Report on the Athletes Roundtable

Calgary, AB

November 19-20, 2000

2000

Athletes CAN, Calgary

It is important to note that this report is a compilation

of input provided by roundtable delegates.

No attempt has been made to assess the relative

merits of the report's recommendations.

This report is available in both official languages on our website at:

www.amateur-sport.gc.ca

Table of Contents

Introduction	4

The Athletes Roundtable	5

I.	Aims and Objectives	5

II.	Structure and Organization	5

III.	Recommendations Arising from the Roundtable	7

Appendices	18

A. Roundtable Agenda	19

B. List of Roundtable Participants	20

C. Issues Identified by Individual Participants	21

Introduction

In the spring of 2000, Secretary of State (Amateur Sport) Denis Coderre launched a pan Canadian sport consultation process, with the goal being to develop a Canadian Sport Policy. The motivation for this initiative comes from the deliberations of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Sub-Committee on the Study of Sport in Canada and the recommendations in the Committee's final report titled Sport in Canada: Leadership, Partnership and Accountability (The Mills Report). The National Sport Policy development strategy was to feature the following consultation-based activities: 1) a consultation process consisting of six regional sport conferences held across Canada between June 2000 and February, 2001, each involving approximately 60 to 100 participants from different sectors of the sport community; 2) a number of specialized roundtables with various stakeholders in the Canadian sport system; 3) a National Summit on Sport in Ottawa in April, of 2001. The objectives of the National Summit on Sport will be to reach consensus on priority items that have been raised and debated through the Regional Conferences and which can be incorporated into a Canadian Sport Policy; and to provide the basis for legislative initiatives for sport.

The mission of Athletes CAN is to work with others in leadership, advocacy and education to ensure a fair, responsive, and supportive sport system for Canadian high performance athletes. As a respected advocacy entity in the Canadian sporting community, the goal of Athletes CAN is to have a significant positive impact on the life of every athlete by acting as the collective voice for amateur athletes in Canada. In fulfilling this mission, Athletes CAN is committed to the values of accountability, equity, inclusiveness, and mutual respect. Athletes CAN is committed to addressing athlete concerns and issues by encouraging and becoming actively involved in the development of policy and programs with partners in government, education, private corporate sector, and in the sport community.

The Athletes Roundtable

I.	Aims and Objectives

One of the objectives of the Athlete Roundtable was to provide athletes with an opportunity to come together to discuss the issues and make an organized and significant contribution to the National Sport Policy. The second objective of the Athlete Roundtable was to generate specific recommendations for the new National Sport Policy. This contribution from athletes would be athlete focused, but not without consideration of other stakeholders, and the Canadian Sport System in general.

The Athlete Roundtable meeting was held on Sunday, November 19 and Monday, November 20, 2000 in Calgary. This report presents a summary of the format, process, participants and the outcomes of the Athlete Roundtable.

II.	Structure and Organization

The following documents were used as background material leading up to the Roundtable:

1.	Regional Conferences on Sport Discussion Paper on the Development of a National Sport Policy.

2.	Series of six theme papers on Participation, Promotion, Ethics, Leadership, Sport Development and Resources for Sport.

3.	Athletes CAN Discussion Paper on the Development of a National Sport Policy

Participants were asked to identify and submit their individual priority gaps or issues, using their own experience as athletes and the background material as the basis for their views. This information was then used as a starting point for discussions at the Athlete Roundtable meeting. After reviewing the many issues identified by the individual participants, the issues were consolidated into several statements and prioritized in a first plenary session.

Six high priority issues, as identified by the participants, were then subjected to further discussion in smaller working group sessions. During the working group sessions, participants were asked to identify and describe the ideal situation. The vision regarding the particular issue was identified and described. Next, participants were asked to identify how to reach this vision. Participants were asked to identify what steps need to be taken and if there are other options or a series of possible solutions. In a final plenary session, the ideas generated by the working groups were presented to all participants and specific recommendations for National Sport Policy were generated. See Appendix A for the roundtable agenda.

Twenty-seven athlete representatives from a broad representation of sports and regions across Canada participated in the Athlete Roundtable meeting (see Appendix B). Ken Bellemare was hired to facilitate the roundtable. All the plenary sessions were facilitated by Mr. Bellemare and were audio recorded.

III.	Recommendations Arising from the Roundtable

After reviewing the many issues identified by individual roundtable participants (see Appendix C), the issues were consolidated into several statements and prioritized. The following is the list of statements in prioritized order with their score in brackets.

