of conscious completion.…

Published March 26, 2021

March 26, 2021 –The SLSG believes in bringing members of the sport community together through our monthly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share”, spending an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on governance, employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, equity, diversity and inclusion and other matters including managing through COVID-19.…

Published March 2, 2021

February 24, 2021 –The SLSG believes in bringing members of the sport community together through our monthly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share”, spending an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, equity, diversity and inclusion and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published February 25, 2021

By: Melissa Knox

I need to make my own t-shirt that reads, “Black History Is Every Month.”  February, the shortest month of the year.  Just when you start to gain momentum, the month is already almost over!…

Published February 9, 2021

As someone who likes to explore novel ideas or find innovative ways to spark conversation within the sport sector, I am offering up this blog to describe the importance of intentionality. I believe this to be so true in many realms, but even more so when it comes to language.…

Published January 21, 2021

The SLSG believes in bringing members of the sport community together through our monthly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share”, spending an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, equity, diversity and inclusion and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published January 14, 2021

Written by: Dina Bell-Laroche

As we enter into 2021, the invitation is to explore the hidden depths of our souls such as we can show up fully as compassionate, skillful and heart-centered leaders. Rather than running away from what scares us, what if we cultivated a quality of presence that had us turning towards it with curiosity and acceptance.…

Published December 31, 2020

Written by: Dina Bell-Laroche

As we look ahead to 2021, we might find ourselves feeling a mixture of emotions … fear, sadness, happiness, anger, disgust, or surprise – the six basic universal emotions that psychologist Paul Eckman identified back in the 1970s.…

Published December 22, 2020

By: Stephanie Potter

Sport has played such a significant role in my life, and I am beyond thrilled to have joined the SLSG so that I can support sport leaders through my Integral Coaching work. As a young person growing up, sport offered me community, safety (in the form of predictable rules!),…

Published December 17, 2020

 The SLSG believes in bringing members of the sport community together through our monthly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share”, spending an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, equity, diversity and inclusion and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published December 8, 2020

In his poignant essay on the deep sadness he experienced after the death of his cherished wife Joy Davidman, author C.S. Lewis acknowledged that he was surprised to find that death felt so much like fear. It is this line that inspired me to write this blog.…

Published November 25, 2020

Recently, we’re been asked to join virtual AGMs, town halls, and other gatherings to stimulate discussion, challenge outdated mindsets, and open hearts to new possibilities. What started as an invitation by one CEO to join her group in a discussion around the limiting forces that are keeping her organization stuck, has morphed into an invitation to re-imagining what might be possible if the sport sector came together to explore better ways to govern.…

Published November 13, 2020

Paper Waivers vs. Electronic Waivers

Have we finally gone paperless on this issue? In these unprecedented times, the paper waiver is being ushered ever further out the door. Pre-pandemic, many organizations were already on the paperless route.…

Published November 3, 2020

November 3, 2020 –The SLSG believes in bringing members of the sports community together through our monthly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share”, spending an hour with sports leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, equity, diversity and inclusion and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published October 14, 2020

By Dina Bell-Laroche

Over the past several decades societies have endeavored, some more than others, to challenge and address injustices including racism, inequity, and exclusionary practices, primarily through legal action and awareness-raising activities. The idea of ‘cultural competence’ enhances this work because it takes conscious action to the next level.…

Published September 21, 2020

September 21, 2020 – The SLSG is pleased to announce that we will be working with Queen’s University’s Athletics & Recreation on a department review. This will involve auditing current policies and practices, reviewing the department’s governance and operations, engaging student-athletes, Athletic & Recreation department staff, coaches and other stakeholders through various methods, and comparing findings against expected standards and leading practices.…

Published September 10, 2020

In preparing for an upcoming project that focuses on leadership, current safe sport practices, and management by values, I read Scaling Leadership by R. Anderson and W. Adams. The authors have spent their life’s work developing tools that are scientifically validated and that support a more humanistic approach to managing people.…

Published September 9, 2020

September 9, 2020 – After an intentional pause to recharge, SLSG Partners have relaunched our monthly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” to bring insight and deepen connections with sport leaders across the country. During COVID-19, the SLSG hosted 15 weekly interactive sessions, attracting dozens of leaders from all levels of sport, to discuss latest information, legal requirements, and human factors.…

Published September 1, 2020

Through our work, we have received hundreds of messages and calls from sport leaders across the country expressing their longing for a different way. This blog aims to shine a spotlight on the pain and suffering we witness when supporting sport organizations through difficult times and offers a few practical tips to create more time and space to allow for a more sustainable and meaningful future.…

Published August 26, 2020

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is pleased to share several updates that reflect our commitment to bringing strategic insight and exceptional services to the Canadian Sport sector since 1992.  We are delighted to announce the arrival of two new members to our team whose knowledge and skills will support the growing need by our clients for equity, diversity and inclusion expertise and for integral sport coaching to support holistic leadership development.…

Published August 25, 2020

I am incredibly excited to be joining the SLSG team and I look forward to connecting with so many of you in the near future.  With Fall around the corner, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on the past few months, re-energize, and prepare both mentally and physically to face September head on, mask and all.…

Published July 1, 2020

The Sport Law & Strategy Group is pleased to announce that lawyer Michelle Kropp has joined our existing team of eleven professionals located across the country working to provide exceptional sport management services to our clients.

As a former board member of a sport club and current professional advisor to various sport organizations, Michelle is familiar with the unique challenges they encounter.…

Published July 1, 2020

As the newest member of the SLSG, I am very excited to be joining a group of professional, dedicated, and knowledgeable sport consultants. I began my career in a full-service firm in Toronto, where I was fortunately exposed to various types of law.…

Published June 29, 2020

Since posting our earlier blogs about hosting your AGM amidst COVID-19 and SLSG’s  Simply Voting subscription to support sport organizations, the response from the sport community for virtual meeting support has kept us on the ‘virtual’ move. …

Published June 25, 2020

The SLSG has been hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” spending an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published June 23, 2020

Throughout the pandemic, the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) has been supporting sport organizations in their Return to Sport plans by ensuring they are meeting legal and public health requirements. In response to the growing need to support leaders, coaches and athletes as they Return to Sport, the SLSG’s Integral Coaches are trained and certified to accompany people as they look to navigate some of the complexities associated with re-entry.…

Published June 4, 2020

The SLSG is cotinuing to host its weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published June 3, 2020

In a pre-COVID-19 world, most of our clients did not know what the word ZOOM meant. Now it’s a verb as in “I’m zoomed out.” (Note: We don’t mean to pick on Zoom … we are using it here as a placeholder for any visual platform.)…

Published May 31, 2020

The SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published May 28, 2020

For more than 25 years the SLSG has been committed to providing current and relevant information to the Canadian sport community to help better manage the complexities facing sport today. COVID-19 is no exception. The pandemic has had a significant impact on the world at large and on the world of sport.…

Published April 28, 2020

In 2018 I became certified in using the EQ-i and the EQ 360 psychometric assessment tools that support a deepened understanding of how emotions influence the way we perceive and express ourselves, maintain relationships, and cope with challenge.…

Published May 20, 2020

What if one of your participants exposes another participant to COVID-19? And that participant blames you?

We strongly recommend that sport organizations update their waivers and forms before permitting individuals to participate in the organization’s activities. This blogpost explains why.…

Published May 19, 2020

Strategic planning is one of the ways sport leaders can minimize uncertainty, create a galvanizing vision to rally the troops, express shared values that reflect a higher purpose, and set priorities of the most important goals the organization wants to achieve on behalf of its members and its membership.…

Published May 19, 2020

As this is a rapidly changing environment, the information contained in this summary document may not be the most up to date and we have used best efforts to provide the most accurate information available at the time of writing. …

Published May 14, 2020

The SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published May 12, 2020

I listened to author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek speak unedited to his team recently and he asked a powerful question: “What will we become?” This question immediately shifts energy, creating an upward spiral of positivity and possibility.…

Published May 7, 2020

The SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published May 6, 2020

COVID-19 has changed how we communicate. Face-to-face conversations are restricted. Conferences and annual meetings have moved to virtual spaces. Coaches and athletes are struggling to stay connected with each other.

In this uncertainty, different approaches have emerged that attempt to balance progressive attitudes to communication with the safety and privacy of individuals and minors.…

Published May 4, 2020

The SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published May 4, 2020

As I wrote about earlier this week, helping others and expressing empathy releases the 'feel good' emotions that we need to thrive. Some of you might be wondering how talking about what scares us ... what makes us sad ...…

Published April 26, 2020

I recently read a great opinion piece in the Globe and Mail on how altruism can help people overcome what appear to be insurmountable challenges. The author compares two different shipwrecked crews and how the one that shared food, nurtured sick members, were cooperative and caring, fared better “than those whose ethos was every man for himself.” …

Published April 23, 2020

The SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published April 21, 2020

As the world continues to adjust to the “new normal” under COVID-19, sport leaders have been considering how best to encourage safe training environments for athletes and coaches. We appreciate that while sport organizations have been focusing on implementing  safe sport strategies to ensure they are meeting public and funding expectations, they are now faced with an increasingly volatile environment which may have shifted certain priorities.…

Published April 16, 2020

The SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published April 14, 2020

The SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” where we spend an hour with sport leaders from across the country sharing information and responding to questions on employment, insurance, leadership, financial management, grief management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published April 9, 2020

Earlier this week we blogged about the support that SLSG can provide for your meetings, as well as the latest federal and provincial updates on annual meetings. In our blog we shared that SLSG was investigating a potential subscription with the online voting platform Simply Voting, to assist sport organizations in properly conducting elections and voting on meeting motions in an electronic setting.…

Published April 8, 2020

These are uncertain times. We are faced with unprecedented complexity and a rapidly changing crisis. Some can adapt and focus on the positive. Others are barely managing. Clearly the pandemic is rocking our world. Yet amid it all, I am witnessing acts of kindness and compassion that can serve to disrupt the downward spiral of despair.…

Published April 6, 2020

Due to COVID-19, many organizations who have regularly hosted their annual general meeting (AGM) over the next few months now face uncertainty as to when they may do so in person. Although many sport leaders are adapting to the ban on public gatherings and utilizing technology to hold virtual and electronic meetings, there is still a great deal of uncertainty around what is considered to be a legal and constitutional AGM, and/or how to effectively host virtual AGMs and other member meetings.…

Published April 2, 2020

Considering current world events, the SLSG is hosting weekly “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” and spent an hour sharing information and responding to questions from over 45 sport leaders on employment, employment insurance, leadership, financial management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published March 26, 2020

As this is a rapidly changing environment, the information contained in this summary document may not be the most up to date and we have used best efforts to provide the most accurate information available at the time of writing. …

Published March 26, 2020

In her beautiful poem that has been shared across the globe, Kitty O’Meara’s “And the people stayed home” has struck a chord with all those affected by COVID-19. As I reflected on the impact of her words, it felt like she was connecting to our deep desire for more time.…

Published March 23, 2020

Considering current world events, the SLSG moved up the launch of “Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share” and yesterday spent an hour sharing information and responding to questions from over 60 sport leaders on employment, employment insurance, leadership, financial management, and other matters related to managing through COVID-19.…

Published March 20, 2020

In light of current world events, the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) has updated the launch of Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share! online sessions to support sport leaders during COVID-19. Our intention is to give back to the sport community that we have been serving since 1992 by sharing real time advice on what sport leaders can do to manage and lead during this world event.…

Published March 17, 2020

As a caring and values-based company, the SLSG has been working alongside its sport community partners over the past several weeks to minimize risks related to postponing, cancelling or continuing with business activities. We empathize with administrators, volunteers, coaches and athletes who have had to cancel events.…

Published March 12, 2020

We recently published a blog on what organizations can do to mitigate travel related risks. As more and more events are being cancelled, we offer these words to help support sport leaders in making informed and science-based decisions that align with your mission and values.…

