Using Membership Data to Inform Decision-Making: A sport management approach

In sport, data is commonly used to asses and improve an athlete or team’s performance; however, the usage of membership data to inform decision-making at the National, Provincial/Territorial or club level is still relatively unexplored. Membership data can be program or demographic information that relates to athletes, coaches or volunteers. Some sport administrators tend to…

Strategic Planning – Creating your Blueprint for Success

In entrepreneurial circles, there’s a well-known book entitled “E-myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber in which a startling statistic is shared. Of the roughly one million new businesses that open in the United States every year, only 4% of those businesses make it to year ten. According to Michael Gerber’s research, successful companies and organizations that…

Scaling down the circus to scale up the benefits – A proposed future for international sport events

2018 is an exciting year with four major international sporting events on the calendar: the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, and the Arctic Winter Games. These events are embraced by those with a love for sport, including the millions of spectators around the world, athletes, coaches, sport organizations, organizing committees, corporate partners, volunteers,…

Taking Action: Community Sport Organizations and Social Responsibility

Community sport organizations (CSOs) are a central thread in the fabric of Canadian society, providing a meaningful place for people to play, compete, volunteer, coach, and interact with others who may share their interests and values. As a foundation of the sport development system, we look to them to provide high quality, fun, and safe…

Concussions in sport — we can do better

In his teens, Eric Mihalovic was a promising young hockey player. He was tough, a solid player with good hands. “I don’t think we even called the first one a concussion,” he said. “I was hit and my head bounced off the boards. I was 15.” Blurry vision in class and trouble concentrating were nothing…

Authentic Leadership – Tips for Becoming the Leader You Want to Be

Becoming a leader that others look up to is a goal worth pursuing. Authentic leadership is a form of leadership that transforms people, organizations, communities, and the world. Think about the great leaders you admire most. Chances are, these leaders maintain key positions within organizations because they are trusted, respected, and admired. They communicate clearly and…

Financial Literacy – What is it and who needs it?

In sport, we often talk about physical literacy as “the mastering of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills that permit a child to read their environment and make appropriate decisions, allowing them to move confidently and with control in a wide range of physical activity situations”. Financial literacy can be similarly defined as: “mastering a basic understanding of…

Engaging Youth Volunteers

Volunteering is the backbone of sport in Canada. Without the generous contributions of volunteers at all levels many sport opportunities would not be available to our communities. In the past our older generation has been the stalwart contributors of their time and energy and while this trend continues, we should also be looking to our…

Workplace Wellness

According to research by the Conference Board of Canada, workplace health and wellness was estimated to be a booming $6 billion industry and set to permeate 78% of workplaces in 2016. This trend has continued to grow throughout 2017 with workplaces exploring various ways to ensure the well-being of their employees. And while creating a…

Remote vs Onsite Employees: Challenging the notion that one size fits all

Workplaces have changed and provided more employee options over the last few year both in physical space design, the flexibility in hours employers provide, and the options to work from offsite or on. These changes are in response to employers trying to create the most productive work environment for their employees and to satisfy the…