1.	Sport must become an essential component/value of Canadian society. (53)

2.	Develop a more coordinated sport system from grassroots to elite. (51) Considerations include:

- athlete centred

- co-ordination between NSOs and PSOs

- need for leadership of system - who will provide?

- system must be accountable

- balance between development and high performance

- leadership development (coaches, administrators, athletes, etc.)

- bridging the gap between junior development athletes and gold medal winners

- sport science/sport medicine

- talent identification

- coordination with education system

- accessible, quality grassroots programs

3.	Need for a system that allows athletes to train and compete full-time and to balance this with family life, education and career. (47)

4.	Need for a system that values coaching as a profession - shift in attitudes, culture, practices, funding. Need to address gaps in coach education/professional development, i.e., inclusion of a disability component and limited number of apprenticeships/mentoring opportunities. (41)

5.	Access to quality facilities and programming for all Canadians. (39)

6.	Athlete involvement in decision-making at all levels within the sport system with the elected representation by athletes with 20% solution. (28)

7.	Host more provincial, national and international competitions in Canada. (22)

8.	Development of a program/environment to help maintain involvement in sport post-
retirement. (11)

9.	Create more effective and focussed centralized programs for high performance. Address the number of National Sport Centres and training groups in sports and among sports. (5)

10.	Need to lobby more effectively for sport with government, the public, the private sector, the media, etc.. (5)

11.	There is a need for post competitive career funding. (4)

It was suggested by the group that statement number 1 be set aside and the participants focus on statements 2 through 7. Participants were divided into small groups and each group took a statement to discuss and develop recommendations for action. The results are as follows:

IV.	Statements Arising from the Work Group Sessions

Participants were divided into three small groups and each group took one statement to discuss and develop recommendations for action. This process was repeated to discuss a second set of three issues. The results of these discussions are as follows:

Statement #2

Develop a more coordinated sport system from grassroots to elite. NOTE: Participants in this discussion noted that this is a huge topic and that time did not permit a full examination of this statement. The following recommendations were those that were developed in the time available.

Recommendations

•	Every child in Canada should receive Quality Daily Physical Education (QPDE) from Kindergarten to Grade 12 with a focus in the early years on developing the basic skills of running, jumping, throwing and catching.

•	Develop a club system for sport in Canada to feed the elite programs, especially to provide an alternative for either high performance athletes whose university eligibility has expired or those who chose not to enroll in a post-secondary school educational program.

•	Establish programs and competitions at the regional level to bridge the gap between the high school, university and provincial level and the international level.

•	Establish full athletic scholarships at Canadian colleges and universities.

•	Hire full-time, salaried coaches at colleges and universities.

•	Provide athlete support services (e.g., psychology, physiotherapy) at colleges and universities.

•	Streamline the sport system to reduce inefficiencies.

•	Hold NSOs accountable to their funders and to their membership for their performance goals and objectives through their own policies and an objective evaluation process.

•	Develop a common vision for Canadian sport.

•	Develop sport organizations that manage and govern sport (e.g., technical development, coaching development) from grassroots to elite and are held accountable for their performance along the entire continuum of their sport.

•	Create a leadership organization made up of representatives from sport (including athletes), government, education, and the private sector to develop and monitor the strategic framework for sport in Canada.

•	Below is a suggested model for the organization of sport in Canada:

Leadership Organization

provides strategic direction/coordination to system
National Sport Organizations

primarily responsible for the sport technical development including officials

manage/govern their sport from grassroots to elite	Facility Providers

promote and encourage more efficient use (e.g., hours of operation, gender equity) and shared use (e.g., school community use agreements)

involve sport in design of renovations to existing facilities and construction of new facilities

National Sport Centres

primarily responsible for complimentary support services

physiotherapy, career planning, psychology, weight training, fitness training, athlete services, leadership development, etc.

focus on espoir level to elite level athletes
Education System

support and partnership with sport system in all areas

Statement #3

Need for a system that allows athletes to train and compete full-time and to balance this with family life, education and career.

Recommendations

•	For athletes to compete and win on the world stage, they must be supported as a complete person. Work opportunities and education must contribute to them succeeding as a world class athlete. The goal is a high performance athlete who wins a medal or medals for Canada, is debt free, is educated and/or has participated in a meaningful job experience, is a balanced person, is proud to be a Canadian and is able to serve as a role model for Canadians.