Published March 9, 2020

The impact of COVID-19 on sport is becoming increasingly worrisome and it has become THE story in 2020. Multiple world championship and Olympic qualification events, such as the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships, the Women's Water Polo Olympic Games Qualification Tournament, the Alpine Ski World Cup Finals, and the Women’s World Hockey Championships in Nova Scotia, have already been canceled or postponed and more will likely be announced soon.…

Published March 2, 2020

Since 2014, the SLSG has been providing Integral Coaching™  services to a growing number of clients. This blog serves to demystify the services we provide and to educate the sport community on some of the exciting ways the SLSG is supporting our clients in their leadership development.…

Published February 25, 2020

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) believes in giving back to the sport community that we have been serving since 1992. Last year we launched a survey among our clients to find out what you needed more of and we are proud to share that we are listening.…

Published February 18, 2020

Increasingly we are looking at proactive approaches to help our clients prevent the issues that are keeping them up at night. One of the simplest ways to minimize interpersonal tensions is to be intentional about the conversations we are having, or not having, with each other.…

Published February 12, 2020

We are increasingly being asked for help to identify, vet, and select prospective employees, vendors and higher-level volunteers (like nominees for a Board of Directors) through a request-for-proposal (“RFP”) process and/or by other recruitment efforts. This blog is about sharing some of our practices so that sport leaders can benefit from our experience.…

Published January 26, 2020

Last year I blogged about the importance of preparing for team travel risks when travelling outside of Canada for competitions and training camps. I also co-hosted a webinar on this topic with my colleague Dina Bell-Laroche. When we polled participating sport leaders on the webinar to indicate their level of effectiveness in planning for team travel risks, 83% of participants felt that they were somewhat effective and still had room to improve, while 17% shared that they were not effective at all.…

Published January 20, 2020

As we look back on the last decade, I can’t help but recognize the significant shifts in the sport sector. As someone who has been working, volunteering, and consulting in sport since 1991, I have also noticed that leaders are more depleted and overwhelmed than ever.…

Published January 15, 2020

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) are proud to collaborate on the annual Sport Leaders Retreat, an innovative leadership development program to support sport leaders from across the country, and across all sports, to lead with values.…

Published December 10, 2019

It struck me recently that we are masterful at initiating things as sport leaders, athletes, and coaches. We are forever looking to climb the next mountain and even as we reach our peak, we are already seeking the thrill of what’s next.…

Published December 9, 2019

Parliamentary Workshop for Sport Leaders - Monday, January 20th from 9am-4pm at the House of Sport

After delivering their most recent webinar on Managing Meeting Challenges and Demystifying Parliamentary Procedure, Kathy Hare and Jason Robinson are bringing their expertise as certified Parliamentarians to Ottawa by offering a Parliamentary Workshop for Sport Leaders.…

Published December 3, 2019

A few weeks ago, I published Part 1 of Stewarding Conflict to explain different ways that people hold conflict. Our lawyers at SLSG are experienced at addressing conflict through the 'legal' lens by using policies and formal and informal dispute resolution techniques.…

Published December 3, 2019

Dina Bell-Laroche facilitated a 3 day Sport Leaders Retreat with 10 sport stewards from across the country and from 10 different sport. Together, they discovered new ways to lead from a place of values, vulnerability, and compassion.…

Published November 27, 2019

This blog is about working through conflict in a deliberate and purposeful way. The word conflict derives from the Latin word conflictus which means to ‘strike together’. This ‘striking together’ has had me thinking differently about one of the most frequent reasons people call the SLSG.…

Published November 26, 2019

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is a team of 11 professionals working exclusively in the Canadian sport sector helping sport organizations be the best they can be! Since 1992, we have served as a one stop shop for organizations, providing a full range of sport management services and solutions to hundreds of sport organizations from coast to coast and across all levels of sport.…

Published November 5, 2019

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is inviting sport leaders from across the country to take a few minutes to let us know what you think through our SLSG Client Feedback Survey. We believe in putting our values into action by inviting sport leaders to share their thoughts on what we can do to improve and empower organizations to create safe and thriving sport environments across Canada.…

Published October 30, 2019

Last weekend I hosted the first Leading with Values Retreat for female leaders in partnership with Sport PEI. Their executive director Gemma Koughan had attended the Sport Leaders Retreat last November and was so inspired that she decided to collaborate with the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) to offer a leadership experience for females in her province.…

Published October 16, 2019

As I begin my new chapter with the Sport Law and Strategy Group (SLSG) as a leadership coach and consultant, I am reflecting on my time in sport.  So much of who I am today I attribute to my experiences as a competitive rhythmic gymnast and later as a national team coach.…

Published October 16, 2019

The Sport Law & Strategy Group is pleased to announce that former national team rhythmic gymnast and national team coach Lauren Brett, has joined our team as an Associate. Lauren is a professionally certified coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and has led one of Canada’s most successful performing arts colleges for almost two decades.…

Published October 7, 2019

Earlier this year I completed an eight-month coaching journey that completely transformed my coaching practice. As an Integral Master Coach^TM, I have been longing to support sport leaders in their leadership development journeys and have been working since 2014 to offer an exciting menu of personal growth experiences including offering the Nova Profile, hosting the Enneagram workshop, partnering with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport in offering the Sport Leaders Retreat, and so much more.…

Published September 16, 2019

The Sport Law & Strategy Group is pleased to announce that one of our associates, Jason Robinson, has successfully passed the exam to become a Certified Parliamentarian with the American Institute of Parliamentarians (AIP).  The AIP is a not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1958 for the advancement of parliamentary procedure.…

Published July 24, 2019

As part of its commitment to create a high performing, safe and respectful environment for high performance athletes and coaches, Wrestling Canada (WCL) was inspired to look beyond the compliance requirements to map out an innovative way forward that reflected its core values of respect, excellence, integrity and passion.…

Published July 15, 2019

I have been writing about governance gremlins and outdated sport systems over the past year and my hope with this blog is to share some of the highlights from an inspiring conversation with the CEO of the National Golf Owners Association Canada (NGCOA) Jeff Calderwood.…

Published July 4, 2019

Over the past 27 years, the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) has written hundreds of articles on topics related to the law, planning, leadership, and governance. Some of our articles have pushed boundaries and buttons. Our intention is always to serve in the best interest of the sport community.…

Published June 20, 2019

This blog was written to share what I’ve come to learn about grieving (internal response to loss) and mourning (shared experience of loss or grief gone public) . I’m currently travelling towards Canmore, Alberta to facilitate a workshop on risk management and I’ve always found something powerfully healing about the mountain air; it offers me a fresh perspective on topics that have me weighted down and almost always renews my hope for what might be possible.…

Published May 27, 2019

The Whitecaps FC announced today that the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) has been retained as the independent third party to conduct a thorough review of the Club’s current and past safe sport policies and procedures, and its management of those policies, to ensure the Club can learn from leading practices to best manage its national, provincial and local programs.…

Published May 22, 2019

By LJ Bartle and Tia Wintre

Two years ago, we made one of those big life decisions to leave an organization we both cared about deeply.  As leaders of HIGH FIVE, a national quality standard for sport and recreation, we both felt pulled to work differently, while still trying to make a difference in a sector we both loved.…

Published May 7, 2019

Of late, I have been reflecting on the state of sport and our collective desire to ensure it supports a holistic, healthy and safe experience for participants. As a result, I have found myself gravitating to podcasts, literature and essays that are expanding my worldview and having me question … well pretty much everything.…

Published March 26, 2019

Given the current landscape of sport, we have been spending a lot of time reflecting on the topic of trust. Without a doubt, trust is one of the most essential ingredients in the nurturing of healthy relationships.…

Published February 21, 2019

In the wake of a public dialogue on abuse in sport, I was reminded of the Latin phrase “primum nil nocere” which means “first, to do no harm” or the principle of non-maleficence. The Hippocratic Oath, named after the father of medicine in Western culture, is an ancient tribute to the Greek Gods that requires a new physician to swear, before the healing gods, to uphold specific ethical standards.…

Published February 20, 2019

Never has it been more important for sport leaders to understand the management of complaints. Having recently launched its Sport Management Series 2.0 to support sport leaders in accessing relevant and timely information on a range of sport management topics, the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is pleased to offer So you’ve still got a complaint e-book outlining leading practices in navigating the complaint management process from start to finish.…

Published February 13, 2019

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is proud to announce that it is continuing its commitment to give back to the sport community by offering pro-bono consulting services to Spirit North, an organization committed to improving the health and well-being of Indigenous children and youth through the transformative power of sport and play.…

Published February 8, 2019

In SIRC's recent blog, Investing in Leaders is Smart Risk Management Strategy, Sport Leaders Retreat facilitator and the Sport Law and Strategy Group's (SLSG) Partner Dina Bell-Laroche shares her insight from previous participants about their experiences at the Sport Leaders Retreat.…

Published January 29, 2019

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is pleased to announce the launching of its Sport Management Series 2.0 which is now available via e-book on the SLSG Website. We are featuring one of our most popular books from SLSG Partner, Dina Bell-Laroche, whose book on Managing by Values ‘Values in Action: igniting passion and purpose in sport organizations” is more relevant today than ever-before.…

Published January 29, 2019

In this blogpost we overview five pieces of new or upcoming Ontario legislation and discuss how they may impact your sport organization. There are also important new reporting obligations under the Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”), which is federal legislation, and those obligations are highlighted at the end of the post.…

Published January 16, 2019

Since 2007, I have had the privilege to facilitate enterprise risk management workshops (ERM) with 56 National, Multi-Sport, Provincial/Territorial and Community Sport Organizations. In collaboration with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and funded by Sport Canada, the findings from a comprehensive evaluation conducted through an academic partnership with the Centre for Sport Capacity at Brock University have proven that risk management can strengthen the effectiveness of decision-making among individuals, their organization, and the sport system at large.…

Published January 15, 2019

We are pleased to provide  Values-in-Action: Igniting Passion and Purpose in Sport Organizations in an e-book format so that more sport leaders can benefit from the valuable and practical insights and tools provided by long-time sport consultant Dina Bell-Laroche.…

Published January 15, 2019

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) are offering the Sport Leaders Retreat to help sport leaders from provincial/territorial, national and multi-sport organizations enhance their leadership skills. The retreat includes the Nova Profile personality assessment, two coaching conversations, and a 2.5-day retreat. …

Published December 20, 2018

As an Integral Master Coach(TM), I am required to engage in meaningful practices to continuously hone my capacity to be in service of others. An additional benefit is that I am part of a generous community of world-leading coaches who are committed to sharing – it’s a gift that keeps on giving.…

Published December 20, 2018

We last wrote about Criminal Record Checks – a Discussion for Every Sport Organization in January 2016 and its time to update our knowledge in this area. This blogpost will review the new Ontario Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015, discuss some national best practices with regard to criminal record checks in different jurisdictions, and address whether minors can be asked to obtain a criminal record check.…

Published December 11, 2018

At the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG), one of our core values is professional integrity – acting fairly, ethically and with compassion. One way of ensuring that a high-trust relationship with clients is maintained is to ensure there is shared understanding of deliverables, costs, and timelines.…

Published December 3, 2018

Over the past year, I’ve worked with several organizations on the topic of safety – helping them manage through crisis and supporting them through the healing process. Through my work, I discovered that the performing arts are turning to intimacy coaches for support.…

Published November 4, 2018

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is pleased to announce that LJ Bartle and Tia Wintre, two experts in the areas of quality assurance, healthy human development, and community sport, have joined our team as Associates.…

Published November 4, 2018

By Tia Wintre and LJ Bartle

In life, people want to shape their experiences and feel empowered to be part of the decision-making process. It makes people happy to feel connected, appreciated and valued - leading to a healthier way of being.…

Published October 29, 2018

Over the past number of months, I have been working with several clients to realign their financial management systems, bring their daily financial management in-house, and conduct exhaustive reviews of their financial data.  It has been an interesting and challenging time to say the least.…

Published October 16, 2018

With cannabis becoming legal on October 17th, many sport organizations have been asking themselves the following questions:

• What do we have to know?
• Is it the same for every province/territory?
• What about medicinal marijuana?
• Is marijuana use considered ‘doping’?

