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Highlights

Teddy Katz, a former award-winning sports journalist and the founder of communications company, Think Redefined Inc., sat down with Canadian sport leaders for SIRC to hear some of the valuable lessons they learned hosting safe events during the pandemic. The crisis led to some of the biggest challenges in their history for these sport leaders, but it also led to some innovative new ways of thinking that will last long after the virus is in the past. 

Hockey Canada – A World Junior Hockey Championship like no other 

In the words of Dean McIntosh, Vice President of Hockey Canada, if you want to host a sport event during COVID-19, you have to prepare 10 different plans and expect to use the eleventh. 

Two years ago, Hockey Canada started planning to host the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship—a ritual for Canadians during the last week of December—in Red Deer and Edmonton, Alberta. Fans had scooped up nearly all the tickets when suddenly the pandemic, which forced many sports around the world to shut down in March 2020, threw everything into disarray.  Could Hockey Canada somehow deliver the championship to 130 million television viewers in Canada and around the world? With no fans in the stands, there was little chance of breaking even.  

“Until we had gold medals awarded on January 5th, I think we always felt there was a little bit of risk that we weren’t going make it through,” McIntosh says. 

In March 2020 and the month that followed, Hockey Canada cancelled most events including its domestic championships. But in early August, with the support of funding partners including its broadcasters, Hockey Canada decided it would move ahead with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Hockey Championship. The IIHF helped make it possible by agreeing to Hockey Canada’s unprecedented request to host the event again the following year (December 2021) in Red Deer and Edmonton, which ensured Hockey Canada could deliver the kind of event it had planned for 2020 plus guaranteed revenue going forward.  

McIntosh says that was critical. “I can tell you honestly, without that [agreement], that might have been something that would have prevented us from trying to deliver it this year.”  

The move to allow Canada to host the World Junior Hockey Championship two years in a row also benefitted the fans. When Hockey Canada offered fans a choice between refunding their tickets for this year or keeping them for next year, 80% chose to retain their seats despite the financial toll the pandemic has taken on many Canadian families.  

With the event set to move forward, Hockey Canada worked through the summer with federal, provincial, and local health authorities to ensure the proper COVID-19 protocols were in place to keep the players, community, and everybody else safe. It was a complicated process that involved many different groups, including Immigration Canada (with teams flying in from overseas). McIntosh and the team had weekly calls with the IIHF, Sport Canada, and Alberta Health.  They learned they needed to be flexible when it came to getting the final approval from the authorities to move ahead. 

“I can tell you very frankly that staff at the office of Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, were probably very tired of seeing my number come up on their phones.” 

Before coming to Canada, each national team quarantined and needed everybody to test negative for COVID-19 a minimum of three times. Several players and staff from different federations tested positive and were unable to come. Three chartered flights from Europe brought the teams directly into Edmonton’s International Airport.  They needed to get special authorization to land there because at the time the airport wasn’t accepting international flights. Everyone went directly by motor coach to the bubble hotel and spent another five days in quarantine, eating meals in their rooms. Everyone had to wear a tracking bracelet to let organizers know if anyone broke quarantine, and the rules were put to the test immediately. A staff member from one team left the hotel for a couple of hours the night he arrived.  After investigating, Hockey Canada sent the person home the next day.  

“You need to set the tone early,” McIntosh says. “We had made commitments to Alberta Health, to the Public Health Agency of Canada, and to our corporate partners to deliver this event safely. If it was going to happen, we needed the support of everyone.” 

Another new element included compliance officers for every team. There was even an online portal where people could report non-compliance anonymously. And, of course, testing continued throughout the event—a total of 10,476 tests to be exact. 

“I’d wake up at six o’clock, and I’d get notes on the test results from the previous day,” McIntosh says. “On day one, when you see positive tests, your heart sinks and your mind starts to race.”  

In all, there were 12 positive cases of COVID-19 among players and staff who were in the hotel bubble over the course of the three weeks. After the first positive cases, organizers cancelled some of the exhibition games and increased the quarantine time for some. With carefully planned protocols in place, McIntosh says those plans allow organizations to make rational decisions in stressful times but also need to be constantly re-evaluated.  

“We went to our protocols. We had clear lines of communication on who was going to be told and what we needed to do as it related to positive tests.” 

Curling Canada – Seven events, one bubble 

Curling athletes competing.As somebody who has been involved in planning multi-sport events—including the Toronto 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games—Curling Canada’s CEO, Katherine Henderson, thought she had prepared for every possible scenario and potential crisis. But creating a mega bubble for a series of events to take place in Calgary between February and May 2021 was a new experience altogether. The first thing her team had to determine was if they could safely deliver key national and international events, including the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Tim Hortons Brier, the Home Hardware Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship, the BKT Tires and OK Tire World Men’s Championship, the Women’s Curling Championship presented by BKT Tires, and two Grand Slam of Curling events: The Players’ Championship and Champions Cup. 

“This is just one huge exercise in risk management… the health risks, financial risk, reputation risk, and compliance risk. It’s sort of risk management on steroids,” Henderson says. 

Considering the complexities and cost of orchestrating a safe event amid a global pandemic, not every sport is able to host a bubble event, says Henderson. “When we took a look at the fixed costs of setting up a situation that involves really strict health protocols with quarantines and lots of testing, I couldn’t see doing this for a single event… There’s a high barrier to entry.”   

But curling, like hockey, was fortunate to have sponsors and financial partners, including its broadcast partner, TSN and RDS, on board. Henderson says other important partners were the athletes, many with goals to compete at the World Championships and 2022 Olympic Games, as well as Curling Canada’s member associations. 

“The other part that’s really important here is we have kind of a moral duty to our member associations. Their business models depend very much on sending teams to national championships,” says Henderson. 

Hockey Canada was generous with its time and shared lessons. Curling Canada implemented many of the same COVID-19 protocols, and had their own red, blue, and green zones separating athletes, media (TSN), and officials, respectively.  

The bubble opened with the Scotties in February 2021. In the first few days, there was one false alarm: an athlete with food poisoning, which forced one game to be rescheduled. More recently, four positive COVID-19 tests among players – later deemed to be “false positives” – interrupted play at the 2021 BKT Tires and OK Tire World Men’s Curling Championship.  

“I look forward to the day where I’m just on the edge of my seat because I’m watching great shots, rather than worrying about COVID-19,” says Henderson. “This virus is really sneaky, you cannot let your guard down for one second. It wears on you.”  

Still, Henderson says it has been worth it. “We’ve had such a positive reception. I see it with athletes and staff, and even with how fans are reacting on social media. It gives you that little glimmer of normalcy.” Curling lovers even sent in photos to have their faces placed on cardboard cut-outs representing fans in the stands.  

According to Henderson, keeping fans engaged is crucial—because when the pandemic is over, Curling Canada wants the 1,000 clubs across Canada to be filled to the brim with their two million curlers. 

Gymnastics Canada – Virtual events become reality  

At the end of 2020, Canada’s top gymnasts were facing another round of COVID-19 restrictions as the second wave of the virus roared around the country. Some could not even access their home gyms. So, in December 2020, Gymnastics Canada had to find a creative way to select the senior team athletes who would compete on the World Cup circuit to prepare for the 2021 Olympics Games in Tokyo. And, like many of us, they turned to virtual events.  

Male gymnast beginning floor routine.The athletes recorded videos doing routines in their home gyms, and a few days later, judges scored them. Amanda Tambakopoulos, the Program Manager for Women’s Artistic Gymnastics at Gymnastics Canada, says the response was positive.

“We saw how important it was for the athletes to compete again and to be under that kind of positive pressure because it is very different than their regular training. Getting athletes in front of even virtual judges was really beneficial in terms of their preparation for Tokyo.”  

However, she admits it took some getting used to for everyone involved. Even the athletes, who were able to compete in their home gyms on familiar equipment with their coaches at their side, described feeling stressed, says Tambakopoulos. 

“It’s really strange. It requires so much work. We’re grateful to have everybody on board and showing so much adaptability and resilience in the face of everything going on this year.” 