•	To value amateur athletes as full-time professionals, three elements must be present:

1.	Compensation - provide $25,000 a year to cover training expenses (not competition which is an NSO expense) and make available performance bonuses for top international success.

2.	Education - provide scholarships for elite athletes to attend college or university, build flexibility into study schedules to take into account the required training and competition, and award academic credits for sport and work experiences.

3.	Career - develop a corporate support network through a national team alumni association, offer job programs through National Sport Centres, and make available mentoring and apprenticeship opportunities. Assist athletes to develop a 6-10 year career plan.

Statement #4

Need for a system that values coaching as a profession - shift in attitudes, culture, practices, funding. Need to address gaps in coach education/professional development, i.e., inclusion of a disability component and limited number of apprenticeships/mentoring opportunities.

Recommendations

•	The national sport policy should recognize coaching as a viable profession. The following need to be consulted or involved in any follow-up action:

government in general and all appropriate departments such as Human Resources, Heath, Education, Sport, Revenue (tax incentives)

NSOs, PSOs, NSCs

municipalities

universities, colleges and schools

other stakeholders, e.g. private sector

•	The national sport policy should include standards of employment for coaches consistent and comparable with other similar professions, e.g., teachers, management level positions, consultants, professional trainers/facilitators. Standards should address such things as salary, qualifications/licensing, time, resources, benefits, tax breaks/incentives, bonuses or incentives or recognition, ethical code of conduct and professional development. These standards should refer to:

coaching working group

CPCA/CAC

voice of the athletes

multi sport organizations (e.g., COA), NSOs and PSOs

clubs, colleges, universities

corporate sector

government sectoral councils (e.g., ISRC)

•	Establish an objective system for monitoring and evaluating coaches using sport experts/professionals, athletes, peers and not exclusively volunteer Board members. Refer to CPCA, CAC, NSOs, PSOs, NSCs, MSOs, and other comparative models.

Statement #5

Access to quality facilities and programming for all Canadians.

Recommendations

•	National Sport Centres be centered in quality multi-sport facilities built to international standards (e.g., Calgary) to permit:

mixing of high performance athletes from different sports

user pay programmes for other athletes, the public, corporations and schools to raise revenue for the centre. These programmes must be designed to meet the needs of these target groups.

year round facilities for all sports, e.g. indoor ski jumping

•	Involve provincial and/or national sport organizations in the construction of all new public sport facilities by municipalities, public schools, universities and colleges, and not- for-profit organizations such as the YMCA to maximize their use for high performance training and competition opportunities. Utilize government infrastructure programs to their fullest. Seek ways to involve the corporate sector not only for funding but also for their expertise on the facility's Board of Directors. Involve, where possible, professional sport organizations.

•	Formally involve all facility owners/providers (e.g., schools, universities, municipalities) in the sport system.

•	Implement gender equality policies in all public facilities to improve access by girls and women.

•	Increase sport system access to Department of National Defence sport facilities.

•	When developing sport schools, put the priority on building the sport facilities over the classroom facilities as it is easier to find and/or adapt existing space for classrooms than sport facilities and also virtual classrooms (internet teaching) are now proven and viable.

•	Build in Canada a public (not private) ski facility (alpine, cross country, snowboard, biathlon, freestyle) for high performance training and competition which is supported by revenue from allowing public access.

•	Partner non-traditional sports when constructing new sport facilities, e.g., dance space for training both figure skaters and synchronized swimmers, freestyle ski jumps in swimming pools.

•	Each sport develop a facility technical package for either renovating existing facilities or building new facilities to the necessary sport specifications (e.g., ceiling height, lane width, etc.) to be available to all facility providers such as municipalities, schools, universities, YMCAs, etc.

Statement #6

Athlete involvement in decision-making at all levels within the sport system with the elected representation by athletes with 20% solution.

Recommendations

•	Require NSOs and PSOs to have 20% athlete representation on their decision making bodies and that they be held accountable for this requirement through their government funding. Athlete representatives to be elected by their peers. Athlete representatives should have voting rights at the highest level of decision-making in every NSO and PSO.

•	Consider use of recently retired athletes (within 8 years of retirement) as representatives as they have more time, a good perspective on athlete issues and are less vulnerable when speaking out (e.g., fears about team selection).

•	Create a one year card for retiring athletes who would serve as athlete representatives and must also participate in a training program. Hold such athletes accountable for their participation and performance.

•	Use a strategic approach for athlete representation and effective communication that leads to systemic change. Sport Canada to create and maintain a database of all relevant meetings and events.