Published October 10, 2018

I have written numerous blogs on methods to advance the governance and leadership of Canadian sport. I, along with my colleagues at the Sport Law & Strategy Group, host hundreds of workshops, presentations, and webinars in boardrooms across the country and we feel privileged to do so.…

Published October 4, 2018

The number of travel policy related requests and questions has increased at the SLSG in recent months, and the importance of preparing for international team travel feels greater than ever.  Canadian sport organizations want to know how they can mitigate their risk for teams or delegations that are travelling outside of Canada for events and training camps.…

Published October 2, 2018

Dina Bell-Laroche will host a feature webinar for CAAWS on October 31st at noon.

The webinar is titled 'Directing Change: Towards Gender Equitable Sport Boards' and includes content from the new CAAWS resource 'Guide to Creating Gender Equitable Boards', which was authored by Dina.…

Published September 24, 2018

My partner (and friend) Steve Indig is an avid basketball fan and sent me the link to the Silver Memo, which highlights the NBA Commissioner’s recent direction to "strongly" encourage all 30 teams to increase the number of women in their organizations, including in leadership roles.…

Published August 7, 2018

A problematic issue has emerged in some sport dispute cases in the #metoo aftermath. We are sharing this blogpost to remind sport leaders that every individual’s fundamental legal rights must be protected and that sport organizations must respect their legal duties and obligations.…

Published July 6, 2018

The Sport Law & Strategy Group and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) are again offering a Sport Leaders Retreat to help sport executives from provincial, national and multi-sport organizations enhance their leadership skills. The program includes a Nova Profile personality assessment, two coaching conversations, and a two-day retreat that runs November 27-29 at a retreat-style venue in the Ottawa area.…

Published July 3, 2018

I recently completed a project for Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA) related to their existing National Training Centres (NTC) and the development of a long-term NTC strategy. The executive summary report from the project can be found here.…

Published June 20, 2018

There comes a time in your life when you are faced with a moral dilemma. In those moments, you might question your purpose; asking yourself “Why am I here? No really, why am I here?” Over my 26 years of working in, and on behalf of the sport sector, I have increasingly become more thoughtful as I question my own purpose and contribution to a sector we all feel passionate about.…

Published June 7, 2018

Dispute resolution and abuse in sport are intersecting issues that can be addressed by policies (the current approach) or by an independent dispute resolution officer (an exciting new approach).

The new “Commissioner’s Office” may be a good fit for your sport organization.…

Published May 29, 2018

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) has recently joined the House of Sport to better connect with and serve members of Canada’s sport community. The Sport Law & Strategy Group has been providing consulting services for the past 25 years to hundreds of Canadian national, provincial and community sport organizations and is thrilled to be working alongside sport leaders for the first time in its history.…

Published May 29, 2018

The Sport Law & Strategy Group is pleased to announce that lawyer Adam Klevinas has joined our team as an associate. Adam, a former national team paddler, was a widely respected lawyer with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), serving as one of the organization’s in-house legal counsels on a variety of anti-doping matters for nearly four years.…

Published May 28, 2018

When I won my first case as a lawyer, I remember proudly announcing it to my then Director General. He immediately shot back with a question that would forever change my approach to law.

He asked: “Was justice done?”…

Published April 17, 2018

A few years back I wrote about emotional intelligence (EI) in the context of leadership and shared ways that sport leaders can enhance their EI.

My interest in EI has continued to grow over the past few years as I expand my integral coaching practice and support clients who are keen to grow and expand their leadership capacity.…

Published April 11, 2018

*This post was revised and updated on June 13th, 2018

The Ontario government recently passed ‘Rowan’s Law’, which is concussion management legislation that will affect every sport organization in Ontario. Importantly, however, although the law has received royal assent and one section has been proclaimed, the regulations have not yet been passed.…

Published April 11, 2018

The SLSG believes that consistent, ongoing professional development can help us better serve the needs of our clients. To that end, we wanted to share our efforts over the past year that we hope will be helpful to you.…

Published March 27, 2018

Increasingly I’ve been tempted to answer my phone with “You’ve got a crisis, how can I help?” As a result of helping sport organizations better manage the “things that are keeping you up at night” through the Risk Management Project we’ve been partnering on with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport for over a decade, I’ve written this blog to share what I’ve come to know about managing crisis proactively.…

Published February 27, 2018

Once again, we are pleased to share our analysis of the Medals Index for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. We know Canada won a record 29 medals, coming 3rd in total medals behind Norway (with 39) and Germany (with 31) and ahead of USA (with 23) and Netherlands (with 20).…

Published February 22, 2018

The increase to the Ontario minimum wage was not the only important employment-related change that has recently come into effect. Improved worker protections, changes to employment standards, and mandatory employee benefits also became law. Every sport organization with employees in Ontario will need to review their human resources policies and potentially make changes to their employment agreements in order to comply with the changes to the legislation.…

Published February 13, 2018

The SLSG is hosting a special professional development workshop for sport leaders on March 6th from 9am to 4pm in Toronto.

The workshop is geared toward PSO Executive Directors, Senior Management, and Board Members.

Led by SLSG partners Steve Indig and Dina Bell-Laroche, the workshop will overview governance issues, legal hot topics, how to manage harassment complaints, cultural transformation, and so much more.…

Published January 26, 2018

The Ontario Not-for-profit Corporations Act (“ONCA”) has been stuck in legislative limbo since 2010 – but there have been recent developments that affect every Ontario not-for-profit corporation.

In November 2017 the Cutting Unnecessary Red Tape Act, 2017 was passed by the Ontario legislature.…

Published January 10, 2018

Dom Chorafakis is the founder and principal technical consultant with Akouto, a cyber security consulting firm. Dom is actively engaged in cybersecurity research and development and has written this blog about how organizations can protect themselves from cyber attacks.…

Published December 18, 2017

My business partner and good friend Steve Indig and I have been dreaming big these days. Fresh off a 25th anniversary which helped us launch a new website, welcome a new associate, and host a gathering in Ottawa to thank our National clients for their trust and business, we met recently to discuss the next big thing.…

Published December 16, 2017

Tyler Matthews was a recent student of mine at Brock University. He completed a Bachelor of Sport Management (Honours) at Brock University and his sport management studies have inspired him to consider pursuing a law degree. To that end, he recently completed an internship with the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. …

Published December 9, 2017

Whether your organization’s year-end is December 31, March 31, or some other time during the year, the annual audit is always a source of stress for organizations. It’s that time of the year when your organization is put under a microscope and tested to ensure its financial affairs are in order.…

Published December 5, 2017

I recently had the pleasure of joining the leadership team for the 2017 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) at its Forward Command Centre prior to the event as well as during the race. The marathon, organized by the Canada Running Series, is Canada’s second largest marathon, host to approximately 25,000 runners and 50,000 spectators annually and it features a 42km marathon, 21km half-marathon, and a 5km run.…

Published November 23, 2017

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) celebrates its 25th anniversary this week and we would like to thank all of our clients, partners, friends, families and associates who have contributed to this important milestone.

Since 1992, the SLSG (formerly known as the Centre for Sport and Law) has provided consulting services to the broad Canadian sport community – local clubs, regional associations, and provincial/territorial and national sport organizations – and we can count over 800 different sport groups as clients over the past twenty-five years.…

Published November 14, 2017

This blog is about two big milestones for me – one to happen in a matter of days and one to happen in about six months. The first milestone is the celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the little consulting partnership that Hilary Findlay and I started in 1992 (our incorporation papers are dated November 25, 1992 to be precise), and the second is my retirement from professional life, as I have known it.…

Published November 2, 2017

This weekend I achieved a personal milestone in spending time with the compassionate and dedicated members of Synchro BC. We weren’t there to do strategic planning, risk management or communications, which have been the bread and butter stuff that I’ve focused on over the past decade.…

Published November 2, 2017

We are pleased to announce that former national team water polo player and certified International Coach Federation (ICF) bilingual coach Rosanna Tomiuk has joined our team as an Associate. Rosanna has an impressive leadership development and coaching background that will respond to the growing needs of National and Multi-Sport Organizations interested in strengthening individual self-awareness, enhancing group dynamics and fostering high performance organizational cultures.…

Published October 31, 2017

I took my first psychometric assessment when I was 19. A psychometric assessment measures psychological characteristics such as personality traits, behavioural styles, cognitive abilities, or motivations. I was excited to learn more about myself and how I could work better with others.…

Published September 8, 2017

This is the second of a two-part blog. Read part one here.

I recently participated in several excellent webinars on the topic of emergency planning, including how the Calgary non-profit sector responded to the southern Alberta floods in 2013, and how the telecommunications company TELUS responded to the same event as well as the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016.…

Published September 1, 2017

This is the first of a two-part blog. Read part two here.

Earlier this year I hosted a webinar on emergency preparedness planning for events and this topic continues to be a hot-button issue for sport leaders.…

Published August 30, 2017

Sport Leaders Program November 29 – December 1, 2017

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the Sport Law & Strategy Group and Coaching for Excellence have launched a new initiative to help support sport executives looking to enhance their leadership skills through the offering of the Sport Leaders Program. …

Published August 1, 2017

The Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) is proud to partner with iS4 soccer legends, to host its next webinar on August 30 from 11:45 AM until 1:00 PM EST, titled Unstoppable: Turning failure into Olympic medals.…

Published July 17, 2017

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is inviting expressions of interest from sport leaders who want to participate in a Management by Values workshop on building advanced ethical decision-making skills.

The workshop is open to Canadian sport organizations leaders who have completed the two-day “Introduction to Risk Management Workshop”.…

Published July 6, 2017

Sport organizations located in Ontario can access thousands of dollars in funding to train and enhance the skills of their employees – and we can help! The Canada-Ontario Job Grant “provides an opportunity for employers to invest in their workforce, with help from the government”[1].…

Published June 8, 2017

I recently became certified in the use of a psychometric self-awareness tool that I believe can have a profound impact on the development of sport leaders. The NOVA Profile is a comprehensive instrument that provides information about behaviours, skills, different psychological characteristics, and personal motivations.…

Published June 6, 2017

Recently I completed a course on parliamentary procedure with the University of Wisconsin and proudly updated my LinkedIn profile to announce my status as a newly minted Parliamentarian and member of the National Association of Parliamentarians. Since then, I have had a number of people comment my LinkedIn post with quizzical expressions asking “So, just what is a Parliamentarian?”…

Published May 10, 2017

In sport, we often talk about physical literacy as “the mastering of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills that permit a child to read their environment and make appropriate decisions, allowing them to move confidently and with control in a wide range of physical activity situations”.…

Published March 28, 2017

The CCES has announced that applications are being accepted for the next round of Risk Management Workshops for NSOs and MSOs. Expressions of interest are due April 21st.