Gymnastics Canada hosted three more Elite Canada virtual competitions for junior and senior high performance athletes from February through April 2021. This gave gymnasts across Canada opportunities to compete in the event of their choice when they felt safe and ready. Virtual competitions also reduced costs for Gymnastics Canada, eased travel demands for athletes, and reduced barriers to the recruitment of volunteer officials, whose competition duties could be worked around at-home work obligations. 

But to make these virtual competitions successful, Gymnastics Canada learned that education, for everyone involved, needed to be baked into the process. They held educational sessions for athletes and coaches on Zoom, using videos from the senior team virtual competition to demonstrate what worked well and not so well. They showed things like how best to set up the gym and where to place the camera for the best angles. The technology also needed to be adapted for the judges because the athletes are smaller on-screen than in person, making it harder to see some moves. They did a number of test sessions for the judges to help them get comfortable.  

Considering the benefits and lessons learned, virtual events are a competition option that Gymnastics Canada will consider for the future, says Tambakopoulos. 

“I think it’s really opened our eyes on how we can be even more adaptable and flexible with people’s realities. I think there’s going to be a lot of reflection going forward on how we can benefit from this virtual competition environment.” 

Equestrian Canada – How regional events and livestreams kept the sport active 

One of the busier national sport organizations during the past year was Equestrian Canada, with 124 Equestrian Canada sanctioned events run regionally around the country and more shows sanctioned by the provincial/territorial equestrian sport organizations, many of them streamed online in new ways. But according to James Hood, the High Performance Director for Equestrian Canada, that was only 25% of their usual competition schedule.  

Young female equestrian athlete competing.Cheval Quebec hosted the first Equestrian Canada regional event in June, just a few months after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. They worked with their local health authority to incorporate the latest COVID-19 protocols, which meant running the event with no spectators, keeping officials to a minimum, and tightening up the schedule to ensure no unnecessary bodies were milling about the competition area.

According to Hood, the sport made an early return because training and competition is mostly outdoors and the horses need to be kept in good physical and mental health (e.g., fed, exercised) as there are health and welfare considerations. “The other advantage we have is that social distancing is relatively easy to maintain—you’re on a 2,000-pound animal so it automatically forces you into two metre distancing,” says Hood.  

Despite the challenges of overseeing sanctioned competitions amid a global pandemic (and in the lead-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, no less), Hood identified some notable silver linings. For example, there were important advancements in the use of technology born out of necessity. “We were much more paper based,” explains Hood. “The technology shift in scoring and transmission will be really good in the long term.”  

In addition, many show operators used cameras to livestream events so people could tune in online. They weren’t high-end broadcasts, but they were cost effective.  

“The competition organizers were thinking about how to make it safe for the moms and dads, grandparents, and aunts and uncles to watch without being in the stands,” says Hood.  

While Spruce Meadows and some of the sport’s more popular events have been livestreamed in the past, there was nothing done on this scale. Show operators and Equestrian Canada even worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to have some of the events shown on its streaming platform, which helped to increase the visibility of the sport on a national scale. 

“I think technology will continue to create those opportunities,” says Hood. “We need to be willing to adopt technology and look at those pieces to operate events going forward.”  

Swimming Canada – A hybrid Olympic and Paralympic Trials 

With 1000 participants and thousands more spectators expected to attend, Swimming Canada had the biggest Olympic and Paralympic Trials in its history scheduled for April 2020—until COVID-19 forced it to be postponed. After considering eight or nine different contingency plans, a scaled-down event in spring 2021 was announced to determine the athletes on its Olympic and Paralympic teams.  

Typical championships have a preliminary round where the fastest athletes qualify for the final. The final race for the medals usually takes place that same evening. In contrast, the 2021 trials will involve only one race per event with a limited number of the top athletes invited to participate. Swimming Canada has invited 280 athletes to compete in the five-day event.  

Jocelyn Jay, Senior Manager of Sports Development for Swimming Canada and a former national team swimmer, says one key criteria for the event is to minimize the amount of time swimmers are in the building and to keep them distanced as much as possible.  

Rear view of young swimmer with artificial leg sitting on poolside of indoor swimming pool“We’ve got 40 swimmers in a block of time. The swimmers come into the building, they do their pre pool activation, they warm-up, they race, they warm-down and they leave. Then the next group of swimmers come in. It’s kind of a conveyer belt. They are moving through the building, making sure there’s no crossing paths.”

Jay says Swimming Canada has factored in layers upon layers of risk mitigation measures in a 35-page safety plan, which will be shared with the swim clubs sending athletes to the trials. Unlike the bubbles that hockey and curling created to run their championship events, clubs will be responsible for ensuring members are following COVID-19 protocols for travel and accommodation.  

“The amount of time required for this one event with everything that needs to be considered is just as much work as running six or seven national events. It’s overwhelming because it’s constantly changing as restrictions fluctuate throughout the country,” says Jay.  

Swimming Canada recognizes the extra stress participants may experience wearing masks, following protocols, and competing in person for the first time in months.  That’s why another element in their plan will be regular check-ins with everyone, including athletes, coaches, and officials, once they are on site.  

For now, Jay tries to prioritize and not think too far ahead.  

“This event is at the end of May 2021. Who knows what the virus is going to look like at the end of May, with the variants and with vaccinations?”  

While the question of what the virus will look like at the end of May is still up in the air, the evolving COVID-19 situation in Ontario and other provinces has already forced Swimming Canada to make changes to the Olympic and Paralympic Swimming Trials, Presented by Bell. The Olympic Trials will now be held in Toronto at the end of June, and the Paralympic Trials have been cancelled as the new dates conflict with a World Para-swimming event in Berlin. Swimming Canada will create alternative competitive opportunities for athletes hoping to earn a spot at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Sail Canada – Making the most of an outdoor sport 

Although Sail Canada postponed its different regional and national championships last year, which typically offer athletes a chance to compete with high-level sailors in their regions, it was able to host a national invitational event with 10 days of racing at the end of August in Kingston, Ontario. The event allowed national team athletes preparing for the Tokyo Games to get in some much needed competitive racing.  

“We are fortunate in the sport of sailing,” says Katie Sweeting, High Performance Manager for Sail Canada. “We’re an outdoor sport that is naturally physically distant.”  

Sailing team competitionSweeting says they chose Kingston for their event because that is where the Sail Canada head office is located, many of the athletes were already there (reducing the need for travel), and it has ideal training conditions. Also, it was important that at the time of the event in August 2020, Kingston had no COVID-19 cases. Sweeting, who was in charge of COVID-19 protocols for the event, at first found it a daunting task but was able to work closely with the experts at the local health authority.  

“We didn’t want to be creating an event in a community where there were no cases and bringing cases to them,” Sweeting says. “No one wants to be the sport that runs an event that causes an outbreak.”  

The invitational event was limited to 40 of Canada’s top athletes. Protocols included the use of a fenced-off, restricted area for event participants at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, which is open to the public. Even though they were outside, masks were mandatory at all times when athletes were not competing. All boats were set two metres apart. If athletes were experiencing any symptoms, testing was required and the individual was not allowed back onsite until they had a negative test. A doctor was also onsite throughout the event.  

Sweeting says the biggest lesson she learned is to over-plan. On site porta-potty washrooms were professionally cleaned three times a day. Disposable masks were restocked several times during the event, even though participants were expected to provide their own. As the event wore on, Sail Canada learned that they needed to have someone on the ramp as the boats came in to hand out new masks to athletes, whose masks would get wet while racing as they would often stuff them in their lifejackets.  

“It is possible. That was a big learning lesson for us,” says Sweeting. “If you follow the right steps, consult with the experts and you do it properly, it can work out well.  

Knowing that building resilience is a key skill for athletes, Sail Canada has modelled that behaviour, says Sweeting.  

“It would have been a lot easier for us to just say, ‘No, we’re going cancel everything. It’s too risky or too much work.’ We were showing the athletes that we’re willing to be resilient and get creative. And I think they really valued that.” 