•	Athletes CAN to educate athletes on the importance of being active (e.g., attending meetings) when elected as an athlete representative. To provide an education platform, Athletes CAN should be represented (e.g., part of athlete services) at all major events - both national and international.

Statement #7

Host more provincial, national and international competitions in Canada.

Recommendations

•	Recognize the importance of hosting events in Canada to allow more athletes at all levels more opportunities to compete. The benefits of increased competitive opportunities include more exposure to high performance sport, increasing Canada's leverage and influence in international sport, and the proven social, economic and cultural benefits of hosting major events.

•	Host events to increase the profile of our national team athletes and promote all aspects of sport to the grassroots and the Canadian public. Hosting should be linked to a lasting legacy, e.g., foundations, facilities, volunteer development, programs, etc.

•	Encourage and create a more collaborative effort by host communities and organizations to share information, best practices, experience through organizations such as the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, National Sport Organizations, Provincial Sport Organizations, National Sport Centres, Canadian Inter-university Athletic Union and other similar organizations and private sector groups.

•	The Canadian Sport Policy direct the federal government to mandate, through the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), that networks and cable companies provide television coverage of national and international events hosted in Canada.

•	Institute a tax credit program for sport event rights holders. A example from the Arts that could serve as a model for establishing tax credits for event hosts is the Ontario Film Development Corporation.

V.	Specific Recommendations Arising from the Final Plenary Session

In a final plenary session, the ideas generated by the working groups were presented to all participants and specific recommendations for National Sport Policy were generated. Participants arrived at the following six recommendations for National Sport Policy:

1)	A national sport policy should lead to a fully coordinated sport system from grassroots to high performance. A national sport plan to guide the funds development, facilities, and programming for all sport in Canada should be established. Important outcomes of the sport system include:

a)	Access to sport and physical activity for all children at grass roots level through the education system.

b)	A club system that builds on grass roots development and feeds high performance programs.

c)	Creative scheduling to make use of facilities during the day.

d)	Programs and competitions at the regional level to reduce gaps between regional and national level of performance.

e)	Full athletic scholarships, full time salaried coaches and support services (para-medical, psychological, social, life skills) at the university level.

f)	Training groups that bring together the top high performance athletes, coaches, sport science professionals and para-medical staff in the best facilities should be established. These groups need access to quality domestic and international competitions.

2)	A national sport policy should recognize training and competing in high performance sport as a full-time occupation that should be valued by Canadians. Outcomes of this statement include the following;

a)	Resources should be made available to high performance athletes so that they can train on a full time basis, with the target being resources of $25,000 per year after taxes. Incentives to encourage an investment from new sources (besides government) must be established. There should be incentives for medal performances at major games above this level of support.

b)	Education is an important component for high performance athletes. Full scholarships (tuition, residence, meal expenses) should be established in the university system. Academic programs must be flexible to allow periods of intense training that is normal in the training cycle of high performance athletes.

c)	Employment programs, with flexible schedules that allow athletes to develop a career should be established.

d)	Athletes must be accountable and assume responsibility to benefit from these resources. Code of conducts need to be established.

3)	A national sport policy should recognize coaching as a viable, legitimate and valued profession. Desirable outcomes include the following:

a)	Standards of employment practices consistent and comparable with other professions (teaching, lawyers, health professionals etc) need to be established.

b)	An objective system of monitoring and evaluating coaches by sports experts/professionals, other coaches, and athletes, in addition to volunteer board members is needed. Education and training for coaches must be competency-based.

c)	A program of mentoring coaches, in which national level coaches are involved in mentoring volunteer coaches, should be established.

4)	A national sport policy should recognize the importance of access to quality facilities for all Canadians. Outcomes of this statement include the following:

1)	National Sport Centers should be established within quality multi-sport facilities that meet international competition standards.

2)	Facilities should be accessible to high performance athletes, and the Canadian public, including those people with disabilities.

3)	Municipalities, schools, and university organizations need to be involved when constructing new facilities.

4)	Formally involve all facility providers in the sport systems.

5)	Increase access to Department of National Defense sport facilities.

6)	Build high performance sport facilities that are support by public access.

7)	Sport organizations need to develop and publish technical packages with information on technical standards for international competition.

8)	There needs to be equity in the assignment of facility use by the Canadian public.

i)	Use the resources of programs such as the national infrastructure program to build sport facilities.