About the Risk Management Project: Since 2007, the SLSG and Brock University have hosted risk management workshops with over 50 national, provincial and community sport organizations.…

Published March 21, 2017

On March 13, 2017, the Ontario government announced a new multiyear funding program to support recognized provincial sport organizations to develop and deliver programs aligned with the priorities of the province’s GAME ON Sport Plan.  The Ontario Amateur Sport Fund.…

Published March 16, 2017

The newest edition of SIRCuit, published by the Sport Information Resource Centre, focused on Leadership. The e-publication contains a great article on the CCES Risk Management Workshops for national sport organizations that are being led by Dina Bell-Laroche and SLSG.…

Published March 15, 2017

A person would have to be on a deserted island to not be aware of the increasingly frequent occurrence of cyber-attacks in the world of politics and business. Whether it is Russians hacking into American elections and the World Anti-Doing Agency, activists disclosing secrets of the Central Intelligence Agency through Wiki-leaks, or internet-based businesses like Yahoo and Amazon experiencing the theft of millions of customer records – cyber risk is now very real.…

Published February 14, 2017

This blogpost is our annual ‘what to watch’ post where we review the important topics and issues we will be paying attention to in the coming year. We write a similar post ever year (2016, 2015) and earlier this month we hosted a free webinar on the subject.…

Published February 3, 2017

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 13(1) - February 2017

This edition of our newsletter features posts about managing risks, transgender issues in sport, harassment, leadership, the BC Societies Act, the new Sport Recognition Policy in Ontario, and more.…

Published January 27, 2017

In 2016, the SLSG partnered with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) to write a three-part Harassment in Sport blog series.…

Published January 5, 2017

I have written in this space previously about the issue of gender and sport (2012, 2010, 2006), and given developments over the last year or so, I felt it was a good time to provide an update to our readers.…

Published November 18, 2016

By now, most BC societies have received formal notice from BC Registry Services that the new BC Societies Act will come into force on November 28^th, 2016 – less than two weeks. This blogpost will provide you with some practical guidance for transition.…

Published November 2, 2016

The Sport Law & Strategy Group ("SLSG") is proud to support the launch of iS4, a new company formed by former and current Canadian National Soccer team athletes Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson, Rhian Wilkinson and Karina LeBlanc that has a mission to empower youth and executives to dream big and strive high.…

Published October 28, 2016

Risk management has made front line news again over the past few weeks. Beyond politics and ethical considerations of medically assisted deaths to the striking of a Risk Management Committee by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) in the wake of three deaths, both not-for-profit and for-profit businesses are noting the importance of upping their risk management game.…

Published October 12, 2016

I read with interest an article in the Ottawa Citizen about the rising number of public service executives who are seeking counselling to deal with a wide range of issues including career management, difficult relationships with bosses, harassment, health concerns, retirement, performance management, legal advice and dismissals.…

Published October 5, 2016

In recent risk management workshops with National Sport Organizations (NSOs) as part of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport’s Risk Management Program that I have been facilitating over the past 9 years with over 50 sport organizations, I have noted that “the risk that our insurance program is not adequately providing the coverage we need” is consistently being noted as a very high risk among participants.…

Published September 20, 2016

In our previous post about Game ON, we discussed the policies that Ontario Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) will need to have in order to be formally recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.…

Published June 29, 2016

Increasingly I’m inspired to think of choices when tackling both every day and complex problems by approaching them as ‘and/with’ problems instead ‘either/or’. This connected duality had me thinking about the role of men and women in sport and how the sector would benefit if we approached it under much the same approach.…

Published June 1, 2016

Since 2007 the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG) has partnered with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport to deliver the Risk Management Project, a series of risk assessment workshops for National and Multi-Sport organizations. These two-day workshops have enabled more than forty NSO’s and MSO’s to not only meet their sport support criteria (a corporate risk management plan is required by Sport Canada for base funding), but also to elevate their performance, achieve their objectives, and manage risk more effectively.…

Published May 9, 2016

One of the legacies of Toronto hosting the 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games has been a renewed focus on sport in Ontario and the creation of Game ON: The Ontario Government’s Sport Plan.

Game ON represents the first major coordinated sport action plan in Ontario.…

Published May 3, 2016

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 12(1) - April 2016

This edition of our newsletter features posts about Criminal Records Checks, our Harassment in Sport blog series, what we're watching in 2016, our upcoming webinars, PSO risk management workshops, and more.…

Published April 8, 2016

By Rachel Corbett.

I have been very impressed by the Harassment in Sport blog series presented by the Coaching Association of Canada, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport and Physical Activity and the Sport Law & Strategy Group.…

Published April 4, 2016

Our intention for this four-part blog series on harassment in sport is to review the past, assess where we are, and chart a course forward that addresses harassment both on and off the field of play. Recent major events in Canadian society – from inappropriate behaviour by Members of Parliament to shocking claims against the CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi to Marcel Aubut and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) – have shown us that harassment is not only a field of play issue – it also still exists in our offices and boardrooms.…

Published March 24, 2016

Recently, organizations in Ontario and BC have been asking us about transitioning to compliance with the upcoming Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) and the new BC Societies Act. For many organizations (especially local clubs) this is the first time in many years that their governing documents have come under such scrutiny.…

Published February 22, 2016

This blogpost will review the topics and issues that we will be paying attention to in the upcoming year. We write a similar post every year (2015, 2014) and this year we even hosted a free webinar on the subject (attended by representatives from sport organizations across the country).…

Published February 8, 2016

We are proud that SLSG Partner Dina Bell-Laroche is one of the featured speakers on Resilience + Reach, a Global Online Coaching Summit that runs from Feb 25-29, 2016.

Join Dina and 29 of her fellow Integral Master Coaches™ in tackling a variety of themes and topics around what it takes to dynamically respond to this world we’re in.…

Published February 8, 2016

On my way to Yellowknife, I printed off a dozen articles from the Non Profit Risk Management Center, a great source of risk management advice for those of us who like that kind of stuff! I absolutely love their monthly series and the vast amount of tools and programs they offer to their clients.…

Published January 27, 2016

Our intention for this four-part blog series on harassment in sport is to review the past, assess where we are, and chart a course forward that addresses harassment both on and off the field of play. Recent major events in Canadian society – from inappropriate behaviour by Members of Parliament to shocking claims against the CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi to Marcel Aubut and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) – have shown us that harassment is not only a field of play issue – it also still exists in our offices and boardrooms.…

Published January 7, 2016

Are Criminal Record Checks (CRCs) really necessary? Since they take time and effort for a volunteer to obtain, and they cost money, this is often the preliminary question that sport organizations discuss. Follow-up questions in the discussion are even more complex.…

Published December 16, 2015

Our intention for this four-part blog series on harassment in sport is to review the past, assess where we are, and chart a course forward that addresses harassment both on and off the field of play. Recent major events in Canadian society – from inappropriate behaviour by Members of Parliament to shocking claims against the CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi to Marcel Aubut and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) – have shown us that harassment is not only a field of play issue – it also still exists in our offices and boardrooms.…

Published December 8, 2015

Big news for BC sports organizations! The new not-for-profit corporations act – the BC Societies Act – has been announced to come into force on November 28^th, 2016. Every BC-based sport organization currently incorporated under the BC Society Act will be required to transition in order to comply with the new Act within two years of that date.…

Published November 18, 2015

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 11(2) - October 2015

This edition of our newsletter features news about the new BC Societies Act, updates to important Ontario legislation, recommendations for organizations that are considering an HR review, improving personal development, how to develop a sponsorship package, and more.…

Published October 28, 2015

Hosting a successful sport event involves many factors, some of which involve taking risks or exposing your organization to potential risks. Minimizing risk during the hosting of your events helps to avoid possible injuries, legal consequences, and a negative participant experience.…

Published August 26, 2015

Risk management is a concept that more and more sport leaders are embracing. In part, this shift towards proactive, integrated and system-wide management of risks is due to the changing expectations of members and the requirement of funders to have more evidence of good business practice.…

Published July 20, 2015

I was reading a great article in the December 2001 edition of the Harvard Business Review on leadership that is worth sharing. Written by Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee, the article discussed their research on primal leadership as being the hidden driver of great performance.…

Published June 25, 2015

There have been several recent changes in Ontario law that have come into effect, or will soon, that impact amateur sport organizations in Ontario that have paid employees (including most NSOs located in this province).

Employment Standards Act (ESA)

The Ontario Ministry of Labour has prepared and published a poster titled “Employment Standards in Ontario”.…

Published June 22, 2015

In her groundbreaking book Mindset: the new psychology of success, world renowned psychologist Carol Dweck shared years of research on the power of our mindset. She explained why it’s not just our abilities and talent that brings us success – but also whether we approach our goals with a fixed or growth mindset.…

Published June 9, 2015

With the recent successes and the rising popularity of Canadian Olympic athletes, more and more sponsorship dollars are gravitating towards amateur sport. A few statistics from the 2013 Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study are shared below that highlight this reality (see footnote [1]).…

Published June 2, 2015

The Sport Law & Strategy Group has been handling internal appeals for sport organizations for over twenty years. Our task is to ensure procedural fairness during the process. This task typically involves the SLSG acting as a Case Manager to perform the following functions, per the organization’s policy for appeals:

• Determine if an appeal is based on appealable grounds;
• Determine if the appeal has been submitted within the proper timelines;
• Appoint a neutral and qualified Adjudicator;
• Facilitate the exchange of documents and prepare for the hearing; and
• Ensure the decision is delivered smoothly and without incident.

Published May 27, 2015

[An updated blogpost relating to Management by Values was posted in August 2015 and is accessible here]

by Dina Bell-Laroche and Rachel Corbett

(originally written March 2008)

A French version of this paper is provided here.…

Published May 26, 2015

Regardless of their certification level, experience, employment or volunteer status, sport discipline, or location, coaches have a legal obligation to provide a safe environment for their athletes at all times.

This obligation extends to ensuring that coaches have met the standard of care that is expected of them in the following areas:

• Facilities and organization – Coaches have a duty to select premises and equipment that are reasonably safe and suitable for the intended purpose and to ensure that the event or activity is safely organized.

Published May 20, 2015

The new BC Societies Act is expected to come into force within 18 months (by November 2016) and will replace the existing BC Society Act – the legislation under which sport organizations in BC are incorporated. The new Act is expected to introduce many changes to how sport organizations in BC operate.…

Published May 4, 2015

Are you prepared?  The Ontario government recently announced that they will be conducting a targeted Employment Standards Act enforcement blitz. The first phase of this blitz will include fitness and recreation organizations and facilities in the province.…

Published April 29, 2015

I recently read an article in the Ottawa Citizen that ranked Ottawa among the top 10 happiest out of 33 metropolitan areas across the country. The survey asked 340,000 people across Canada to rate their life satisfaction on a scale of one to 10.…

Published April 6, 2015

People are the lifeblood of any organization whether they are paid staff, Directors, or volunteers. Without their passion and commitment, many of the best-laid plans would go to waste. These vital resources constitute a key area of many organizations that frequently gets short changed when it comes to planning and development and can take up large amounts of time and energy to manage properly.…

Published March 27, 2015

Athlete appeals: Should you help? How to determine when to go to bat for your athlete and when to step aside

Appeals by athletes are most often on selection decisions made by the organization. The athlete launches an appeal because he or she feels that selection criteria were improperly applied, thereby denying the athlete a spot on a team, an entry in a competition, or a nomination for the athlete assistance program.…

Published March 20, 2015

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 11(1) - March 2015

This edition of our newsletter features news about our new webinar series, coaching-by-values, and hosting successful events. We have also written about the SLSG's new Associate Jason Robinson, the proven value of a social media policy, the NFP Act, and the trends we're watching in sport in 2015.…

Published March 12, 2015

This is our annual ‘What We’re Watching’ post that describes our success of the past year and looks forward to our plans and hopes for 2015. We wrote about 2014 in this post. The previous year has seen many changes in Canadian amateur sport as well as many changes in our company – including two new additions to our team.…

Published March 6, 2015

Inspired by my book on Values-in-Action: Igniting Passion and Purpose in Sport Organizations and my certification in 2014 as an Integral Master Coach^TM, I’m writing this blog to show how values can enhance the coaching experience.…

Published February 20, 2015

By Rachel Corbett

Many readers of this blog may know that I took a leave of absence from the Sport Law & Strategy Group in the summer of 2014 to begin a temporary, full time teaching position at Brock University.…