Event reinvention post COVID-19 

The different sport leaders spoke about what they learned not in spite of, but because of COVID-19. Their stories showcase the Canadian sport community’s resilience and dedication to athletes, coaches, officials, staff, volunteers, and fans alike. And perhaps most notably, the myriad pivots and plans these organizations have made to run safe events have led to innovative new ways of thinking that will be harnessed long after the pandemic.  

For example, the pandemic accelerated and forced all sports to embrace the use of technology. As a result, many found novel and cost effective ways to connect with stakeholders that may continue in the future. That same technology reduced the number of volunteers and hours required for them to be on site, which may alleviate the expected attrition of volunteers in the coming years. The use of technology also allowed some sports to bring in new sources of revenue: Curling Canada started new fantasy pools to engage with fans and Hockey Canada moved fundraising initiatives such as 50/50 draws online. Beyond technology, many sports uncovered new ways to collaborate with partners, including Hockey Canada. When they needed a sponsor for contact tracing, they approached Telus. That fit with the companies’ core values around connecting Canadians.  

COVID-19 has changed everything, says Hockey Canada’s Dean McIntosh. “How we plan events, what the priorities are, how we drive revenues, how we manage expenses, how we engage communities, I think it’s all changed. I do believe that we are going to see a reinvention.” 

Highlights

When we think of legacies from major games, often we think of new facilities, increased engagement in sport and physical activity, or heightened feelings of national pride. As a key partner in the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, Brock University took an additional approach, leveraging the Games to invest in research, build curricular connections, and enhance community engagement. SIRC’s Sydney Millar connected virtually with Julie Stevens, an Associate Professor of Sport Management and Special Advisor for the Canada Games to Brock President Gervan Fearon, to talk about what’s happening on campus and the expected legacies for the Niagara region and future Canada Games host communities.  

SIRC: What do the Canada Games represent to you, and why was the University originally interested in being involved with a bid to host the Games? 

Julie Stevens (JS): For me, the Canada Games are special. I have attended five Games as a researcher, observer, spectator, and most importantly, as an assistant coach with Team Alberta women’s hockey in Cornerbook, 1999. We won a Bronze medal in triple OT! The game was played in Deer Lake and it felt like everyone from the town was in the arena. The Canada Games stirs a strong sense of community within me—even though I wasn’t a local. I conducted research on the organizational capacity of Host Societies in Regina (2005) and Whitehorse (2007), which were two unique settings and communities. I learned a great deal about the passion and resourcefulness of volunteers who stage the Games. Brock University’s interest in the Games draws upon our commitment to the Niagara community, a key part of the institution’s mandate since it was formed in 1964. A community initiative like this reflects our institutional value centred on community engagement.  

SIRC: Tell me about the development of the Brock-Canada Games Academic Committee. 

Julie Stevens, Associate Professor of Sport Management at Brock University and Special Advisor for the Canada Games to Brock President Gervan Fearon

JS: “Experiential learning” at both Brock University and Niagara College was included in the bid package submitted to the Canada Games in 2016. However, it wasn’t until December 2017 that we really began to dig into what this could and should mean for Brock University and our community. Earlier that year, Gervan Fearon joined Brock as our President and Vice-Chancellor. He has a strong vision for the role of the university in supporting regional growth and development, and saw the Games as a catalyst for academic innovation. We hosted an event with two Board members of the Host Committee that was an open call to the Brock community. The result was the creation of the Brock-Canada Games Academic Committee as the group to guide our commitment to academic innovation through the Canada Games. The Academic Committee is truly a campus-wide collaboration involving faculty, staff and students from all seven Brock Faculties and many support units. We developed a strategic plan to maximize outcomes for the Brock community focused on three key areas—research, curriculum, and community engagement.  

SIRC: Let’s take a deep dive into the three key areas. Tell me first how the Games are being leveraged to support research. 

JS: It’s easy to see how the Games could be a great opportunity for sport-related researchers. However, the committee had a different vision—they wanted to support cross-disciplinary research and engage researchers across campus in examining the athletic, economic, political, social, and cultural impacts of hosting on the immediate community and surrounding area. Through the new Vice-President Research (VPR) Canada Games Grant Initiative, $143,000 in internal research funds has been allocated since 2020. The grants support innovative research or creative activities in any discipline and on any topic related to the Games, student research employment and professional development, and more generally the enhancement of research capacity within the university.  

SIRC: Tell me about some of the research projects that have been funded through the VPR Canada Games Grants. 

JS: As we’d hoped, there is a great diversity of projects, with representation across the university’s faculties, utilizing a wide range of methods, and exploring various aspects of the Games and sporting culture in the region (visit the Brock-Canada Games site for news about the 2020 and 2021 research projects). For example, from the Department of Kinesiology in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Dr. Nicole Chimera is examining the incidence of injury and illness experienced by Canada Games athletes from 2009 to 2019. This project will increase understanding of injury and illness during the Games, informing future policies to reduce and manage sports injuries. From the School of Fine and Performing Arts, Dr. Amy Friend’s Movement Across the Waterways project explores the links between kayak and canoe-based watersports and the regional ecosystems, with a particular focus on the turtle – a local and endangered inhabitant of local waterways, and the official mascot of the 2022 Canada Summer Games. The project will create visual and aural material that will provide immersive perspectives of rowing and canoeing within the Niagara region. Another exciting project is the creation of the Niagara Games Narrative Digital Storytelling Repository—a long-term archive of all 2022 Canada Summer Games content that will be accessible to researchers, students, and members of the public for years to come. Led by staff at the Brock University Library and Digital Scholarship Lab, the Repository will capture everything from scholarly research to community activities, documenting the impact of the Games on the Niagara Region. To date, 22 projects have been funded through the VPR Canada Games Grants.  

SIRC: The second area of the strategic plan relates to teaching and learning and curricular connections to the Games. Tell me about it. 

JS: We want to ensure all students get a taste of the Games and become excited about opportunities related to the Games with ideas, getting involved, or attending events. The Canada Games are more than just the athletic performances—they are also about tourism, community development, event management, environmental responsibility, public well-being, and community ceremonies, offering a wide variety of curriculum connections and learning opportunities. There are three ways faculty members can choose to incorporate Canada Games content and activities into their courses – direct engagement, indirect engagement, and case studies.  

Brock University's indoor swimming facility.Direct engagement with Canada Games could involve the creation of a new course or the use of an assignment that meets academic learning outcomes and addresses a need of the Canada Games. For example, a fourth-year French course has integrated Canada Games-related terminology, including technical terms related to athletes, coaches, organizations, infrastructure and facilities, and hierarchies and relationships between individuals involved in the Games. Students will be well prepared for paid or volunteer positions with Translation Services during the Games. Indirect engagement with Canada Games could involve collaboration with a local community partner on a project related to the Canada Games. For example, interactive arts and science students are working with the Niagara 2022 Host Society to develop a technology-savvy medal reveal event. Finally, faculty members are also encouraged to use the Games as a case to complement and enhance academic content. For example, Math and science students are working through unique case study “anonymous” data sets shared by the Canada Games Council to develop statistics and information management skills. 

A new stream of Brock’s Teaching and Learning Innovation Grants, totalling $50K, was created to enhance student learning by offering faculty members one-time funding to develop innovative ways to incorporate Canada Games content and community projects into Brock courses. In the short-term, the initiatives will support faculty members to enhance courses and take advantage of the community-centred aspects of the Games. In the long-term, new teaching approaches will be developed that can be used in conjunction with other community events in the future.  

SIRC: I really appreciate how the investment in curriculum will have an impact on the mindset of faculty, encouraging them to embrace the Games and other community events to make course content more relevant and applied for Brock students. But the third component of the strategy, community engagement, takes that goal one step further. What’s the vision for this component? 