5)	A national sport policy should recognize that athletes must be involved in making the decisions that affect them. Some of the outcomes of this recommendation include the following:

a)	Elected athlete representation, as voting members of boards at the highest level of decision-making, should be a requirement for funding of sport organizations.

b)	Athlete representatives should be elected by their peers, and should not have retired from active competition for more than 8 years.

c)	A program to develop athlete leaders, involving an extension of carding status for one year after retirement from active competition, should be established.

d)	A strategic team approach to athlete representation and communication should be encouraged.

e)	A platform for Athletes CAN to offer education of athlete leaders at all major events, domestic and international.

6)	A national sport policy should recognize the importance of hosting major national and international events in Canada. Hosting events increases the profile of our national team athletes and promotes all aspects of sport to the Canadian public. This should involve:

a)	A tax credit program for sport event right holders.

b)	Federal government should be involved in television production of National and International events within Canada mandated through the Canadian Radio and Television Corporation.

c)	Encourage partnerships and collaborations to share best practices, experiences through such organizations as the National Sport Organizations, the Provincial Sport Organizations, National Sport Centers, The Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union, and Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance.

Conclusion

The Athlete Roundtable was a success in terms of the objectives. High performance athletes had the opportunity to discuss issues and make a contribution to the development of a national sport policy. Participants also arrived at six specific recommendations for sport policy. At the conclusion of the Roundtable, a press conference was held to announce the six recommendations for a National Sport Policy. The press conference received coverage in the national and local media. The Athletes CAN Position Paper for the Development of National Sport Policy was prepared and posted on the Regional Conference website. Both the Discussion and Position papers will serve as a resource for athletes and for all members of the sport community.

Canadians, sport organizations, corporate sponsors and the media are invited to contribute to the development of a Canadian Policy on Sport that will respond to the needs of Canadian society through the web site at http://www.amateur-sport.gc.ca.

Canadian Sport Policy Task Force

Hull, Québec.

November , 2000

Appendices

A. Roundtable Agenda

SUNDAY, November 19, 2000

Metro Centre

4:00 pm	Welcome Reception

4:30 pm	Welcome from Athletes CAN – Susanne Dandenault, Chair

Introduction of facilitator and Ice Breaker – Ken Bellemare

4:40 pm	Welcome from National Task Force on Canadian Sport Policy

Roger Farley, Executive Director

Presentation of Six Theme Papers and Discussion Paper on the Development of a Canadian Sport Policy

5:00 pm	Presentation of Athletes CAN Discussion Paper on National Sport Policy

Therese Brisson, Interim Executive Director

5:20 pm	Questions and discussion from delegates

5:40 pm	Outline of workshop format and working groups for Monday meeting

Submission of priority issues/gaps

6:00 pm	Dinner – Westin Hotel

MONDAY, November 20, 2000

Sheraton Eau Claire

7:30 am	Breakfast

8:30 am	Review of day's agenda and working groups

8:40 am	PLENARY - Identification and prioritization of Gaps and Weaknesses in Canadian Sport System

10:00 am	Health Break

10:15 am	WORKING GROUPS (3) – Recommended Solutions to identified gaps and weaknesses

11:45 am	PLENARY - Report back from Working Groups / Discussion

12:15 pm	Lunch Break

1:15 pm	WORKING GROUPS (3) – Recommended Solutions to identified gaps and weaknesses

2:45 pm	Health Break

3:00 pm	PLENARY – Report back from Working Groups / Discussion / Consensus on recommendations for National Sport Policy

4:45 pm	Press conference: Athletes CAN National Sport Policy Recommendations by panel of athlete reps

5:15 pm	Adjournment

B. List of Roundtable Participants

Athlete	Sport
Therese Brisson	Ice Hockey
Susanne Dandenault	Weightlifting
Shane Pearsall	Hockey (Retired)
Todd Allison	Freestyle Skiing (Retired)
J.P. Cantin	Judo (Retired)
Josee Grand-Maitre	Racquetball (Retired)
Gaetan Boucher	Speed- Skating
Susan Auch	Speed Skating
Greg Edgelow	Wrestling (Retired)
Tayna Dubnicoff	Cycling
Jacques Bouchard	Wheelchair Athletics
France St. Louis	Hockey- Retired
Patrick Roberge	Judo
Ljiljana Ljubisic	Athletics- Blind Athlete
Lisa Ling	Karate
Mark Smith	Softball
Marianne Limpert	Swimming
David Ford	Whitewater Slalom
Bill Abbott	Yachting
Ian Bird	Field Hockey
Jean Marc Chouinard	Fencing (Retired)
Lisa Alexander	Synchro Swim
Karen MacNeill	Field Hockey
Curt Harnett	Cycling (Retired)
Curtis Hibbert	Gymnastics (Retired)
Dave McEachern	Bobsleigh

C. Issues Identified by Individual Participants

Grassroots and Education

•	Mandatory physical education in elementary and secondary schools

•	promote active living

•	increase daily activities options

•	enhance current and future quality of life

•	create strong positive perception of sports and physical fitness

•	socialisation.

