Last Call: Register today for the 2021 Virtual Sport for Life Canadian Summit
Our annual Sport for Life Canadian Summit begins next week, and this year, for the first time ever, our event is totally virtual. From January 26-29 and February 2-4, you will get the chance to hear from leading experts from across the sport, recreation, education and health sectors, and take part in collaborative educational opportunities from the comfort of your own home.
One of the best parts about going virtual is that you don’t need to attend all of the sessions in real time, but will be able to watch the recordings any time over the following three months!
The Summit’s theme this year is Pathway to Policy. In the journey to 2021, the core concepts of Long-Term Development including physical literacy, quality sport, inclusion, and lifelong accessibility are becoming the new normal in programming sport and physical activity. Now we need to embed Long-Term Development policies into all sport- and physical activity-related organizations.
We would be negligent if we hosted the Summit without addressing systemic racism in sport and physical activity, including but not limited to, anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism. To further our learning, to contribute to the global conversation around anti-racism, and to determine the steps we can take to disrupt, dismantle and abolish racism, we will be focusing the live, moderated town hall sessions at the end of each day on this issue.
>>Learn more about the Summit here
This year, the Summit will include 95 presentations across five streams, with two dedicated Francophone days. It will also feature seven keynote presentations for academics, experts and leaders across sectors.
Dr. Fiona Chambers
Head of the School of Education, University College Cork
Dr. Fiona Chambers is an educational visionary and an academic leader who uses a human-centred, problem-solving mindset (design thinking) to innovate. Fiona’s teaching, research, and civic engagement focuses particularly on the areas of physical education, sport pedagogy, and social innovation. She is a maven, connecting people into powerful networks to enact educational change at third-level, schools, and in the community.
Dr. Véronique Richard
Associate Researcher, National Circus School, and Mental Performance Coach, Cirque du Soleil
Dr. Véronique Richard earned her doctoral degree in sport science from the University of Montreal, then went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in sport psychology at Florida State University. Her research focuses on the effects of creativity enhancement on motor performance and psychological adaptation. She supports artists to optimize their performance and ensure their well-being.
Eric Myles
Chief of Sport, Canadian Olympic Committee
As Chief of Sport for the Canadian Olympic Committee, Eric Myles is responsible for the Games, and relations with both the Canadian and international sport systems. He regularly collaborates with active and non-active Olympic athletes. Myles has a wealth of experience in sport, education, and health, including 12 years as co-founder and director of Québec en Forme.
Tricia Smith
President, Canadian Olympic Committee
Tricia Smith, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee, is a worldwide leader in the sport and business worlds, a four-time Olympian and an inspired advocate and champion for women in the sport sector. Smith is an elected member of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport, an Executive Committee Member with Panam Sports, an elected representative for the Americas on the Association of National Olympic Committee’s Executive Council, and an elected member of the IOC’s Women in Sport Commission. A lawyer and businesswoman based in Vancouver, Smith is a recipient of the Order of Canada.
Brian Lewis
President, Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee
Brian Lewis joined the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) in 1997 and became President in 2013. In 2014, he was also elected as an Executive Member to the Board of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) and is now the elected President of CANOC. With a total of 32 years’ experience in sports leadership and an Executive Master’s Degree in Sports Organization Management from the University of Claude Bernard, Lewis has established a reputation as a creative and insightful thought leader.
Daniela Bas
Director for Inclusive Social Development, United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Ms. Daniela Bas, a political scientist specializing in International Politics, has held her current roles with the United Nations (UN) since May 2011. Previously, she has held managerial roles from 1996 until 2011 in the private sector in Italy, as an advisor for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, as well as a special advisor to the Vice President of the European Commission on human rights, democracy, and social affairs. She has also held previous roles in other areas of the United Nations from 1986 to 1995, and is a certified journalist and multicultural/life coach.