JS: At the core of our work around community engagement is the creation of a new student club called the Brock University Volunteer Association (BUVA). While the hosting of major events requires significant support from volunteers, we wanted to create an initiative that would maximize impact for students. Therefore, the BUVA was developed to build a community of like-minded students, deliver training and skill development to students, and of course, connect students with unique volunteer opportunities with the Games and other community organizations in our region. We recognize the potential of volunteering to contribute to the community and to build the skills, experiences, and networks of students, but we wanted to take the element of chance out of the equation through a formal student association. By encouraging peer-to-peer interaction and facilitating connections to diverse volunteer experiences, the BUVA helps ensure positive outcomes for the students and the organizations.  

SIRC: The BUVA was launched in 2019. What impact have you seen to date? 

JS: The BUVA has been a huge success and is a significant legacy program as part of our Student Life outreach. In 2019-2020, BUVA members participated in monthly training sessions delivered by Brock staff, faculty and alumni to better prepare them to be engaged volunteers; and contributed 385 volunteer hours to organizations and events across the Niagara Region (members commit to a minimum of 20 volunteer hours). In a satisfaction survey of BUVA members, 100% of student respondents said they would recommend BUVA to a friend or classmate. 

There are also other ways for students to gain volunteer experience. One example involves Brock students serving as Media Leads for the Games. The Host Society championed this initiative by supporting the application and selection process, and will provide ongoing leadership for the team. A total of 15 students are involved in this important planning volunteer role and will gain experience in media relations and promotion, as well as build teamwork and communication skills. 

SIRC: How else is Brock University contributing to the Games? 

Brock U Canada ames facility development site.

JS: Brock University also provided a parcel of land where Canada Games Park is being constructed. This new facility includes a sport and ability centre, arenas, gymnasiums and an outdoor facility with a track, athletic field, and beach volleyball courts. It will be the central site during the Games and will provide a valuable community resource after. In addition, Brock will be hosting a number of other athletic events in its facilities and will play a key role as a host for students and organizers during the Games. 

SIRC: Tell me about the impact of COVID-19 on the Games and Brock’s associated activities.  

JS: Prioritizing the health and safety of all athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers, spectators, and the broader Niagara community, the 2021 Canada Games were postponed in September 2020, and have since been rescheduled for August 6-21, 2022. As a partner for the Games, Brock University is supporting the Host Society in ensuring the excitement for the Games continues to build.

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the Brock community. Faculty and administrative staff have been particularly concerned with the mental health of students, and have developed a wide range of initiatives to support them. Members of the BUVA have really stepped up to support each other, complementing monthly training and skills development with a second monthly meeting to support social connections and reduce isolation. Volunteer opportunities were of course affected by public health restrictions, but the BUVA has been creative in supporting virtual opportunities, not only for the students, but to support community organizations that are adapting to this new reality in a variety of ways.  

SIRC: Tell me what impact you think will be realized through this initiative for the Brock community? 

JS: Key to the success of the Brock University-Canada Games Academic Committee is its alignment with the four key priorities of the university’s 2018-2025 strategic plan: 

  1. Offering a transformational and accessible academic and university experience; 
  2. Building research capacity across the University; 
  3. Enhancing the life and vitality of our local region and beyond; and 
  4. Fostering a culture of inclusivity, accessibility, reconciliation and decolonization. 

The Academic Committee is achieving measurable outcomes related to these priorities by enhancing student experiences and community engagement through course content and placements, and the BUVA; and supporting innovation in research, scholarly and creative activities through the investments in research and course development. The Academic Committee is an example of how the University is putting the strategic plan’s priorities into action to improve and enhance our programs, services and partnerships for the future. 

SIRC: And what do you imagine will be the legacy of the Brock-Canada Games Academic Committee for other Canada Games host communities? 

The Canada Games Council (CGC) has a well-developed transfer-of-knowledge program to support the sharing of new approaches and lessons learned between host committees. For the most part, this focuses on Games logistics, such as accreditations, facility management, sponsorship, volunteer management, etc. However, universities and colleges are common Games partners. I hope the partnership between Brock University and the Niagara 2022 Host Committee will raise the bar for future collaboration between host committees and academic institutions, and provide a model that can be scaled up or down based on capacity. The cross-campus and multidisciplinary approach we’ve used can absolutely be recreated on other campuses and we will share our model with the CGC so it might add to its transfer-of-knowledge program and resources.  

More broadly, I think it expands the focus of Canada Games legacies from facility and economic development to include academic scholarship and long-term relationships between academic institutions, regional organizations, and the student population who are tomorrow’s leaders. For those of us who believe in the value of sport in society, I think the model embodies the values of service, collaboration, and leadership, and ultimately contributes to the Canada Games’ vision to “strengthen the fabric of Canada through the power of sport.”  

While many bids for the hosting of major sport events include increased sport participation as an expected outcome, researchers argue there is no reliable evidence for a “demonstration effect” through which citizens are inspired by elite sport, sports people, or sports events to participate themselves. In the SIRCuit, Dr. Luke Potwarka suggests demonstration effects do occur if we take a more nuanced and inclusive approach to collecting and interpreting evidence.

On December 9, 2020, the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will be hosted on Zwift. For more information on following the Canadian team at this event, and Cycling Canada’s multi-platform virtual cycling calendar for the 2020/2021 winter season (including all-level group rides and public races!) click here.

Esports have experienced a meteoric rise in the last few years. According to a recent Reuters article, worldwide esports industry revenues are expected to top $159 billion by the end of 2020 with projections to surpass $200 billion by 2023. It is projected that more than 2.7 billion gamers will have participated in esports by the end of 2020. Within those staggering numbers, virtual cycling has carved out a not insignificant piece of the pie. Pre-pandemic numbers for the Zwift platform alone showed 1.6 million active users with over 600 million virtual miles logged, boasting a recent valuation of north of $1 billion.

So what is virtual cycling and why has it developed such a following? Virtual cycling, while still falling under the wider esports banner, stands apart from most other esports in that you actually “play” by virtue of physical exertion. To actively participate in a virtual cycling event, be it a ride, race or workout, you must turn the pedals on your bike. Virtual platforms such as Zwift, RGT, Fulgaz and Peloton have “virtualized” the long-standing activity of stationary cycling by developing sophisticated products that connect consumers to workout plans, virtual worlds, and a global community – all from the comfort of home. The result is a user experience with exciting new challenges and opportunities to stay connected. Amidst a worldwide pandemic, virtual cycling has allowed us to ride and compete with thousands of fellow cyclists and travel to vast virtual worlds without fear of breaking physical distancing protocol or even leaving our living rooms. Although virtual cycling communities have existed for a number of years, this discipline of cycling is certainly still “new” relative to the sport itself and we’re continuing to learn about its vast potential. Over the past year, I’ve had a chance to dive head-first into the virtual cycling world and familiarize myself with the various platforms and communities that have developed within them. This blog shares some of my learnings.

Virtual cycling is a true community builder

When I started riding and dabbling in racing, the biggest bummer every year was when the snow really started to come down and the temperature dropped to the point that riding outside was literally painful. Most of the time, that meant putting the bike away and saying so-long to my riding buddies until the spring. Since then, a lot has changed.Cycling Canada virtual cyclists 2 Alongside exciting industry developments such as the fatbike to better enable year-round riding outdoors, people also began “warming up” to the idea of riding indoors, sparked by advancements in smart trainers and virtual cycling platforms. Local races, clubs and meetups began popping up on platforms such as Zwift, and with the advent of apps like Discord you could actually heckle your friends in real-time voice chat. All of a sudden, you could plan group rides with your riding buddies despite the foot of fresh snow, or connect with other riders from around the world. Since my own foray into virtual cycling, I’ve developed friendships with riders from across the globe stemming from a virtual finish line sprint or ride-along, cemented by regular “ride ons” to keep the stoke level high. The community-building aspect of virtual cycling platforms is one of the most important benefits. Virtual platforms have allowed us to stay in touch and continue to challenge each other in a whole new connected world, easing the traditional pain of indoor stationary riding. With the right equipment, a stable internet connection, and a subscription to the platform(s) of choice, users can connect to a like-minded community built around a similar objective of improving health and fitness while maintaining some level of fun.