•	Develop grassroots/education physical education.

•	Barriers to participation in physical activity for children with disabilities (children not included - program not inclusive).

•	Developing grassroots

•	Sport needs to be strengthened in education system, with coaches/experts hired to run/deliver programs during day, before and after school.

•	Programming for athletes with disabilities is not progressive (big jump from community to international competitions).

•	Need more cohesion between provincial and federal government regarding sport (source are conveying the same message). Also more congruency between NSO and grass roots; need to educate everyone on the philosophy of national team program (help to reduce the gap when they reach lite level).

Coaches

•	Coaches:

•	best coaches for elite athletes

•	best coaches for developmental athletes

•	coaching talent identification.

•	Better coaching from top to bottom.

•	Coaching is still not considered a professional occupation. Coaches need to be paid at a level equivalent to experts in other fields. We need professional development opportunities and funding.

•	Financial investment in coaching.

•	Coaching talent identification program.

•	similar to athlete talent identification, but for coaches

•	existing athletes

•	school system

•	Gap: quality coaches in grass roots level

•	incentive programs for them

•	funding to compensate efforts.

•	Coaching:

•	a lot more money

•	apprenticeship programs.

•	Funding requirements: establish a process that requires NSOs that compete in Olympic. Pan Am and World Championship events to have paid full time coaches. Funding eligibility is tied to this process.

•	Making coaching a profession.

•	Coaching: we need the best coaches in the world working with our top athletes. I had to move to England to get top quality coaching. Instead, that coach should have been brought to Canada for the whole team. Instead we have volunteers coaching the national A team.

•	More HP coaches for national teams.

Culture / Identity

•	Gap: visibility in the media. Sport (amateur sport) needs to be seen and experienced. If CBC is truly a public broadcaster, then it should be required to air all Canadian sports and events regardless of profile. (Since they are the only broadcaster with a billion dollars budget, when all the rest rely on ad revenues).

•	Canadians do not understand the benefits of sport. People in sport do not walk the talk of being fit for life (1/one of the benefits of sport).

•	Link participation initiatives with Canada's best athletes. Promote our finest while advocating active lifestyles and sport for all.

•	Media coverage:

•	increased coverage for amateur sport and sporting events

•	tax incentives for media

•	Promotion of sport as essential component of Canadian society, through politics (tie into political agenda of health care, corporate message, mass media).

•	Valorise athlete profile (valorise amateur sport).

•	The state of sport in society as it relates to children.

•	Gap: overall development of athletes as strong Canadians. If we need/want to move to a sporting culture we must have people involved their entire life (e.g.: from 2 to 92 years old). Therefore we need to actively encourage and support opportunities for people to stay involved, at all levels and in all areas.

•	A sport culture would lead the support from community, companies, people and media. How can we develop that sport culture?

•	Promotion of sport:

•	short term (television, print, campaign, etc.)

•	long term (exposer to the youth, youth programs)

•	Sports needs to be recognized as an important part of Canadian culture and society. When Canadians come to understand the values of sport, the resources will follow.

•	Sport must become an important value of Canadian society, sports is part of solution to other social problems.

•	Improve amateur sport profile within Canada.

•	Valued amateur athlete as Canada's heros.

•	Include sport as a part of every day living, for everyone.

•	Gap: educate the public

•	Be proud of our athletes. Be one of our athletes (even if it is just a walk to the store instead of a car ride).

•	Celebrate diversity

•	Olympics are a peaceful coming together of sport and the arts. Lay down weapons and celebrate excellence. Expand this to all sporting pursuits.

•	Recognition/acceptance by media, public and other sports organisations that paralympians are on equal footing with olympians (recognise the accomplishment).

•	Facilities/infrastructures.

•	Hosting major events.

•	Lack of proper training facilities.

•	Gap: winter sport facilities

•	All winter sport training facilities are owned by the economic sector and we are at their mercy (money, priority, etc.).