Published January 22, 2015

Is your organization looking to host a championship event? Whether your proposed event is international, national, provincial, or local the decision to host an event should be given serious consideration. Hosting a successful sporting event in your own backyard is not that simple and is often underestimated in terms of its scope and impact.…

Published January 15, 2015

The Sport Law & Strategy Group is thrilled to announce that sport professional Jason Robinson has joined our team as our latest associate. Jason joins an impressive cast of leaders who serve to support the sport community and the many organizational challenges that leaders face in an ever-changing sport environment.…

Published January 15, 2015

I am excited and very honoured to join the Sport Law & Strategy Group.  My first introduction to the organization came in 2003 when I met Rachel Corbett and she assisted the PSO that I was working for at the time.…

Published November 8, 2014

For a few years I’ve been recommending that sport organizations develop their own social media policy. In the most comprehensive blogpost - ‘Does your organization need a social media policy?’ - I explained the five components necessary for an organization to safely and effectively involve itself with, and handle fallout from, social media activity.…

Published October 20, 2014

Midnight on Friday, October 17 was the deadline for federally incorporated not-for-profit organizations to transition from old legislation (Canada Corporations Act) to new legislation (Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, or NFP Act). This date concluded the 3-year window given to all organizations to make the shift to the more modern legislation.…

Published October 8, 2015

Service Ontario has launched a new section for not-for-profits in Ontario making it faster and easier for organizations to get the services and information they need to start, operate and grow their NFPs.  The new site features information on government open call programs for funding, ideas on how to start and manage a not-for-profit organization, a section to help organizations understand the laws that affect the sector, research about the sector, government initiatives that support the sector, and much more.…

Published September 12, 2014

What does it mean to lead an organization? Research and business leaders will tell you it comes down to culture. High performing organizations are driven by leaders who invest in creating stimulating, values-driven, responsive and dynamic environments where people feel motivated to contribute.…

Published August 26, 2014

Four months ago in a blogpost we counted the remaining National Sport Organizations (NSOs) that had not yet transitioned to compliance with the new federal NFP Act. At the time, of the 59 organizations that are recognized as NSOs there were only 24 that had completed the continuance process.…

Published July 15, 2014

Recently I became certified as an Integral Master Coach^TM with Integral Coaching Canada. The certification process took fourteen months and is recognized by the International Coaching Federation. I’m one of only a few Canadians involved in sport who has been certified in this comprehensive human development learning program and I’ve been actively coaching sport and other professionals since 2012 when I began the program.…

Published July 7, 2014

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 10(2) - July 2014

This edition of our newsletter features important updates about the NFP Act (four months to go!) and after-care tasks post-transition, the ONCA (delayed until 2015), and the new anti-spam law.…

Published June 25, 2014

We would like to provide our readers with an update on some personnel changes and other activities at the Sport Law & Strategy Group.

Co-Founder Rachel Corbett is pleased to announce that she has been hired for a 12 month, full-time teaching position in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences at Brock University.…

Published June 13, 2014

We last wrote about the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) in September 2013 and unfortunately not much has changed. The legislation is expected to come into force in 2015 but there may still be some wrinkles to that plan.…

Published June 10, 2014

It seems that everywhere we turn, not for profits and charities are being put under more and more scrutiny. Whether this is warranted or not remains up for debate but rest assured, this level of oversight is not about to let up any time soon.…

Published May 12, 2014

Building on the March 25 posting by LeeAnn Cupidio, we wanted to delve a little further into the somewhat confusing situation faced by Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Associations (RCAAAs) regarding the applicability of the Canada’s Anti Spam Legislation (CASL).…

Published April 29, 2014

With 24 National Sport Organizations (NSOs) having transitioned to compliance with the new NFP Act, and more organizations in the process of completing the final steps of transition, now is a good time to review some of the tasks to which an NFP Act-compliant organization should turn its focus.…

Published April 14, 2014

On October 17^th 2011 the NFP Act (also known as the CNCA) came into force and required that every federally-incorporated not-for-profit organization transition to compliance with the new law – or face dissolution. With only six months to go, Carters (Canada's leading charity law firm) is reporting that of the approximately 17000 affected organizations, only 2900 have successfully transitioned.…

Published April 1, 2014

With the summer intern recruitment push now upon us, this might be a good time to get some clarification on the status of unpaid internships.

An internship position is meant to provide practical on-the-job training by the employer for the benefit of the intern, not for the benefit of the employer.…

Published March 25, 2014

Canada’s Anti-Spam Law* (CASL) was passed in December 2010 and is expected to come into force on July 1, 2014. Once in effect, the CASL is intended to protect Canadians from receiving unwanted communications while ensuring that businesses can continue to operate and compete in the marketplace.…

Published March 18, 2014
Updated May 17, 2022

There are times within meetings, particularly executive meetings, when discussions must be kept confidential. Such discussions are considered to be “in camera” meetings.

In camera meetings have a legitimate purpose but because they restrict the normal information reported to the membership of an organization, their use should be limited to those occasions when they are absolutely necessary.…

Published March 12, 2014

We have been following this issue since it first arose in 2012, when the Quebec Soccer Federation (QSF) issued a rule prohibiting its players from wearing turbans and other religious headgear.  This discriminatory ban prompted the Canadian Soccer Association to suspend the QSF’s membership with the national body in April, 2013, thereby denying them the ability to compete at, participate in, or host competitions either provincially or nationally.…

Published February 25, 2014

I have been blogging about the Sochi Olympic disputes that went to the Ad Hoc Court of Arbitration (CAS), which heard disputes during the course of the Olympic Games. There were four disputes, including one a Canadian matter filed by Alpine Canada Alpin (ACA) and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).…

Published February 24, 2014

Four years ago I wrote an article about the different ways to count Olympic medals. One of the issues I wanted to raise was that in individual sports (like Biathlon or Speed Skating) there are multiple chances for a single athlete to medal but in team sports (like Hockey and Curling) there is only a single chance for multiple athletes to medal.…

Published February 21, 2014

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 10(1) - February 2014

This edition of our newsletter features tips for sport leaders in the areas of work-life balance and risk management. We have also written interesting articles about dispute and appeals management, governance reform, and a new standard of care for sport organizations.…

Published February 12, 2014

Last month, a third decision was reached in a SDRCC (Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada) case on the issue of lack of jurisdiction due to a claimant moving their case forward too slowly. We think "three" (see postscript) makes a trend and it is important to share this trend with the sport community, for the benefit of both claimants and respondents engaged in disputes before the SDRCC.…

Published February 11, 2014

The use of criminal law to regulate the conduct of sport participants has a long history, within which Canada is noted as being unique in using criminal law as a means of governing player behaviour.

Indeed, Canadian case law has provided the basis for judicial reasoning in such cases across a number of jurisdictions.…

Published February 7, 2014

The Olympic Games are underway and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is on-site hearing all matters that arise.  The decisions and reasoning behind those decisions signal to the sport community and, more specifically, to sport decision makers (including our own SDRCC adjudicators) important trends and principles underlying sport disputes. …

Published February 5, 2014

Last year in February we wrote about what we were watching in 2013 and this year we thought we would do the same. But this year we also wanted to highlight some of what we accomplished over the past twelve months.…

Published January 15, 2014

I stumbled on this recently while reviewing our publication "Risk Management Guide for Community Sport Organizations" that we wrote for 2010 Legacies Now. I was reminded how simpler is always better, and this is especially true when we are communicating about risk management.…

Published December 17, 2013

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. What is the impact on professionals who feel they are ‘on call’ 24-7 but aren’t being paid to render this service? Turns out, others have been asking the same question.…

Published December 2, 2013

This post features an interview I did with Scott MacDonald and Rachel Corbett. Scott is the High Performance Director for Athletics Canada (AC), a post he moved into this year following about eight years as Director of National Teams.…

Published November 26, 2013

Dina Bell-Laroche and I have just completed the 30th risk assessment workshop in the multi-year Risk Management Project funded by Sport Canada and the True Sport Foundation, and delivered by the Sport Law & Strategy Group. Twenty-eight of those assessments have involved NSOs or MSOs.…

Published November 14, 2013

These questions are intended to promote reflection on the concept of governance. They are by no means complete or comprehensive, but they arise from many years of helping sport organizations to understand governance better, and to promote better governance practices.…

Published October 22, 2013

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 9(2) - October 2013

This edition of our newsletter features tips for sport leaders in the areas of leadership and absentee voting, provides updates on the Federal NFP Act (and our interpretation of some of the clauses), and big news on the Ontario NFP Act (ONCA). …

Published September 20, 2013

I have been deeply immersed in the Canada Not-for Profit Corporations Act for over two years now, and so have many of Canada's national sport organizations. I am indebted to those sport leaders who have engaged with me in lively discussions about the general policy goals of the Act, whether it is good or bad for sport, are the various 'workarounds' moral or ethical (even if they are legal), what is really truly the best size for an elected board, and how much should we tell the members in the bylaws....…

Published September 19, 2013

It’s been nearly a year since we dedicated a blogpost to the Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA). During that time the implementation date of the ONCA has been delayed twice and new details have been revealed about what type of changes Ontario corporations will need to make in order to comply with the legislation.…

Published September 9, 2013

Back in June of this year, in collaboration with Rowing Canada Aviron, we asked sport organizations to complete a survey related to absentee voting. Absentee voting has recently become more topical as organizations continue their transition to the new not-for-profit legislation – the NFP Act (for national corporations) and the ONCA (for Ontario corporations).…

Published August 1, 2013

The speed at which young people use and discard social mediums (plural: media) often outpaces the speed at which adults understand those same social media. Adults, and by extension sport organizations, are now very familiar with Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.…

Published July 29, 2013

"Dependent contractor" - this is a third category of employment relationships that we rarely discuss, and most organizations have never heard of, but which is probably one of the more relevant to sport and certainly an increasing way in which contracts are being structured (often unwittingly).…

Published July 25, 2013

As a leader in Canadian sport, I have had the opportunity to experience many moments of greatness. Many of these early moments are related to my involvement in Olympic Games where I worked as a media attaché and press chief in support of our Canadian teams.…

Published July 4, 2013

What Documents Your Organization Needs to Keep and Who Can Access Them

The new NFP Act requires that organizations maintain specific records and keep this information available at the Registered Office for easy access. Here are some checklists of what information an NFP-compliant organization needs to keep and some options for easy maintenance of this material:

• Articles
• Bylaws
• Amendments to Bylaws and Articles

An organization’s Articles are submitted to Industry Canada in Form 4031 – the Articles of Continuance.…

Published June 13, 2013

Since last year, the Quebec Soccer Federation (QSF) has prohibited its players from wearing turbans and other religious headgear. This April, the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) reminded all provinces to permit the religious headgear and warned the QSF to comply with this directive.…

Published June 13, 2013

The Situation

A director of a sport organization is appointed to the board because of his or her position in another organization or because that organization has voted the person to be its representative. These organizations are typically stakeholders in the organization (e.g.,…

Published June 11, 2013

Dina answers questions about the e-book:

How can this e-book make me a better sport leader?
"This e-book was written with sport leaders in mind. Based on the insights of 12 Canadian sport leaders and their experience in having lead nine of Canada’s premier National Sport Organizations, I have come to understand that our sector attracts people who are passionate about the product (sport); committed to its people (athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials, administrators); and exceptionally resourceful.…

Published May 28, 2013

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 9(1) - May 2013

This edition of our newsletter features tips for sport leaders in the areas of risk management and policy development, and also provides updates on the Federal NFP Act and the Ontario NFP Act (ONCA). …

Published May 8, 2013

Should organizations make discipline decisions and sanctions public knowledge? We often act as a neutral third party to handle an organization’s internal disputes, such as appeals or discipline decisions. After a tribunal (either a single decision-maker or a panel of decision-makers) hears both sides and reaches a decision, the written decision is communicated to the parties (the individual and the organization, and any affected third party), a remedy may be enacted and sanctions, where ordered, are imposed, and the dispute ends. …

