What We're Watching 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.

Dina: This year I continued working with organizations in their risk management efforts – completing a further five workshops as part of the Risk Management Project - and was pleased to help other organizations complete risk registries. We distributed a further 75 copies of my book to sport organizations across the country (raising the total distribution to 525) and I am thrilled to see organizations beginning to enact their values.

In early 2014 I earned my accreditation as an Integral Master Coach™ and just recently I added certification as an Associate Certified Coach (see press release). With these two designations and the lessons I have learned acquiring them, I am eager to assist individuals and coaches with using their own values to inspire their organizations and their teams. I see 2015 as a year in which coaches will begin coaching-by-values and I am excited to be at the forefront of this emerging trend in sport. DBL@sportlaw.ca

Rachel: I took half of the year off! Well, not really. But in mid-2014 I attended the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as Team Canada’s Ombudsperson (a role I also filled in 2010 in Delhi) and again had an amazing experience with the team. In September I began a full-time teaching position as a Lecturer at Brock University’s Sport Management program. Though I had taught in the program in the past as a sessional instructor, I have a new appreciation for full-time academics and I have attempted to connect my experience from the ‘real world’ in sport to the classroom and demonstrate to students the exciting possibilities ahead of them. Here is my account at the half-way mark!

Even though I have spent the last few months back in school, I have kept closely connected to the new developments in sport. I am ready to co-present our first webinar on the NFP Act – Aftermath later this month and reconnect with some organizations that may need post-transition guidance. I was also recently appointed as a Doping Control Officer and I will be providing doping control services at the Pan Am/ParaPan Am Games in Toronto this summer. Finally, I intend to begin writing a book on the changes in NSO governance over the past twenty years – a book I feel I am uniquely qualified to write – and I am excited to resume relationships with NSO leaders past and present to hear their insight and stories. RMC@sportlaw.ca

Steve: By-laws and policy reviews continue to keep me busy and I am always ready to assist organizations with improving their governance and operations. Post-transition to compliance with the NFP Act has sparked many federally-incorporated organizations to review their policies and committee terms of reference to ensure a smoother operating organization. The webinar on March 31^st that I am co-hosting with Rachel will give attending organizations a head start.

The ONCA, although not yet in force, will create lasting changes for Ontario-based PSOs and sport clubs and our experience with the NFP Act has shown us how to transition effectively and efficiently. In fact, we have already assisted close to 30 sport groups with their ONCA-related preparation. Lastly, we are preparing for an exciting new service that the SLSG will launch in April and I am ready to add my expertise in that area to help benefit organizations.

Lastly, I was able to join Rachel in the classroom when I gave a guest lecture in her human resources and employment law class. It was interesting to share insights I have gained from over a decade of experience helping sport organizations better manage their human capital, including hiring and firing employees. SJI@sportlaw.ca

Kevin: Most of my 2014 was spent assisting organizations with their by-laws and policy review, and with their social media engagement. I still believe that organizations can more intentionally have a social media strategy and a review I did in November showed that 53 of 59 NSOs had no social media policy posted on their website. That’s a concerning omission. Rachel and I also looked back on two decades of athlete maltreatment in sports and produced a written report for the CCES which they will present in webinar form on March 25^th.

In 2015 I intend to focus more on the upcoming developments with the BC Society Act and I have already begun to assist a couple of proactive BC PSOs on their governance review. I am planning a trip to BC in the summer and will be available to give presentations to sport groups. Finally, I am also excited to lend my experience to the exciting new service that the SLSG will be launching in April. KRL@sportlaw.ca

LeeAnn: In 2014 I gained a significant amount of experience working as a case manager assisting organizations with the smooth management of disputes, complaints, and appeals. I published in Coaches Plan, and Dina and I adapted the risk management workshops to Ontario-based organizations with great initial success.

I am excited to lead the launch of the SLSG’s exciting new service in April of this year and to present two seminars at the Alberta Sport Conference in Banff! LLC@sportlaw.ca

Kathy: Since joining the SLSG in April 2014, I have had the opportunity to work with a number of NSO’s on their governance revisions and post-Continuance alignment. In addition, I have worked with a university and MSO on a successful joint grant application for a project to be launched later this year. A great deal of my time has been focussed on supporting an NSO through a full review of their human resources structure, contracts and policies and compared their efforts to best practices in the sector. I am just beginning a similar review with a second NSO and another organization and we are already seeing great value from the results of this type of work.

I look forward to 2015 being a year where I can continue working with organizations to refine their organizational management and financal practices. KEH@sportlaw.ca

Jason: I joined the SLSG this January and have been transitioning over from my management role with the Toronto Ultimate Club. My experience with the TUC, event management, and frequent networking with sport event and tourism professionals uniquely positions me to help organizations plan and host their events. I am experienced with developing hosting guidelines, creating bid packages, evaluating bids, promoting the event, and handling the logistics and risk management of hosting – I can help at every stage.  My services also include marketing, fundraising, creative partnerships, policy and grant development, and strategic planning.

It’s been a great start to the year and I am already immersed in several sport event and marketing efforts. I hosted my first webinar through SIRC on March 11^th called “Bidding & Hosting 101” which focused on demystifying the event bid for local sport organizations. I look forward to hosting another webinar through the SLSG’s webinar series. I am currently conducting market research for a new fundraising event and am also bidding on a large scale risk management project.  At the end of March I will be participating in the Sport Events Congress hosted by the CSTA.

In April I will be full-time with the SLSG team and I am excited for the year ahead!  I’m always available to chat with organizations – large and small – at JER@sportlaw.ca