•	Especially summer facilities (travel and training costs are very high).

•	Infrastructure

•	development and design

•	maintenance

•	accessibility.

•	Better access to training facilities.

•	We need access to facilities to train and develop (no ice available, etc.)

•	Lack of infrastructure: need to create new, enhance existing and partner with other stakeholders.

•	Gap: infrastructure

•	Canadians in all regions of the country should be able to access quality, maintained facilities that can incorporate all levels of performance.

•	Facilities of the highest standard located to create cultures of excellence.

•	Infrastructure:

•	new places

•	partnership with existing one (DND, school, universities)

•	renovations of old ones.

Athlete Involvement

•	Athlete involvement in decisions - 20% solution.

•	Athletes CAN: Needs double the budget so we can:

•	Hire an awesome Executive Director

•	Hire a Business Development Director and implement the ideas we have been talking about! Athletes CAN is the organization that has to take the lead for athletes.

•	Get more control over the NSOs use of money from sponsorships. Ahletes need to be better informed on how much of that money serves them directly

•	More money from:

•	Private sector

•	Government

•	Resources to allow athletes train on a full time basis in preparation for major games.

•	Recycling athletes - keep us in the system.

•	Sufficient funding:

- direct aid

- indirectly for programs and services

- reward/incentives for outstanding performances.

•	Athletes need access to more funding support services and quality coaches.

•	Young kids will sometimes quit a sport because of inadequate equipment. Funding at the root level is necessary

•	Disparity between high performance athletes with and without disabilities - resources to athletes/coaches/competitions for athletes with disabilities.

•	Athlete involvement in decisions that affect them.

•	Athlete Centered System - An athlete on every executive of every NSO, and high performance committees. We need a say in the decisions that affect us.

•	Athlete involvement in decision-making - currently, athletes elected by board (or appointed), rather than being elected by athletes.

•	Partnership

•	Partnership at private sector and pro-sport - can use both for resources (player tax for amateur fund) - also leadership training - great leaders in both sectors - need to tap into these resources.

•	Sport Investment Incentive Plan (AKA Tax Break)

•	Corporate

•	Private

•	Media

•	Tax Relief

•	Tax exemption up to 30,000

•	Corporate exemption for sponsorship.

•	Funding Partnerships - Collaborative partnerships with Government and Corporate Sector. Tax incentives for sponsorship commitments.

•	Direct funding

•	Athletes

•	Talent identification

•	Coaches

•	Must be planning for additional costs associated with meeting needs of high performance athletes with disabilities.

•	Pension Plan

•	National carded athletes

•	Olympic athletes

•	RRSP matching program (AAP)

•	Financial support to give elite athletes capability to train full-time.

•	Athletes (retired) leaving sport and not coming back to sport system.

•	NEED a reward system that recognizes achievements of athletes at the regional or national level (instead of only medals).

•	Integration of sport for athletes with disabilities into NSOs needs to be monitored for safeguard to ensure unique needs are met.

•	Gaps and weaknesses - Not enough incentives for athletes to stay in their sport after their active career (as referee or coach or administrative staff).

•	Athletes cannot (should not) combine as a full-time athlete the need to work and study.

•	Dans un système professionnel les conditions critiques de succès sont prioritaires

- Entraîneurs de qualité, payés (important)

- Accès aux installations, équipements

- Services scientifiques, médicaux

- Confrontations (concentration, déplacement)

- $

- École/entraînement

•	Gap: Resources to athletes

•	Resources need to be available to athletes from a series of coordinated areas. ( i.e.: direct funding, tax cuts, incentives, corporate facilitation and sponsorship).

•	Gap: 'The damned if you do, damned if you don't' syndrome.

The 18-24 yr. Athlete leaves home (+$), pressure to train full-time (+$), go to school (+$). Train and be broke OR afford to train & not reach success!

•	Athletic success = Training time - Work time - Community investment time

•	Financial liability = Work time - Training time - School time

•	Scholastic success = School time - Training time - Work time - Community

•	Life success = School time + Training time + Work time + Community Investment time + Family time

•	Funding: Every top athlete should have the funding to be able to train full-time once they've made the national A team in their sport.

•	How to get the actual resources to be more efficient and get rid of the duplication?

•	Lack of resources - 'work' as a full-time athlete.

•	Family life (wife/husband and kids) and full time athlete. Lack of support and incentives to keep the athlete motivated.

