Ottawa – July 6, 2023 – Nearly 200 participants had a rewarding and positive experience with the first leg of the Hope on the Horizon Tour, joining Sport Law and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) to reclaim the promise of sport through a values-based approach to sport. The CCES and Sport Law have collaborated with provincial and territorial partners in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Northwest Territories to host legal, leadership, and True Sport workshops.
The workshops tackled topics related to outdated governance systems, insufficient risk management practices, depleted staff and volunteers, and a misaligned and under-resourced system. Despite these challenges, participants left feeling hopeful and supported, with a renewed sense of optimism as they committed to working collaboratively to advance a values-based sport system, underpinned by the True Sport Principles.
“We are so moved by the deep desire of sport leaders to openly address the systemic issues that have been keeping sport stuck for decades. While we believe that the vast majority of sport leaders are behind a renewal of our system, we know that we can’t do this in isolation. Sport needs brave leaders to work in collaboration to demand a radical re-imagining that will help to ensure that participants have a safe, welcoming, and positive experience. We want people to succeed because of the system, not in spite of it,” shared Sport Law Partner, Dina Bell-Laroche.
“It was an honour to host the kickoff of the Hope on the Horizon Tour and to gather as a group of people who believe in the power of sport. These are challenging times and many of us are re-imagining what sport could be going forward. It was inspiring that the Hope Tour was a chance to get representatives from so many sports in one room to discuss the future of sport in our province. Leaders from Sport Law and the CCES provided practical advice to help with board issues and facilitated meaningful conversations about the importance of intentionally basing decisions on organizational values. We are ready to reclaim sport,” shared Gemma Koughan, Executive Director of Sport PEI.
“It was wonderful to bring people back together after so many years of being apart. We were inspired by what we heard, and we support a vision for sport that is welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and ethical. With the support of values-based leaders from Sport Law and the CCES, we also have trusted partners who can help us reduce risks and invest in quality leadership. We’re really looking forward to seeing how things play out across the country,” stated Troy Croft, Executive Director of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador.
“We are really grateful to Sport Law and the CCES for inviting us to collaborate with them in what we feel is a pivotal time for sport. I think people are inspired by what we experienced and are looking forward to putting these tangible and practical leadership and legal solutions in place to reduce risks and, more importantly, to ensure we are creating a thriving environment for the young people we are here to support,” said Bill Othmer, Executive Director of Sport North.
Continue reading: https://www.cces.ca/news/hope-horizon-tour-sport-leaders-speak-modern-sport-system
About Sport Law
Sport Law has been providing strategic insight to the Canadian sport community since 1992. We offer a full range of consulting, Integral CoachingTM and legal services to the Canadian sport community. We are accessible, affordable, highly skilled, and bring experience and common sense to every project. Our vision is to elevate sport. To learn more about us please visit www.sportlaw.ca.
About the CCES
The CCES works collaboratively to ensure Canadians have a positive sport experience. Through its programs, the CCES manages unethical issues in sport, protects the integrity of Canadian sport, and promotes True Sport to activate values-based sport on and off the field of play. The CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization that is responsible for the administration of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. The CCES acknowledges funding, in part, from the Government of Canada. For more information, visit cces.ca, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
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