Esports can effectively complement “traditional sport”

Esports are often criticized as promoting a more sedentary lifestyle, encouraging laziness, and distracting people from the importance of physical activity. There can be merit to these arguments, but we need to look at the bigger picture. Many sport organizations are finding unique ways to integrate esports into their programming. One great example is Canada Basketball’s recent Hoops at Home initiative which connected fans and esports consumers to star athletes such as Chris Boucher and Aaliyah Edwards to raise funds for their charity foundation. It is also not uncommon to see traditional sports leagues use esports as a way to keep the community connected during the offseason by virtue of in-house esports leagues, events and tournaments.

One pre-pandemic study showed that 4.4 million Canadians have followed esports in the past year, with 57% of Gen Z, 43% of millennials and 31% of Gen X taking in the action. Our younger demographic is actively consuming esports, and traditional sport administrators should be looking closely at ways to seize this opportunity for increased engagement and overall relevance. Esports initiatives such as those mentioned above have provided traditional sport organizations an expanded audience, offering new opportunities to promote their wider initiatives, perhaps even leading to increased participation “on the field.”

With virtual cycling, If you’ve ever participated in an event and had to clean the resulting pool of sweat off the floor, you’ll know the word sedentary has no business being associated. Not only does this new realm of cycling complement existing riders’ training when it comes time to put the rubber side down outdoors, it has encouraged a new group of people to take up the sport. It is reasonable to assume that the same person who purchased a Peloton bike as a means of winter exercise or saving money on a gym membership may very well be interested in buying a traditional bike and riding outside when the temperatures rise.

An all-new equalizer

Cycling Canada virtual cyclists at finish line of race

From a national cycling federation perspective, virtual cycling possesses great equalizing power. Over the years, North American athletes competing at the highest level of cycling have grown accustomed to making the annual pilgrimage to Europe to access the highest level of training and competition. With virtual cycling, Canadian cyclists can compete against the best, without the added costs and inconvenience of travel. The result is a more diverse playing field when it comes to top level virtual racing events such as the Virtual Tour de France and the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championships. These events have provided a platform for the emergence of new virtual cycling specialists – often athletes not associated with traditional top-level teams, not stemming from traditionally strong “cycling nations,” and sometimes not even stemming from a background in cycling itself.

From an event hosting perspective, virtual cycling has significantly reduced the capacity needed to host large-scale events – gone are requirements relating to local officiating capacity, road closures, financial support, and climate conditions. With the right equipment, some marketing know-how, and a sound knowledge of the platform/community of choice, an organizer from anywhere in the world can host a competitive virtual cycling event.

Final thoughts

At the heart of virtual cycling lies the essence of indoor cycling’s humble beginnings – a means of building fitness from the comfort of home. As this exciting new discipline continues to develop, virtual cycling is quickly building an identity of its own that extends well beyond the circumstances that attracted many to indoor cycling in the first place. In a relatively short time, virtual cycling has progressed to the point of becoming a distinctly recognizable discipline of cycling, not unlike road, mountain bike or BMX. As we continue to weather the COVID-19 storm, virtual cycling has been an invaluable tool in keeping the cycling community connected, and in fact, growing our numbers.

To consider virtual cycling as a fad that will end when the pandemic restrictions are finally lifted would be incredibly short-sighted. Virtual cycling existed well before the pandemic and will continue to exist beyond it, albeit with a fresh boost of participants. We are seeing the industry develop specialized gear, federations nominate national teams, and average Joes and Janelles around the world take up cycling from the comfort of their homes. We are also being presented with brand new challenges such as technological doping – a term that wasn’t anywhere near federation radars only a few years ago. Alas, with growth inevitably comes challenge, and I remain confident that the cycling world will rise to the occasion and embrace an exciting new way of participating in our favourite pastime. Perhaps the most exciting outcome is that virtual cycling has done incredible things to attract new people to the wider cycling community as a whole. The end result: more people on bikes – an outcome we can all get excited about.

This blog is a collaboration between SIRC and Cycling Canada. Check out Cycling Canada’s Shifting Gears blog, featuring posts from athletes, coaches, the integrated support team, and staff on what drives them in the sport of cycling through triumphs and tribulations.

“Taking the time to meet with partners and engage them in the decision-making helped ensure they were on board to support the necessary short-term actions, but also long-term plans for rescheduling and return to play.” Mark Eckert, CEO of Volleyball Canada, talks about the importance of communication and other lessons learned from the cancellation of the 2020 Nationals in the SIRCuit.

For many Canadian sport administrators, a global pandemic seemed the stuff of history books or science fiction movies. However, in March 2020, with COVID-19 sweeping the globe, a number of major sport events were cancelled in Canada. This article shares the experiences and lessons learned from the 2020 Arctic Winter Games Host Society, Skate Canada and Volleyball Canada.

March 7, 2020 – 101,927 confirmed COVID-19 cases globally; 51 confirmed cases in Canada (WHO Situation Reports)

2020 Arctic Winter Games Host Society – Arctic Winter Games, Whitehorse YT

The 2020 Arctic Winter Games were scheduled for March 15-21, 2020 in Whitehorse, Yukon, marking the 50th anniversary of the Games. Preparing to welcome 2,000 athletes plus staff and volunteers from delegations across the circumpolar region (Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia; in addition to Nunavik, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Northern Alberta, Yukon and Alaska), briefings with the Yukon’s acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) relating to COVID-19 began in February. Questions from the CMO’s office slowly escalated, from standard public health protocols in early February; to details about the delegations and sleeping arrangements in mid-February; to inquiries about specific travel routes through international airport hubs in early March. Moira Lassen, General Manager of the 2020 Arctic Winter Games Host Society, recalls the unexpected conversations amongst staff and volunteers, including an emergency hand sanitizer meeting when only 6 of 75 jugs were delivered. “I remember thinking, ‘this is getting weird.’ But even then, we were confident that we had the necessary precautions in place.” 

Late morning on March 7th, Lassen was called to a meeting at the office of the Minister of Community Services – the CMO was recommending the Games be cancelled. After discussion about the health considerations, the consequences of cancellation and key communication messages, the decision was clear. By midday, the Host Society, with the support of the Yukon government and the City of Whitehorse, officially announced the 2020 Arctic Winter Games had been cancelled following a recommendation from Yukon’s acting Chief Medical Officer of Health.

At the time, some criticized the decision. There were no COVID-19 cases in Canada’s territories, minimal cases in the circumpolar region, and no athletes from any delegations had tested positive for the virus (although one did test positive on day the Games were to open). As the situation worsened, and with the declaration of the outbreak a pandemic, the decision to cancel the event was applauded.

March 11, 2020 – 118,319 confirmed cases globally; 93 confirmed cases in Canada (Pandemic declared by the World Health Organization)

Skate Canada – ISU World Figure Skating Championships, Montreal QC

On March 11th, Debra Armstrong, CEO of Skate Canada, received a phone call giving her seven minutes notice before the Government of Quebec would announce the cancellation of the International Skating Union (ISU) World Figure Skating Championships scheduled for March 16-22, 2020 in Montreal, Quebec.

Preparing to host the 200 best figure skaters from 50 countries for the World Championships, and with Canadian athletes and staff travelling to international events, Skate Canada had been monitoring the COVID-19 situation. As the Montreal event drew closer, and concern over the spread of the virus increased, Skate Canada worked with the ISU to create and refine a COVID-19 plan to manage and monitor the health risks for 400 athletes, coaches, staff and volunteers through multifaceted protocols involving temperature checks, hand washing stations, and isolation rooms.

What Skate Canada could not control were the thousands of spectators expected throughout the week. Millions of dollars in tickets had been sold for the event, with spectators expected from around the world, including an estimated 25% of ticket purchases from China, Korea and Japan. While Skate Canada and the ISU could impose safety protocols on athletes, their entourages, staff and volunteers; they did not control the facility so could not control spectators. The Government of Quebec had been discussing the risks associated mass gatherings for a few weeks, and the ISU World Championships were by far the biggest event to be held in the province. In the end, public health officials made the ultimate decision to cancel the event.