Published May 6, 2013

As most readers know, we are working with a great many NSOs and MSOs on transition to the new Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. Recently, we have discovered that not all sport organizations are up to date on their filing of bylaws with Industry Canada.…

Published April 6, 2013

Carleton business professor Linda Druxbury researches and writes about the pending shortage of a skilled workforce. She puts it quite clearly … with baby boomers set to retire large numbers over the next decade, organizations that are not prepared for the leadership gap, are doomed to fail.…

Published February 23, 2013

The NFP Act came into law in October 2011, with a 3-year window for corporations to become compliant (by October 2014). That window is now almost half-closed, meaning that there are only about 18 full months remaining for sport organizations to complete the transition to the new legislation.…

Published February 14, 2013

Last year we celebrated our 20^th Anniversary of service in the Canadian sport industry and we are looking forward to big things in the coming year! We wrote about what we were watching in 2012 and we again wanted to outline some of the trends, issues, and developments that we’ll be watching this year.…

Published January 29, 2013

Melanie Herman, of the Nonprofit Risk Manager Center, recently published her RISK eNewsletter and I wanted to share a great little excerpt. I hope you find it as helpful as I did.  In essence, it’s a reminder to not allow your discomfort with uncertainty to dampen your commitment to engage the Board in a discussion on the crucial strategic risks facing your NSO.…

Published January 24, 2013

At the Sport Law & Strategy Group, we regularly receive requests from sport organizations asking for assistance writing policies. These are the policies, procedures, and rules that the organization’s sport leaders believe are necessary to govern the organization and its members.…

Published January 16, 2013

Late in 2011, Marie-Claude Asselin of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) wrote an informative and practical article on conflict of interest in sport. It is a great summary of the myths and realities/truths and falsehoods of the tricky business of managing conflict and bias in the sport community.…

Published November 21, 2012

NSOs and MSOs in Canada have less than two years to make a successful transition from the Canada Corporations Act to the Canada Not-for-profit Corporation Act. So what is the best plan for becoming compliant? There is no easy answer to this beyond a strong suggestion that organizations should start thinking about it now.…

Published November 16, 2012

Ken Davies, President of Alberta Biathlon and Chair of Biathlon Canada, recently shared with me a simple model for board leadership that he uses in the private sector. I immediately thought it could have application in sport, especially as some National Sport Organizations move to more policy-oriented, competency-based boards as part of their transition under the new not-for-profit act.…

Published November 14, 2012

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 8(3) - November 2012

This edition of our newsletter features updates on the Federal NFP Act and the Ontario NFP Act (ONCA) and addresses frequent questions about social media policies.…

Published November 6, 2012

The Sport Law & Strategy Group turns 20 years old this month. I still find this somewhat shocking. In 1992 Hilary Findlay and I had no idea that this little organization (which started life as the Alberta Institute of Sport and Law, became the Centre for Sport and Law, and is now the Sport Law & Strategy Group) would persist, grow and even thrive.…

Published November 6, 2012

Published October 12, 2012

At the Sport Law & Strategy Group we have been working with almost 40 national level sport organizations on their transition from the Canada Corporations Act to the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. We are learning lots in the process but wanted, at this time, to share a critical but not well-understood aspect of the transition process - namely, that if your organization has a complicated membership structure and many non-voting members, then you need to proceed in two steps.…

Published October 10, 2012

The recent Olympic Games were the ‘Socialympics’ and, as our colleagues at arnoldi mcpherson illustrated in their excellent report, there were more than a handful of social media issues that sport organizations needed to address.  Though National and Provincial Sport Organizations (NSOs and PSOs) and even local sport organizations generally will not face social media issues of that magnitude – certainly social media issues are not uncommon ‘fires’ that sport organizations regularly need to put out.…

Published October 1, 2012

Guest post by Janice Arnoldi, Arnoldi McPherson.

Canadian sports organizations and athletes should keep the social media momentum coming out of the London 2012 Olympics. These Games were truly the "Socialympics". A record setting four billion people worldwide tuned-in to watch the Olympics on TV but an astounding 306 billion items were shared on the internet, including 100 billion posts on Facebook and five billion tweets on Twitter.…

Published September 27, 2012

[Edit September 2013 - there have been new changes to the proclamation date since this post was written]

Two days after we wrote about whether there were problems with the Ontario Not-for-Profits Corporations Act (ONCA), we received a memo from the Ministry of Consumer Services informing us that the proclamation date for the ONCA has been extended from January 2013 to July 2013.…

Published September 25, 2012

The Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) is expected to come into force on January 1^st, 2013 and organizations will have three years to comply with the new legislation. We have been following the developments around the ONCA very closely and we have noticed substantial pushback from other (mostly non-sport) areas of the not-for-profit sector in Ontario.…

Published September 22, 2012

There have been a few recent member misconduct incidents making the news lately and we wanted to comment on how sports organizations should approach responding to hazing incidents involving their members.

The most high-profile incident occurred in professional sport, with Toronto Blue Jays’ shortstop Yunel Escobar displaying an anti-gay message in Spanish written on stickers under his eyes.…

Published September 12, 2012

LawNow magazine has just published my recent article on gender identity and sport. Here is a link to the full article.…

Published August 3, 2012

We are pleased to announce that one of our partners, Dina Bell-Laroche, has successfully completed an intensive 5 month executive coaching program with Integral Coaching Canada. Integral Coaching is a holistic and powerful human development methodology that is based on the rich research of Ken Wilbur, the brilliant mind behind integral theory.…

Published July 30, 2012

We wanted to share with our readers what we have learned about the requirements of the Not-For-Profit Corporations Act in relation to the timing of annual meetings of members.

By way of background, the Act says at Section 160(1)(b) that the annual meeting must be held within a prescribed period from the fiscal year-end which in Section 61(2) of the NFP Regulation is set at 6 months.…

Published June 28, 2012

I would like to heartily congratulate the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) for creating an inclusive policy at their most recent annual meeting that will enable transgender student-athletes to participate in college sports.  The policy (which we have excerpted here) provides valuable background information that includes definitions related to gender identity as well as a rationale for why the CCAA has chosen to address transgender issues in its athletic programs.…

Published June 26, 2012

In December 2011, I was appointed a True Sport Fellow by the True Sport Foundation. The Foundation is committed to ensuring that sport makes a positive contribution to Canadian society, to our athletes, and to the physical and moral development of Canada’s youth.…

Published June 19, 2012

This post provides an update on some exciting risk management initiatives that have occurred over the past year.

Risk Management Impact on Performance

Please see this briefing document which outlines the results of Brock University’s research into the impact of the risk management workshop on participants’ performance.…

Published June 17, 2012

Published June 14, 2012

A recent story involving two Australian athletes underscores the difficulty that some Canadian National Sport Organizations (NSOs) may face leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

One Australian swimmer posted a picture, on his private Facebook account, of himself and another National Team teammate holding guns at a California shooting range.…

Published June 5, 2012

By Kevin Lawrie and Rachel Corbett.

We recently published a snapshot on the voting structures of National Sports Organizations (NSOs) and we found some interesting results. As part of the governance restructuring that many NSOs are undergoing in their transition to compliance under the new Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, we thought it would be valuable to look at NSOs’ membership fees to find commonalities.…

Published May 9, 2012

By Rachel Corbett and Kevin Lawrie.

We continue to help National Sport Organizations (NSOs) comply with the new Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and, as part of the governance restructuring that some NSOs are undergoing, we thought it would be valuable to review the current voting structure of ALL NSOs.…

Published May 3, 2012

We have confirmation... for a second time the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has struck down additional penalties for doping infractions that fall outside the WADA Code. The decision was rendered on Monday, April 30th 2012.…

Published April 30, 2012

By Rachel Corbett and Kevin Lawrie.

The 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games are fewer than 90 days away and many NSOs are preparing to select, or are in the middle of selecting, the teams and athletes that will represent Canada in London.…

Published April 12, 2012

My colleagues and I have been thinking a lot about what it takes to create a high performing sport organization. Traditionally, assumptions were made about the efficiency and effectiveness of a National Sport Organization based on podium results or participation numbers.…

Published April 10, 2012

By Dina Bell-Laroche and Rachel Corbett.

Okay, so Dina and Rachel got to thinking about what it takes for organizations to perform at a high level. Most of us working in sport have a good idea of what athletes and coaches need to be their best – these are our prescriptions for what sport organizations need to excel.…

Published April 5, 2012

We last wrote about RCAAAs (Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Associations) in February 2012, noting that recent changes to the Income Tax Act have placed RCAAAs on the same footing as mainstream charities in terms of their legal obligations.…

Published March 20, 2012

In April 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada published a significant new ruling related to defamation and hyperlinks.  In the ruling, the Court decided that posting an article or story on your website that includes a hyperlink to defamatory material on someone else's website is not re-publication, and therefore is not defamation.…

Published March 13, 2012

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 8(1) - March 2012

Our quarterly newsletter has brought you important content in the following areas: legal updates, new legislation and case law, governance tips, risk management and values management practices, social media, communications strategies, as well as all kinds of other planning and strategic advice.…

Published March 1, 2012

Introduction

An interesting sport case has been playing itself out in the Supreme Court of Canada. The case highlights the importance of seemingly innocuous contract clauses which, in this case, can leave several parties vulnerable to a number of lawsuits.…

Published February 28, 2012

Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) may be hearing about the “NFP Act” or the new not-for-profit corporations’ legislation that every nationally-incorporated sport organization is currently addressing. Just because this is a federal law doesn’t mean that Provincial organizations can simply ignore it.…

Published February 14, 2012

Organizations and individuals are frequently re-learning that posting something on social media ensures the near-permanent existence of that material.  A tweet that is posted six months ago can be easily found by an intrepid researcher.  A picture that is posted to Facebook never really goes away.…

Published February 7, 2012

The True Sport Foundation announced today that Dina Bell-Laroche has been named the second ever True Sport Fellow.  The first True Sport Fellow was Ian Bird, who completed a True Sport Fellowship on Innovation.

The True Sport Fellowship offers an opportunity for an accomplished sport leader in the Canadian sport community to engage other sector leaders in exploring how we can better use sport and physical activity to address emerging opportunities and challenges.…

Published February 7, 2012

In 1994, Rachel Corbett wrote a handbook on Harassment in Sport that was distributed to NSOs and other amateur sport organizations around the country. As part of our 20^th anniversary of service to the Canadian amateur sport industry, we thought it might be interesting to post the handbook and ask Rachel about the evolutionary changes she has seen in on this topic since 1994.…

Published February 2, 2012

To date we have written extensively about the impacts that the NFP Act will have on membership classes and board structures. These are the main issues that NSOs and MSOs will need to address in order to become compliant with the NFP Act by 2014.…

Published January 25, 2012

Sometimes the most innocuous situations create the biggest problems. This was true in a recent case that took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Thanks to Andre Gallant, CEO of the YMCA of Cape Breton, for sending along the details of the case and the comment.…

Published January 17, 2012

This year marks our 20^th Anniversary of service in the Canadian sport industry.  We have been advising sport organizations since 1992!  We'll soon have a couple of formal announcements but we first wanted to outline some of the trends, issues, and developments that we'll be watching in the new year.…

Published December 13, 2011

I have just finished reading Theo Fleury's book, Playing With Fire. I have owned this book for two years, but never took it off my shelf. However, in the wake of the Penn State sex abuse scandal, and the revelation that Scouts Canada has been quietly keeping it's own registry of pedophiles, I pulled Fleury's book down and started to read.…

Published December 6, 2011

In recent months I have been following a blog on risk management written by Melanie Lockwood-Herman. She is the Executive Director of an American non-profit dedicated to helping non-profit organizations manage risks. Funded primarily by insurance companies (don’t hold this against them!),…

Published November 29, 2011

Becoming a leader that others look up to is a goal worth pursuing. Authentic leadership is a form of leadership that transforms people, organizations, communities, and the world. Think about the great leaders you admire most.…

Published November 23, 2011

One of our collective objectives is to enhance the capacity of sport professionals and volunteers so that they can handle recurring issues, challenges and opportunities. Through our ongoing partnership with True Sport, the Sport Law & Strategy Group along with the Centre for Sport Capacity at Brock University have been evaluating the impact of the Risk Management Workshop on the performance of individual sport leaders and the resulting impact on their organization.…

Published November 15, 2011

Sport Law & Strategy Group Newsletter

vol 7(1) - November 2011

We sent you our last newsletter back in December 2010 when we were still known as the Centre for Sport and Law.  Click here for the announcement describing our brand renewal to the Sport Law & Strategy Group. …

Published September 9, 2011

Along with some other governance experts, I have been working with Sport Canada for some time on creating a prescriptive set of "good governance principles" for the Canadian sport community.

