April 24, 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. The free, online drop-in session hosted by SLSG Partners Steve Indig and Dina Bell-Laroche will remain flexible, based on your questions, and hopefully leave sport leaders feeling informed and inspired to put in place measures to deal with the stuff that is keeping you up at night. As needed, we are also inviting members from our team or other thought leaders who can help sport leaders make better decisions. Thanks to LJ Bartle, our safe sport implementation strategist, for providing such a thorough update on the importance of reviewing your Safe Sport Policies and insurance requirements to ensure coaches and athletes stay safe during COVID-19. Here is what we shared during the session:

• Steve updated us on the importance of checking in with your insurance provider to ensure what is and isn’t covered by insurance during COVID-19. Steve also spoke briefly about employment matters (layoffs, modifications and terminations), membership fees and contracts and reminded people of the importance of planning for different scenarios, including your return to work.

• Dina shared a quote by Terry Tempest Williams that you can find here. She shared some of the work the Integral Coaches at the SLSG are doing to support sport leaders, coaches, athletes and officials in working through the grief that is setting in as a result of postponed or cancelled events. Having hosted dozens of peer to peer facilitated sessions that normalize grief, Dina is inviting us to be present to and open to supporting each other proactively to help avoid some of the unnecessary anxiety and depressed states that could be avoided through healthy and healing practices. In addition, the SLSG Coaches have been providing Leadership Development training to some sports who are looking to find meaningful and customized training programs for staff including using the NOVA Profile, EQ-i, and through one on one coaching.

• Mindset by Carol Dweck is a great little book that Dina blogged about five years ago and she is inviting us to cultivate a growth mindset to tackle some of the bigger challenges that have popped up due to COVID-19. When faced with wicked problems (those issues that don’t have a readily available solution and that need resolving), Dina invites us to consider how we might shift our mindset to learn from others and respectfully debate new ways of tackling recurring roadblocks. Remember, the energy that got us here, is often not the energy we need to deal with our current issues.

• LJ provided these important updates about maintaining your safe sport commitments in this online environment. For sport organizations providing online virtual coaching or training sessions, LJ encouraged them to check in with their insurance provider to find out what is covered. As she shared in her blog, there are key questions to answer to ensure online coaching/training is sanctioned and supervised and only for registered members/participants.

• LJ also reminded listeners to go back to their safe sport policies including any related to Rule of 2 or Open and Observable environments to ensure the same principles apply online as for in-person coaching. Under Rule of 2, any Person of Authority, like a coach, should not be communicating to another person they have power over, without a second coach or person involved. This protects everyone. And like all policies, they are only effective if they are communicated and understood by anyone affected so putting out reminders at this time can be extremely helpful to clarify expectations.

• LJ’s final points were around putting extra efforts into enhanced wellness by ensuring attention is paid to everyone’s physical and emotional needs, including your own. Encouraging online team chats or virtual meetings can help with feelings of isolation and help strengthen team bonds and support systems which sets everyone up for success upon return to play.

You can access previous webinars or join our next Conversation Matters: You Ask, We Share! on April 29 at 12:00 PM EST where our team members Kathy Hare and Kevin Lawrie will provide an update on the most recent financial packages and on the importance of maintaining safe social media practices throughout COVID-19.

Flow: Each conversation will begin with the SLSG Partners welcoming everyone and offering a few comments on something topical that is affecting the sport community. We will then move into providing listeners with an opportunity to ask a question or share a perspective that they would like some advice on. Dina and Steve will create a safe and engaging environment for the listeners to address some very specific topics that will most certainly benefit the entire group.

The Sport Law & Strategy Group has been providing strategic insight to the Canadian sport community since 1992. We offer a full range of management consulting, leadership development and legal services to the Canadian sport community. We are accessible, affordable, highly skilled, and bring experience and common sense to every project. Our mission is to help you achieve yours. To learn more about us please visit www.sportlaw.ca.

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For more information please contact Dina Bell-Laroche at 613-591-1246 or 613-294-4118 or DBL@sportlaw.ca.