March 24, 2020 – 372,755 confirmed cases globally; 1,432 confirmed cases in Canada

Volleyball Canada – 2020 Nationals, Edmonton AB

Volleyball Canada’s Nationals event, which would have brought 10,000 athletes to Edmonton, Alberta,  for U15, U16, U17 and U18 events on May 10-20, 2020, was cancelled on March 24, 2020. Concurrent events in Halifax, Ottawa and Abbotsford were also cancelled. What surprised CEO Mark Eckert was how quickly the pandemic situation changed. “In early March our gaze was focused internationally – concerned with how to get Canadian athletes who were training and competing abroad home safely. Conversations at that time with Edmonton Public Health focused on risk mitigation – handwashing, signage, and spectator guidance. Within days, restrictions were in place and we were forced to consider a new reality.”

Initially, Volleyball Canada had set April 13th as their deadline to make a decision about whether or not they would proceed with hosting Nationals. However, with other domestic events being cancelled, Eckert said it would have been careless to delay the decision any longer. Volleyball Canada’s announcement on March 24, 2020 was made shortly after the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees announced the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games. The Edmonton Expo Centre, where 55 volleyball courts were planned to host the Nationals event, was repurposed as a temporary health centre to help vulnerable people through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were incredibly prepared; and we weren’t ready at all.”

Event cancellation because of a global pandemic was admittedly something these three sport leaders had not imagined. When asked about her overall experience of the cancellation, Armstrong said she was of two minds. On one hand, the Skate Canada team learned how incredibly prepared they were. Efficient project management processes meant they were able to adjust as early public health measures were suggested. Once the cancellation decision was made, staff knew where every contract was, every line item, and who they needed to talk to. Their three-year communication plan included crisis communication protocols with holding statements and clear guidance on who needed to be notified, in what order and by who. Strong financial and project management meant event files where closed in May 2020, whereas other organizations might take a year or more to wrap things up. On the other hand, Armstrong reflects they weren’t ready at all – “In a million years we wouldn’t have predicted this.”

The cancellation of the Arctic Winter Games and ISU World Championships required immediate action from the host committees. Partners, suppliers, funders, sponsors and staff needed to be informed. With the imminent arrival of athletes, both organizations needed to work with other sport organizations to ensure no one boarded planes to Canada and wound up stranded if international travel was restricted. One international volunteer for the Arctic Winter Games saw the cancellation announcement upon arrival at Vancouver International Airport, and immediately changed her travel plans to return to the United Kingdom on the next flight.

Unlike Skate Canada and the Arctic Winter Games Host Society, whose events were shut down with little notice by health authorities, Volleyball Canada took the lead in the decision to cancel Nationals. Internally the decision was made on Thursday, March 19, 2020; the public announcement was made on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. This gave Volleyball Canada time to work with staff, partners and key stakeholders to consider logistics and craft their communication messages. “We didn’t want any partners to hear about the event cancellation through a press release,” said Eckert. “Taking the time to meet with partners and engage them in the decision-making helped ensure they were on board to support the necessary short-term actions, but also long-term plans for rescheduling and return to play.” The extra time also allowed Volleyball Canada to coordinate cancellation announcements with their provincial associations, helping to manage any negative feedback.

The financial impacts of cancellation

From a CEO perspective, the immediate financial implications of the cancelled events were perhaps the most stressful. Each event involved dozens of contracts worth millions of dollars. With less than one week to go until the start of their events, some of the contracts associated with both the Arctic Winter Games and the ISU World Championships had already been delivered, including merchandise and decorations. These costs were sunk, and with dates included on everything, the items were not considered reusable. Something that helped all three organizations was a force majeure clause in many contracts, which frees parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties prevents the fulfillment of contractual obligations. Overall, Volleyball Canada reported a net income loss close to $1M and Skate Canada $1.035M. The Arctic Winter Games Host Society had cancellation costs of approximately $710K.

For Volleyball Canada, strong partnerships and communication practices were a key factor in limiting the financial impact of Nationals cancellation. For example, travel partners waived attrition clauses for the 24,000 rooms reserved for the event; others were willing to either take on part of the costs or move money forward for future events. Eckert said, “Our strong relationships meant partners were invested in a successful event. Involving them in decision-making relating to the cancellation invested them in a new way.” With only three cities able to host a volleyball tournament of such scale, local partners could be confident the event would soon return.

Lost legacies

For all three organizations the event cancellations represent significant opportunities lost. Both Skate Canada and Volleyball Canada rely on event revenues to support athlete, coach, official and infrastructure development for years to come. The legacy plan from the Arctic Winter Games was similarly designed to deliver benefits throughout Yukon. It would be difficult to recreate that legacy without hosting another event. 

The cancellations also had economic impacts in the host communities. The three events would have brought significant tourism revenue. Skate Canada and the Arctic Winter Games Host Society spoke about the missed opportunity to host the world, highlighting the best of our country and supporting local hotels, restaurants and shops.

After cancellation, the Arctic Winter Games Host Society faced a decommissioning task quite unlike that of Skate Canada or Volleyball Canada. With limited storage space available, the Host Society had to make arrangements to gift, sell, recycle or dispose of a wide variety of materials, from office equipment, to merchandise, to bunkbeds and sleeping bags for the expected 2,000 athletes. The gifting of materials aligned with the legacy plan for the Games, informing decisions that would benefit Yukon as a whole. Teams were given the choice of having Games swag shipped at their own cost and proceeds from anything sold were invested into the legacy fund for the next Arctic Winter Games in Yukon.

The cancellation of the Arctic Winter Games also meant that initiatives introduced by the Host Society to make the event more inclusive than ever before were not fully experienced. These historical firsts included a Reconciliation Action Plan focusing on Yukon First Nations; gender neutral bathrooms and shower spaces; and the first Arctic Winter Games Pride House. These initiatives were included in the Host Society’s final report and recommendations to the Arctic Winter Games International Committee, and will be shared with the next host society as part of transfer of knowledge processes. Lassen hopes the initiatives will be part of the 2020 Games’ legacy.

Dashed dreams and missed opportunities

The event cancellations were devastating for the athletes. Within the international figure skating community, the ISU World Championships were to be the event of the year – the culmination of athletes’ training and competition, and for many an important step in qualifying for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Skate Canada met with Team Canada athletes prior to the cancelation to talk about the status of the event, and walk through the consequences. Key to their approach was avoiding any speculation. Armstrong said, “We told the athletes what we knew. Unfortunately we didn’t know a lot then…and we still don’t. We’re all going to have to be flexible until we figure it out.” Skate Canada and the ISU are still determining how to make up for the missed World Championships.

In the volleyball community, Nationals are a huge event, bringing together U15, U16, U17 and U18 athletes from across the country. The cancellation was heartbreaking for athletes that would be aging-out. Nationals swag is a source of team identity, pride and status within the volleyball community. Within weeks of the cancellation, Volleyball Canada was able to work with its merchandise partner, VolleyballStuff, to create “Rally Together Apart” 2020 Nationals merchandise. Proceeds from each purchase went to Food Banks Canada – just over $25,000 was donated through the campaign. Volleyball Canada also heard of teams donating their refunded registration fees to local charities.

Beyond competition, cultural exchange and social interaction are key values of the Arctic Winter Games. The Games would have been the first time some athletes traveled outside their territory, province or country. The opportunity to visit new places, meet new people, and experience new cultures is part of what makes participation at the Arctic Winter Games a life-changing experience. In Whitehorse, Team Yukon hosted a parade on March 15th (before any public health measures were introduced) as a way to honour the commitment and dedication of their athletes. 

Experiences of grief

Athletes weren’t the only ones experiencing grief relating to the cancelled events; staff and volunteers were also grieving. The events were many years in the making, requiring thousands of hours of staff and volunteer time. In Whitehorse, the territorial Minister of Community Services and acting CMO met personally with the Arctic Winter Games Host Society board members and staff (gathering restrictions were not yet in place). The meeting provided an opportunity for people who had invested so much time and effort in the event to share their emotions and to hear from the decision makers about the seriousness with which the decision was made, and how it impacted them as well. Lassen reflected, “It helped having the Minister and CMO there, to explain how the CMO came to the recommendation to cancel the event, and to show they were just as disappointed by the cancellation.”