•	Athlete centre: 20% solutions

•	Retiring athletes' huge amount of experience is put aside by management of NSOs.

•	Positive experience in sport. How could we ensure that each level athlete has a positive sport experience, that helps them develop lifestyles in a holistic approach. What would help keep the athletes involved in sport after their sport career?

•	Less focus on holistic development of athletes. More focus on an effective retirement program.

•	As a recent retire athlete, need tools to go through that transition. Find a way to make them stay in the system. Example: role model.

•	Investment incentives

•	Corporation

•	Volunteers

•	Parents

•	Athletes

National/Provincial Programs

•	The balance between development and high performance.

•	NEED an identifiable, structured pathway for young athletes (and their parents) to proceed and progress to the top level that they can achieve.

•	How does this Round Table go with the high performance sport council?

•	When are we going to have a complete sport system?

•	Sport does not lobby the Government - National or Internationally. WADA in Montreal Dick Pound - 10c Prez 2008 2010.

•	Quality of provincial programs needs to be improved and delivered on an ongoing basis.

•	NEED more mid level competitions i.e.: Regional, National Events. Allows a greater number of Canadian athletes to compete at home (will attract more athletes and will create more exposure at home).

•	We need a better efficient system with some adjectives: self-directed, accountable, transparent, athlete-centered (long term development of the athlete). What are the conditions to develop that system?

•	Accountability in the system

•	NSOs, PSOs, MSOs

•	Coaches, officials

•	Athletes

•	Continued development of top performers

•	need to fill void in sport programs after eligibility is up (i.e.: Can Summer Games, CIAU)

•	need to develop club system or change rules about eligibility - learn from other countries club systems.

•	L'individu qui s'engage dans le sport doit:

•	comprendre qu'il fait partie d'un 'route', d'un système intégré

•	sentir que l'on fait ça pour lui et non pour autojustifier les organisations en place

•	sentir appuyé, soutenu

•	The specific role of the proposed high performance sports council.

•	Leadership. Who will bring leadership to this new vision of sport. How to exercise it/apply it? How to evaluate it?

•	Coordinated approach to sport programming for all levels of sport/cooperation of governments and sports organizations responsible for delivery, funding, etc.

•	Sport does not work as a team (hard to believe). We do not have clear goals for everyone across all sports.

•	What will the individual look like/be after their involvement in organized sport?

•	Sport (unorganized) must be a part of life

•	Athletes development. Establish a process that requires NSOs and PSOs to develop an athlete development component that ensures a consistent athlete development process. Funding eligibility is tied to this process.

•	Bridge the gap between junior national team to gold medal performance.

•	Lack of high quality (international) competitive opportunities.

•	Too many NSC for the size of our country.

•	Sports medicine. National sport medicine system.

•	Comprehensive plan for the progression of participants / athletes in the sport system including life after competitive career is over.

•	Each sport needs to have a business plan that will produce success. Manage the plan. Lack of accountability.

•	Gap: Sport Community Fragmentation. The various levels of sport need to complement each other in the movement from one level to another. Goal: Seamless integration of requirements and expectations.

•	General ideas:

•	Resources: NHL tax, lotto's, corporate sponsors, corporate in kind

•	Leadership:	- Training more consistent for athlete, coaches and adm.

- Have focus groups or development group with corp, NHL and Nat team reps

•	Emphasis should be on training groups for improving international performance (athletes, coaches, facilities and sport science).

•	Centralization of sport through full service sports centres.

•	Second rate university sports programs (lack of direction for ages 18-23). *Need full scholarship program to attract countries best athletes.

•	Gap: Recruitment: Talent ID. 'Many sports doing what they do internally well and hoping talent will find them. Not going outside the sport'

•	Need to coordinate promotion of sport (whole)

•	Need to cooperate and inspire people to try

•	Need to make it easy to find the sport

•	Need to have young adults (5-12) doing more sports/activity to create a critical mass of athletes to choose from. (We teach physical fitness first, this should be done in school).

•	Lack of communication from the top down. Athletes are rarely aware of internal issues and decisions concerning their sport.

•	Vision intégrée - Local/Provincial/Fédéral

•	Leadership

•	Partenariat

•	$ bien placé

•	Clarification des rôles et des responsabilités

•	À un haut niveau, l'athlète recherche un cheminement, un système orienté vers la performance, professionnel (non pas un système préoccupé par les paramètres de gestion de programmes, parfois antinomiques aux objectifs sportifs)