This is a topic dear to my heart, and I have spent over a decade trying to impress upon sport leaders the importance of improving governance practices in our sector (Conflict of Interest - The Sport Organization''s Achilles Heel is one of my 'rants'). …

Beginning January 1, 2012, all providers of goods and services within the province of Ontario, including charities and not-for-profit organizations will be required to comply with parts of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).  This legislation affects every Ontario PSO, as well as MSOs and NSOs that have offices in Ontario.…

Published November 4, 2011

Last month we gave a presentation to the membership of the Sport Alliance of Ontario (SAO) relating to the requirements of the newly legislated provincial Bill 168 – Workplace Violence and Harassment.  This topic generated numerous questions and made us realize that many NSOs, PSOs and MSOs may have not yet taken the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the legislation. …

Published March 3, 2011

The federal government is in the final stages of reviewing changes to the Income Tax Act that will affect Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Associations (RCAAAs). The impetus for these changes is the revocation of charitable status from a number of NSOs in recent years (see Football Canada and the Tax Man).…

Published October 17, 2011

What can Canadian sport organizations learn from a recent decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)? As it turns out, a lot, at least from one of its most recent decisions rendered on October 4, 2011 (CAS 2011/0/2422 USOC v.…

Published October 15, 2011

Industry Canada has very recently published their transition guide (HTML) for the new Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (NPCA) that will take effect in a few short days. They have also published all sorts of materials on their web site about the new Act, how to transition, and all the various forms and documents you will  need.…

Published October 10, 2011

It is easy to get lost in social media guidelines and policies.  Every organization has their own informed (and sometimes uninformed) views and ideas for how its employees and members should, could, or must engage with social media.…

Published September 7, 2011

Sport is full of risks. This we know well. We expect coaches and athletes to take risks daily in pursuit of performance excellence, and yet more often than not, those responsible for managing sport organizations can be described as risk-averse.…

Published August 20, 2011

Some of you may be aware that we are undergoing a renewal of the Canadian Sport Policy (CSP). Fondly spoken of as CSP 2.0, this renewal process has been unparalleled in terms of engaging Canadians in what they believe should be the focus of the renewed sport policy (you can read more about the national survey, the findings, and submissions from governments by visiting sirc.ca.)…

Published July 21, 2011

by Kevin Lawrie.   Two years ago, in July 2009, I started my first contract with the Sport Law & Strategy Group.  We were working for a coalition of team sport NSOs to develop a position paper explaining the unique value of team sports. …

Published July 11, 2011

We know ... writing and reading policy documents and contracts can be boring and tedious. I can attest to this as I have spent the last several months as a member of a team negotiating a collective bargaining agreement at a Canadian University.…

Published July 10, 2011

I am in Ottawa this weekend participating in the centennial celebrations of the Canadian PGA, and I had the opportunity to have lunch with my friend and colleague Moira Lassen, who is an international official with the sport of weightlifting and a member of the IWF’s Technical Committee.…

Published June 29, 2011

Recently the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released its annual report to Parliament on the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).  PIPEDA sets the ground rules for the management of personal information in the private sector - and the Privacy Commissioner (Jennifer Stoddart) oversees its application and determines corporations' level of compliance.…

Published June 27, 2011

On June 22, 2011 I had the opportunity to make a presentation on the Canada Not-for Profit Corporations Act (NPCA) [1] at the 1^st National Sport Federation Leadership Summit, organized by the Canadian Olympic Committee in collaboration with Sport Canada.…

Published June 14, 2011

As sport management consultants, it is our responsibility to scour the literature to translate latest trends into meaningful knowledge for our clients. One such trend that has entrenched itself into the business domain is the idea of 'leading from behind' or 'servant leadership'.…

Published June 6, 2011

There are countless articles, research, and management books that suggest the positive impact of having a set of enduring values is well understood and documented by some of the world’s best organizations. In sport, this proved not to be the case.…

Published June 1, 2011

Lately it seems our website postings are preoccupied with governance and social media - whatever happened to the sport and the law? The reality is, the law remains at the root of almost everything we do as sport administrators and sport leaders.…

Published May 19, 2011

Through social media, information can reach a greater number of people more quickly and more directly and this has consequences for sport organizations. A  side effect of the pervasiveness of social media is the requirement for greater organizational transparency.…

Published May 8, 2011

We are often asked to help sport organizations determine appropriate notice periods where employees are being released without cause. This can be a tricky task. While there are a number of factors that should be considered, most are very difficult to quantify.…

Published May 3, 2011

We have written here before about the role that values can play in helping organizations improve their performance. But I am inspired to blog about a slightly different orientation based on a conversation we had last week with participants from Cross Country Canada, who were participating in the Risk Management Project (this project is being funded by the True Sport Secretariat and Sport Canada and coordinated by the Sport Law & Strategy Group).…

Published April 25, 2011

Direct discrimination on well-known prohibited grounds is typically easily discerned. For example, it is well-known, if not always accepted, that girls may try out for boys' teams - whether or not there is a girls' team available to them. …

Published April 15, 2011

Sport organizations are wondering if it is really necessary to address social media within their organizational policies and codes of conduct.  After all, isn’t it enough that the organization has a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account?  …

Published April 8, 2011

By LeeAnn Cupidio and Steven Indig

If your organization does not have a technology policy in place to deal with the use of electronic devices such as work-issued computers, Blackberrys and cell phones, now is the time to get one.…

Published April 5, 2011

In this space we have written previously about the imminent Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (NPCA), due to take effect soon in Canada.

Back in 2009, our newsletter contained a footnote that the Act had received Royal Assent and was going to come into effect  ...…

Published April 4, 2011

Recently there was outrage in Saskatchewan when a fake Facebook account purportedly belonging to Saskatoon Blades' hockey star Brayden Schenn posted racist comments demeaning Aboriginals.  The Saskatoon Blades responded to the public outcry by banning its players from having Facebook accounts.…

Published March 28, 2011

We ask our athletes and coaches to pursue excellence every day, and a recent article in National Post by Shaun Francis and John Kelleher (10 questions every director should ask: Time to raise the bar for non-profits, March 22, 2001 Page FP12) calls upon directors of non-profit boards to also do more.…

Published March 25, 2011

Recently, I have come across a number of interesting articles (both research-based and mainstream) that might be of interest to those leading strategic planning processes within their sport organization. I am intrigued with the concept of simplifying strategic planning so that it does what it is supposed to do … help organizations plan better and prepare for the short and intermediate future.…

Published March 22, 2011

Ottawa – March 23, 2011 – The Partners at the Centre for Sport and Law are pleased to share with friends, colleagues and clients our new name: Sport Law & Strategy Group.

The Canadian sport system has evolved over the last two decades – and so have we.…

Published March 17, 2011

The Alberta Court of Appeal has reminded us in no uncertain terms that sport organizations cannot, through their bylaws or policies, or through threats of disciplinary action, stop individuals from seeking recourse in the courts. Getting to this nugget of knowledge has been a bit of a convoluted journey, and no doubt an expensive one, for all involved.…

Published March 14, 2011

I recently had the opportunity to speak at the amazing Ontario Coaches Conference 2011 in London, Ontario.  I spoke about communication in the coach-athlete relationship and highlighted the areas of law that could affect these interactions.  We also discussed one of the most troubling questions among prudent coaches – can/should athletes and coaches be friends on Facebook?…

Published March 11, 2011

Over the years I have worked with many National Sport Organizations (NSOs) on governance projects. These have ranged from small reviews and bylaw tinkering to massive organizational changes. Equine Canada, Swimming Natation Canada and Golf Canada are some larger NSOs that have made big changes in recent years, with my help.…

Published January 13, 2011

It's a new year! And many sport organizations are considering making changes to their governance structure. These are the ingredients for success as we see them (based on our experience doing this type of change work with many NSOs, most recently RCGA/Golf Canada, Canadian PGA and Gymnastics Canada, and more distantly, Swimming Natation Canada, Athletics Canada and Equine Canada):

• To succeed, the project requires a significant educational component.

Published December 15, 2010

This position paper was prepared by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM) Women's Issues in Sport Medicine Committee. It proposes that as supporters of safe and healthy performance environments, the Canadian sport medicine community plays an important role in the prevention of maltreatment.…

Published December 11, 2010

Conversations about gender identity and transgender athletes are definitely going mainstream these days. Just recently there have been two high profile stories: the first openly transgender athlete competing in the NCAA, and the change to the constitution of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) to remove a requirement that members be “female at birth”. …

Published December 11, 2010

It is quite exciting to learn of a case that touches on so many important principles of administrative law as it applies to the governance of sport associations. This recent ruling documents the nightmare that can happen when leaders of sport associations don’t get along and resort to convoluted legal remedies to try to solve their interpersonal problems.…

Published December 11, 2010

A lot of sport organizations are hearing buzz about a major government law that will affect their operations and possibly their bylaws.  Organizations are coming to us, concerned, and wondering if the new “corporations law” affects them, when they have act, and what they have to do.…

Published December 10, 2010

An organization I have worked with for many years recently asked me if I could identify the hallmarks of good governance - the indicators of a sound organization if you will. After spending over 15 years of helping sport organizations to understand and practice good governance, the list of indicators came easily.…

Published December 10, 2010

In our last newsletter, we started looking into the new forthcoming OHSA.  We have done more investigation here and it is important to highlight that the OHSA affects all employers in Ontario, including amateur sport organizations from all levels. …

Published December 10, 2010

[NOTE: An updated post on Criminal Records Checks was published in January 2016]

In many service sectors, some form of police record check is now common. Obtaining police record checks for volunteers is part of an organization’s due diligence and part of their standard of care to ensure that risks within the organization are reasonably managed.…

Published December 3, 2010

I attended the Sport Leadership conference on November 18th-20th and was treated to some great presentations about social media.  One of the main themes was the position, and I share it, that organizations need a plan before they jump into social media. …

Published November 23, 2010

Rachel Corbett was appointed as the Commonwealth Games Team Ombudsperson in June 2010. Unlike in prior years, for these games the position was a joint appointment of AthletesCAN, Coaches of Canada and the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada.…

Published October 14, 2010

In the fall of 2010, Rachel Corbett (co-founder of the Sport Law & Strategy Group) spent about a month in Delhi, India as a member of Team Canada at the Commonwealth Games. Appointed as Team Ombudsperson, her role was to be available to any team member who might need help or support because of doping, team member discipline, a sport-related protest or dispute, or any other problem that could arise from being a team member at a major international games.…

Published September 11, 2010

Over the last year as I have been consulting with sport organizations on governance and organizational change, I have encouraged people to make the effort to divorce themselves from their immediate daily worries and to think more long-term about the future.…