For Skate Canada, the cancellation meant a missed opportunity to bring the world to Canada. As one of the oldest members of the ISU, hosting exceptional events is a point of pride and contributes to Skate Canada’s international reputation. Along with Montreal partners, staff and volunteers grieved the missed opportunity to showcase Canada for international competitors, sport federations and spectators. Armstrong joked, “It was the greatest World Championships that never was.”

July 12, 2020 – 12,552,765 confirmed cases globally; 107,126 confirmed cases in Canada

Final Reflections

Wrapping up the interviews, the three leaders were all asked about advice they would give to other sport organizations. The leaders were consistent with their advice:

  1. Ensure all contracts include a force majeur clause. While Skate Canada, the Arctic Winter Games Host Society and Volleyball Canada had to enact this clause to varying degrees in relation to the March 2020 cancellations, it is now something they would not go without.
  2. Communication is key. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was swift, requiring organizations to be incredibly nimble. Communication before, at the time of decision, and after the cancellation with key stakeholders, including public health officials, partners and member organizations, and athletes, was key to successfully navigating the dynamic landscape. As time allowed, the sport organizations worked to control the messages, recognizing the financial and emotional impacts, but prioritizing the safety of Canadians and visiting international delegations.
  3. Time to ramp up contingency planning. The COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for event hosts to think through the unthinkable. The lessons learned and protocols developed to manage the spread of COVID-19 can help inform contingency plans for future events. Lassen reflected, “Even if the risk is low, even extremely low, event hosts need to take the time to discuss the issue and put a plan in place. Pandemic contingency plans will be an unexpected, and important, legacy of these events.”

Armstrong confessed, “I’m glad to see 2019-2020 in the rear-view mirror. The opportunity now is for us to integrate these learnings into the future.”

From little leagues to international competitions, the global pandemic brought a halt to sport in Canada. With ongoing public health restrictions in many communities and the implementation of return to play plans in limbo, COVID-19 continues to impact the Canadian sport system. Despite the unknowns, many sport organizations have focused their attention on new strategies to support their members. Reflecting the sentiment across the entire sport community, Armstrong said, “Seeing the increasing toll of the pandemic kept things in perspective. The attention of the Canadian sport sector is now on how we can help with recovery in terms of contributing to physical and mental health, and building and maintaining community.”

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Major sport events in Canada and around the world have been cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. For sport administrators, researchers and policymakers, this pause represents a unique opportunity to reflect on the desired impacts and legacies of future sport events.

Event bids are often full of claims about the positive impacts of event hosting, both social and economic. In particular, sport events are often praised for the ability to increase sport and physical activity participation in host and non-host communities. Increases in participation are related to a “demonstration effect” or “trickle-down” effect, which refers to a process by which people are inspired by elite sport, sports people, or sports events to participate themselves (Weed, 2009). The demonstration effect can be measured in terms of new participants in a sport, an increase in participation frequency, participants returning to a sport after a long hiatus, or participants switching from one sport to another. In recent years, many researchers have dismissed such claims, arguing that there is no reliable evidence to support the existence of demonstration effects.

However, the question of the “existence” of demonstration effects may be far more nuanced than simply claiming they do or do not exist. It may be time for researchers to temper the debate about the existence of demonstration effects, and instead focus their efforts on investigating the mechanisms and conditions by which sport events are most likely to bring about desired participation impacts. The resulting evidence can help set expectations, assess investments, and guide legacy investments.

A Realist Synthesis Approach to Understanding Demonstration Effects

A realist synthesis approach to understanding complex phenomena explores a wide range of evidence to answer the question “what works for whom under what circumstances?” rather than “what works?” (Coalter, 2007). From this perspective, event impacts (e.g., increased sport or physical activity participation) are best understood as a result of the interaction of a particular combination of circumstances.

What follows is a discussion of some of the conditions that may be necessary for a major sport event to have a positive impact on sport and physical activity participation. By no means is this an exhaustive list of empirically supported conditions. The intention is to start a discussion about re-thinking what might be necessary conditions for demonstration effects to occur.

Condition #1: Youth Populations

Evidence to suggest that sport events will influence sport participation is limited when considering an entire host population. “One-size-fits-all” approaches to analyzing data may be masking evidence of demonstration effects present within particular sub-populations. Recently, for example, research has suggested that demonstration effects might be more pronounced among youth populations. For instance, Aizawa et al. (2018) found that the long-term impact of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games was more pronounced among those who were youth at the time of the event compared to other generations. Similarly, Carmichael et al. (2013) observed that students and those in part-time employment positions were more likely to participate in moderately intense activities after the London 2012 Olympic Games than people who were employed full-time. As people age, they may give a higher priority to areas of education, work, and family than to nonworking and sport-related activities (Aizawa et al.).

Condition #2: Communities that House Event Venues

Research into the demonstration effect has often drawn conclusions based on analyses of national and provincial/territorial-level participation data. Until recently, participation data are rarely delineated or examined within the local regions that house event venues. The notion of the “epicentre” effect suggests that when searching for evidence of a demonstration effect, researchers should first consider available participation data at local and regional levels, and then move outward and consider data at provincial/territorial and national levels (Potwarka & Leatherdale, 2016). Examined this way, participation impacts might be greatest near venue locations. For instance, Potwarka and Leatherdale (2016) observed no statistically significant changes in the rate of moderately active/active youth in Canada or the province of British Columbia from before to after the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. At the regional level however, the authors reported a significant increase in the rate of moderately active/active females from pre-event to post-event years in Richmond, BC. Interestingly, Richmond was home to the newly constructed Olympic oval, which saw a record number of medals for Canadian women speed skaters and was accessible for public use after the Games.

Condition #3: “Hometowns” of Medalists

Virtually every study of demonstration effects has examined participation impacts solely within host nations and communities, however demonstration effects have the potential to be a truly global phenomena. Millions of people from outside host communities and around the globe tune in to watch athletes from their own communities compete for Olympic and Paralympic medals. Potwarka et al. (2019) examined population-level changes in physical activity in the hometowns of Canadian athletes that won medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The authors reported statistically significant increases in physical activity levels among youth living in five (of 26) hometown health regions between the pre-and post-event time periods under investigation. No significant changes in participation were observed in any of the 26 control regions (i.e., regions that were not home to an Olympic medalist). People may perceive a special connection with elite athletes from their hometown because they share similar access to sport-related opportunities, coaches, and activity promoting infrastructure in the built environment.

Condition #4: Active, Engaged, and Inspired Spectators

Research has consistently shown that demonstration effects are most likely to occur within people and spectators who are already active sport participants and spectators (Funk et al., 2011; Aizawa et al., 2018). In particular, investigations of demonstration effects have revealed that people who are fans of the sport or have knowledge of the sport before experiencing live competitions were much more likely to intend to participate in the sport after watching it (Teare et al., in press; Wicker & Sotiriadou, 2013).

Moreover, what people think about, and what they feel while immersed in a spectator experience, can have a profound influence on post-event decisions to participate. In particular, fantasizing being an athlete participating in the action; intense absorption in the spectator experience; critically judging the performance and skills of athletes; and appreciating the grace and beauty of the sport itself, can influence the likelihood of feeling inspired while watching sport events (Potwarka et al., 2018). Feelings of inspiration while watching an event may play a key role in developing behavioral intention, and reduce feelings of inadequacy that can discourage participation (Potwarka et al., 2018). In an inspired state, spectators can become compelled to achieve new sport participation goals (Thrash & Elliot, 2003). In this way, inspiration can be thought of as an appetitive motivational state, which involves feelings of energy, confidence, and enthusiasm that lead to post-event participation (Thrash & Elliot, 2003).