Each Summit stream will be led not only by members of the Sport for Life team, but by experts and champions from across the sport, recreation, education and health sectors. The Town Hall sessions will provide a space for meaningful and courageous dialogue on how we address and remove racism from sport and physical activity.
2021 SUMMIT TOWN HALL MODERATORS
Dr. Lisa Gunderson
Founder + Principal Consultant, One Love Consulting
Dr. Lisa Gunderson is a registered clinical counsellor in Canada. She provides anti-black and anti-racism/equity services to organizations, government, and businesses. These services include professional development training, consultation, and motivational speaking. Dr. Gunderson also provides limited clinical supervision for current counsellors who service BIPOC clients, and services to those who have experienced and perpetuated racialized violence.
Greg Henhawk
Indigenous Projects Manager, Sport for Life
Greg Henhawk is Mohawk of the Bear Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Southern Ontario. He is the Indigenous Project Manager for Sport for Life, and team member for the Physical Literacy with Indigenous Communities project. He is also a facilitator, developer and consultant for Indigenous programs.
Fabrice Vil
Founder, Pour 3 Points
Fabrice Vil is the founder and president of Pour 3 Points, an organization that transforms sports coaches so that they also play the role of life coaches for young athletes in underprivileged areas. A certified integral development coach with Convivium/New Ventures West, Fabrice has also been a basketball coach since 2001, and was a civil and commercial litigation lawyer from 2007 to 2013 at Langlois Kronström Desjardins (now Langlois).
Ernest Edmond
Founder, Les ballons intensifs
Born in Port-au-Prince, Ernest Edmond arrived in Quebec at the age of six. Passionate about issues related to youth, sports, and culture, he has been involved in causes such as the fight against poverty and discrimination, the development of culture and sports, and social inclusion. Although he is very involved through numerous projects, it is through the establishment of the non-profit organization Les Ballons Intensifs that he has shown exceptional leadership since 2009.
Michael Smith
Partner, LMS Lawyers LLP
Michael Smith has established himself as a sports leader in Canada, providing legal services for athletes and sport organizations. In 2016, Smith became an Arbitrator presiding over cases involving sport disputes relating to issues of team selection, Carding, and sexual assault. In 2018 Michael was selected as a member of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) Investigations Unit. He is one of 13 independent investigators in the country dealing with issues involving sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.
Judy Joseph-Black
Event Manager, 55+ BC Games
Judy Joseph-Black has worked in sport in a myriad of positions over the past three decades. Most recently, she worked for the BC Games Society as an Event Manager, the Provincial Government as a sport consultant, managed the national women’s soccer team, owned her own sport communications company, was the executive director for Badminton BC, and was the Sports Information Director for the University of Victoria athletic department.
Ram Nayyar
Founder, Fearlessness Consulting Inc., and Head Coach, Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club
Ram Nayyar is the founder of Fearlessness Consulting Inc., a company dealing in personal and corporate performance strategies. Currently, he is the head coach for the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton club with previous experience as High-Performance Director, National Head Coach, National Para Badminton Head Coach. Ram has traveled to over 90 countries globally, and has coached at every major sporting event in the world.
2021 SUMMIT EXHIBITORS
Coaching Association of Canada
Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada
Sport for Life Digital Solutions – eLearning and PLAYBuilder
>>View the Summit program here
Regular registration is now available for $45 plus tax. We are offering COVID-19 relief for those negatively impacted by the pandemic who are facing challenges. If you need assistance paying the fee, please contact summit@sportforlife.ca. If you’re in a position to support a fellow delegate who may not be able to afford the fee, you can choose to sponsor another delegate by paying double the registration fee.
Once registered, you will receive an email link to download Whova and create your account to attend the Summit. Please allow 24 hours following receipt of the email for access to the Whova platform.
By registering for the 2021 Virtual Sport for Life Canadian Summit, Sport for Life offers National Coaching Certification Program points (NCCP). Take the opportunity to develop your own coaching skills and to improve the performance of your athletes and participants at all levels of sport—and earn 3 points in the process!