Published September 9, 2010

Recently, I held a workshop at Skate Canada’s Annual Congress and General Meeting in Toronto and shared my views on how sport organizations can benefit from identifying their values and using them intentionally. My research on nine National Sport Organizations (NSOs) showed me that a sport organization demonstrates evidence of a strong and resilient culture when it states its values and embeds those values within the organization’s communications.…

Published August 2, 2010

This guide is intended to help volunteers and staff of local sport organizations make better decisions. Designed for leaders, administrators and volunteers within sport organizations and sport clubs, the Risk Management Guide explains current risk management processes and how they can be applied within your organization.…

Published July 11, 2010

This is not a sport case but is helpful nonetheless in providing guidance to tribunals writing decisions. This occurs often in the sport context – panels and committees are often called upon to make decision on selection, eligibility, carding or discipline issues, or to make hear appeals of these decisions.…

Published July 10, 2010

Hilary Findlay recently wrote a chapter on contracts for coaches in an edited book about women in sport called “Taking the Lead: Strategies and Solutions from Female coaches”. The book has been described as “ground-breaking” by the Coaches Association of Canada.…

Published July 10, 2010

The actions of the University of Waterloo in suspending its 2010 football season provide an opportunity to think about issues of 'fairness'. We can think of fairness as it relates to the use of performance enhancing substances and "fair play".…

Published July 5, 2010

This story has been has been the subject of ridicule by many major media outlets, sportscasters, and internet bloggers. At our first glance at the headline, we also had to give our heads a shake. Certainly, it is too early to comment on the merits of the case because we do not know all the facts.…

Published July 5, 2010

On June 15th 2010, an amendment to the Occupational Health and Safety Act was signed into Ontario law which focuses on workplace harassment and violence. The new changes are important for all workplaces, including sport organizations. It is also notable that the vast majority of National Sport Organizations are incorporated under Ontario law, and have offices in Ontario, and are thus affected by this new law.…

Published July 5, 2010

What would you do if a coach in your organization showed you a player-created Facebook group that insulted the coach?  There are many of these groups in existence.

One group, when this article was originally posted, was titled “Larry Thornburg is the worst coach ever!”. …

Published June 19, 2010

The study examined the intentional use of NSOs' stated values. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) was applied to an Appreciative Inquiry approach of interviewing NSO senior leadership. Data were collected from nine NSOs through multiple-case studies analysis of interview transcripts, websites, and policy statements.…

Published June 10, 2010

By Rachel Corbett

They used to say the sword was mighty, then it was the pen, but now it is the mouse! This piece contains notes and speaking points for a "hot stove" session provided by the Centre for Sport and Law to the members of the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association.…

Published June 2, 2010

In 2009, the federal Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (NFP Act) received Royal Assent. We wrote about the NFP Actin a previous newsletter and there is now more information about the nature of the Act and the timing of its implementation.…

Published May 21, 2010

Back in 2005, we wrote about a procedural fairness case (Clegg, Albert, Ciaramidaro & Biathlon Canada v. Canadian Olympic Association, 2002) involving an athlete being selected to an Olympic team even though he had missed a selection deadline. …

Published May 5, 2010

Jurisdiction is an interesting concept – particularly in practice. Jurisdiction simply gives one the authority to act within a certain domain; however, while it has legal roots, it is also about power and persuasion. The omission of female ski jumpers from the 2010 Olympic Winter Games was, according to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, discriminatory. …

Published April 11, 2010

Over the past 18 months, I have been working towards my Master's Degree in the Applied Health Sciences (Sport Management) at Brock University.  I am  pleased to share with you that I successfully defended my thesis on April 5th, 2010.…

Published April 11, 2010

One of the goals of Canada’s Own the Podium funding program was to ‘Place first in the total medal count at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games’.  Canada received some criticism for baldly stating that goal.  But it is common for host countries to increase their sport funding in advance of the Olympic Games. …

Published April 10, 2010

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver/Whistler received high praise indeed. And although these winter Olympics were one of the best, any evaluation cannot (and will not) forget the tragedy of the Games. John Furlong, VANOC chairman, in a recent talk with the Vancouver Board of Trade said, "I don't think you can talk about the Games without talking about Nodar [Kumaritashvili].…

Published April 10, 2010

Hilary Findlay, along with her colleague Marcus Mazzucco from the University of Victoria, have recently had a couple of articles accepted for publication in American law journals. One article, titled Degrees of Intervention in Sport-Specific Arbitration: Are We Moving Towards a Universal Model of Decision-Making?…

Published April 10, 2010

Independent and specialized dispute resolution is an accepted and integral part of the sport bureaucracy internationally and, increasingly so, within national sport systems. Independent arbitration has been operating in the United States since 1978 and in the People’s Republic of China since 1995.…

Published April 10, 2010

Girls wanting to play on boys' teams.... This human rights issue has cropped up again, several times in fact, in the past short while. This timely column is about what the law actually says about girls trying out for boys' teams and addresses some of the issues that are often raised around the issue - and which deserve serious thought.…

Published April 6, 2010

The recent Ontario court decision of McKee v Reids Heritage Homes Ltd (RHH) has created yet another installment of the already confusing definition between who is an employee and who is a contractor.

Specifically, this case distinguished between an employee and a contractor and what significance the true nature of the relationship between the two terms can have on the status of the worker. …

Published March 11, 2010

I write this column the day after the close of the 2010 Paralympic Games. The months of February and March have been quite extraordinary for people like me who make a living in the amateur sport sector.…

Published February 20, 2010

The St. John’s School Lake Temiskaming Canoe Tragedy (1978)
The Strathcona Tweedsmuir School Rogers Pass Avalanche Tragedy (2003)

As a consultant working in the sport and recreation sector, these two school-based tragedies, occurring 25 years apart, have enlightened my thinking about what is important in risk management.…

Published February 11, 2010

Ozzie Sawicki’s excellent Technology Solutions columns in this publication help us understand how new technologies are being adapted for use in coach-athlete interactions. Some of the new technologies he has featured are instructional tools, while others are media (plural of medium) that facilitate communication between the coach and the athlete.…

Published February 2, 2010

The Supreme Court decision in Grant v. Torstar Corp gives insight into the ongoing legal tussle between freedom of expression vs. protection of reputation afforded by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Until now the balance had tilted in favour of protection of reputation, and against the media making assumptions and expressing opinions about a person’s character or conduct.…

Published January 12, 2010

If you google “mini-trial’ you will get several hundred thousand 'hits' telling you that a mini-trial is a form of alternative dispute resolution that promotes the resolution of disputes in ways that are less costly, time-consuming and acrimonious.…

Published September 12, 2010

Bruce Kidd (sport historian, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education & Health at the University of Toronto and a former Olympian) describes the ski jumping feats of the Wurtle twins of Montreal back in the 1930's [1].…

Published January 11, 2010

Social media has graduated into the lives of adults and professionals. Skype is not just for webcamming teenagers, but also for business people on conference calls. Google Wave took the best parts of social media like Facebook, and combined them into a massive collaborative workspace.…

Published January 11, 2010

On January 1, 2010 a number of changes to Ontario rules of civil procedure took effect, including a change to the monetary limit for awards in small claims court. Previously the maximum award that could be won in small claims was $10,000, but this amount has now been raised to $25,000.…

Published January 11, 2010

A force for good – that is what most not-for-profit sport organizations set out to become. For that very reason, sport often attracts dynamic, passionate and dedicated people who are as driven to succeed as the coaches and athletes their organization supports.…

Published January 4, 2010

Previously in this column we have written about the duty of care of coaches towards athletes. A new case from British Columbia (Hussack v. School District No. 33 (Chilliwack)) involving a physical education teacher sends a strong message, and we think it is worth providing an update on the duty of care coaches owe to their athletes.…

Published December 23, 2009

Question:
My son is active in club sports. He would like to switch to a different team to join his friends, but a representative of the league says he cannot unless we get a release, which is highly unlikely.…

Published December 12, 2009

We know that sport and physical activity produce positive health effects in individuals. However, until now the particular value of team sports to Canadian sport has not been explored. The first order of business of the Canadian Team Sport Coalition (made up of the organizing bodies of 19 Canadian team sports) was to complete this exploration.…

Published December 2, 2009

This Guide, authored by Barb Schimnowsky, is a human resources handbook to support the professional development of local sport clubs and associations. Designed for club executive members and administrators to assist in the management of paid employees, the Guide offers best practices, employment resources and numerous templates that may be adapted to suit any organization.…

Published December 1, 2009

Or for that matter, what is the standard of care of teachers to students, or instructors to participants? A recent court case of British Columbia involving a junior high school teacher and a student in a physical education class provides a good reminder of this standard (Hussack v.…

Published November 11, 2009

We had the opportunity to attend an interesting session on strategic planning at the Sport Leadership Conference in Vancouver earlier this month, involving presentations by Richard Way, Carolyn Trono of Rowing Canada Aviron and Peter Montopoli of the Canadian Soccer Association.…

Published November 11, 2009

The Ontario government recently passed Bill 118 – Countering Distracted Driving and Promoting Green Transportation Act. While Ontario is not the first jurisdiction in Canada to do this, it is the largest province to impose such a ban.…

Published November 11, 2009

Coaches of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) recently distributed the above two policy documents to sports administrators throughout Canada. The Code and Policy seek to create a national, coordinated mechanism whereby organizations can discipline those who engage in prohibited conduct in sport.…

Published November 11, 2009

Devon Hussack was a Grade 7 student when he was injured by a field hockey stick in a physical education class. Devon had not attended school for the first few weeks of the field hockey unit. He had a chronic history of school absences.…

Published November 11, 2009

Victor Wong, a 12-year-old boy, was injured after being thrown to the floor during a sparring session at Lok’s Martial Arts Centre.  Wong’s mother, Yen To, had previously attended the class and decided to enroll her sons as well.…

Published November 11, 2009

Organizational values are often described as the glue that connects your mission to your vision. What we know to be true, however, is that in the absence of stated, agreed-to, and lived values, people default to their own set of personal values to make decisions, prioritize, or resolve conflicts.…

Published November 8, 2009

The adage “failing to plan means planning to fail” applies to risk management in sport. Many sport organizations have learned the hard way that they might have benefited enormously from having planned ahead to deal with a sudden incident, emergency, scandal or crisis.…

Published October 10, 2009

The purpose of this discussion paper is to promote respectful dialogue, consultation and action concerning the participation of transitioning and transitioned athletes in sport. As is evident in this paper, it is not possible or useful to view this complex topic through a lens that separates societal and sport performance expectations.…

Published October 1, 2009

Question:

I am a member of a board of directors of a sport organization – my daughter is an athlete member of this organization. I sometimes hear people say that I am in a “conflict of interest position” and should not participate in some decisions the Board makes.…

Published September 11, 2009

For this column, we thought each of us from the Centre for Sport and Law would pitch in, sharing our thoughts on some recent legal events and looking forward to some new developments in Canadian sport.

Earlier this spring, we listened with interest to the news stories about the trial following the death of Manny Castillo, a teenage high school rugby player.…

Published September 11, 2009

Question:

When I register my child for a sport program, we are asked to sign a waiver form. Do these have any legal meaning?

Answer:

Any adult who is physically active, or who is a parent with children involved in sports, has signed waivers at one time or another.…

Published August 11, 2009

Earlier this year, Ontario passed the Apology Act, which now allows an individual or organization to offer an apology as part of a dispute resolution process without concern over legal liability. The Apology Act provides that an apology made in relation to a civil matter does not constitute an admission of fault or liability and would not be admissible in a civil proceeding.…

Published August 11, 2009

It only took 23 years, but Canada has a new policy on Women and Sport. Actively Engaged: a Policy on Sport for Women and Girls and the accompanying Action Plan, 2009-2012, were launched at the Canada Summer Games in PEI in August, but are back-dated to take effect January 1, 2009.The…