Condition #5: Implementing Event Leveraging Initiatives

The demonstration effect literature consistently reminds us that the potential for demonstration effects is greatly reduced without carefully planned and executed event leveraging strategies (Misener et al., 2015). Leveraging is based on the premise that increased participation levels are more likely to result from the combined influence of staging an event and the implementation of interventions designed to promote sport opportunities (Coalter, 2007). In other words, a demonstration effect must be combined with opportunities to try the sport on display if there is to be a behavioral impact beyond just influencing people’s intentions (Chalip et al., 2017; Weed et al., 2012). Few sport events have included the design, implementation and evaluation of programs that encourage people to try a new sport (Taks et al., 2017). Researchers are beginning to examine the potential influence of exposure to particular event leveraging initiatives deployed before, during or after events on stimulating sport participation. Potwarka et al. (2020), for example, found that receiving a voucher for a free session to try the sport of track cycling stimulated participation among spectators with both low and high intentions to participate in the sport post-event. (Learn more about this research in the SIRC blog.)

Summary and Recommendations: Toward More Inclusive Understandings of Demonstration Effects

Legacy investments and event leveraging initiatives strategically targeting local sport organizations, community sport and physical activity infrastructure, and youth populations might help demonstration effects occur. Moreover, local and national media must continue to promote and cover exceptional athletes in communities around the world. These narratives can highlight athletes’ connections and experiences participating in their local communities. To maximize the likelihood of participation impacts from sport events, event stakeholders may also consider offering post-event trial opportunities and designing vicarious and immersive spectator experiences. Efforts should be made to make sport events more accessible to spectators by educating them about the nuances and rules of the sport before and during competitions. Doing so may create more engaged and inspired spectators.

Further research is needed to examine demonstration effects relating to non-mega sport events and ParaSport events (Misener, 2015; Taks et al., 2015). Moreover, attention must be directed at non-participants and those who are systemically excluded from participation opportunities because of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, socio-economic status, and ability/disability. Efforts must be made to remove barriers to post-event participation.

There may also be a need to build international research collaborations aimed at interrogating demonstration effects. To this end, it may be wise to establish a repository of national and more localized sport participation surveillance data, including demographic information, which could be shared among scholars and sport managers around the world.

In addition to further establishing conditions and mechanisms which might underpin the demonstration effect phenomena, researchers and event stakeholders should focus efforts on issues related to capacity and retention. While staging sport events might help get participants “in the door,” considerably less is known about evidenced-informed strategies to help nurture and maintain newly formed relationships with participants (Bakhsh et al., 2020). If sport researchers and event stakeholders wish to realize the full potential of demonstration effects, they must ensure spectator and participation opportunities before, during and after events are welcoming and accessible for everyone.

Recommended Reading

Byers, T., Hayday, E., & Pappous, A. (2020). A new conceptualization of mega sports event legacy delivery: Wicked problems and critical realist solution. Sport Management Review, 23(2), 171-182.

It’s not only winter sports that are at risk from climate change. Extreme weather conditions affected a range of sport events, including the 2020 Australian Open tennis (heat and smoke); the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan (Typhoon Hagibis); and the 2019 IAAF World Track and Field championships in Qatar (extreme heat). Event organizers need to anticipate, develop contingency plans, and adapt to changes to ensure continued positive experiences for athletes and spectators.

As part of their commitment to the international Sport for Climate Action Framework, the Canada Games Council will advance their sustainability practices across the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the Canada Games – from merchandising to food services to capital construction. They’ll also support Host Societies and partners in their efforts to do the same.

We all have an understandable desire to protect the things we love. I happen to love sport – and winter sports in particular. Thirty years ago I remember poring over snow depth charts from the national park where I spent as much time as possible snowboarding. Those charts showed a downward trend in snow depths, opening my eyes to the possibility that a changing climate could negatively affect the places and sports that I love. It was sad to contemplate a future with shorter ski seasons and fewer powder days.

Scientific understanding of climate change, its drivers and impacts has expanded greatly in the last thirty years. It is clear that the relationship between sport and climate change cuts both ways – while sport is increasingly affected by climate impacts, the sport sector itself contributes to the problem. For those of us whose lives revolve around sport and the outdoors, we have an opportunity to position the sport sector for a low-carbon future, so that generations to come will have access to the same experiences we have enjoyed in our lifetimes.

Climate change and why it matters to sport

A recent Canadian study contains some stark conclusions – particularly that Canada’s climate has warmed and will warm further in the future, driven by human influence. Notably, both past and future warming in Canada is, on average, about double the global mean temperature increases. The effects of widespread warming are projected to intensify in the future and include more extreme heat, less extreme cold, longer growing seasons, shorter snow and ice cover seasons, earlier spring peak streamflow, thinning glaciers, thawing permafrost, and rising sea level.

Many sports stand to be affected by warming temperatures and other extreme weather, not just those winter sports that depend on reliable snow and ice. While direct causality is not always clear, over the last year extreme weather conditions have made their presence felt at a long list of sport events. Consider the 2020 Australian Open tennis (heat and smoke); the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan (Typhoon Hagibis); and the 2019 IAAF World Track and Field championships in Qatar (extreme heat). As event organizers, we need to anticipate, develop contingency plans, and adapt to the changes that are already underway to ensure continued positive experiences for athletes and spectators.

However, to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicates that we must rapidly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the globe. Staying below 1.5˚C of warming means that we have to reduce GHG emissions 45 percent below 2010 levels by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Meeting the scale of the challenge requires action by all sectors to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

The sport sector makes significant contributions to GHG emissions, and so equally, sport has a role to play in tackling climate change. The travel and logistics involved in bringing people together at sport events comes at an environmental cost. For example, each Canada Games involves thousands of athletes, volunteers, spectators and stakeholders traveling from across Canada, generating significant GHG emissions. While it is impossible for the sport sector to avoid all travel-related emissions, there are other options to consider, such as purchasing carbon offsets. Our first task is to carefully analyze our operations and identify opportunities to reduce our climate impacts. The current context of the pandemic is forcing many sport organizations to reconsider our essential operating models, providing a unique opportunity to consider new approaches.

At the Canada Games Council, we are passionate about our Games, the Canadian sport landscape and the positive role of sport in society. Now, more than ever, we need to work collaboratively to reduce the environmental footprint of our events and drive global climate action for a safer planet. That is why we made the decision to join the Sports for Climate Action Framework.

The Sports for Climate Action Framework

In December 2018, UN Climate Change, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee, launched the “Sports for Climate Action Framework.” The Framework sets the course for the global sport community to respond to climate change in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The approach builds on sport’s unique ability to inform and mobilize millions of people around a love of sport. Sport organizations can display leadership on global climate action by taking responsibility for their climate footprint and inspiring others to take action on climate change beyond the sport sector.

When the Canada Games Council signed onto the Framework in December 2019, we committed to strengthening our sustainability efforts and increasing our level of ambition for climate action. We are aiming to advance our sustainability practices across the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the Canada Games, while supporting our Host Societies and partners in their efforts to do the same. These efforts will touch on everything from office services, sport operations, transportation, capital construction, food services, venue overlay to merchandising. We will strive towards the following five commitments in the Framework:

  1. promote greater environmental responsibility;
  2. reduce overall climate impact;
  3. educate for climate action;
  4. promote sustainable and responsible consumption; and
  5. advocate for climate action through our communications.

Well over 100 sports organizations have already joined the Framework, including:

I look forward to teaming up with other Canadian participants, such as the Banff Marathon and Surf Canada, while exploring opportunities to collaborate with other organizations such as Protect Our Winters.

The Canada Games celebrate and showcase Canada’s next generation of athletes and leaders. I am constantly impressed by the passion, clarity and urgency that youth bring to the dialogue about the world that they will inherit. On this issue we can help educate our athletes and other participants, empowering them to advocate for climate action in their own communities.

The challenges of climate change will not be solved in one day, or one year, or with one environmentally sustainable event. It is important to realize that we do not need to have all the answers before taking any action at all. I know that we certainly do not. But by committing to the principles in the Sports for Climate Action Framework, the Canada Games has raised its level of ambition and taken the next step in its journey towards sustainability. This is a race we can win and we would welcome other Canadian partners in contributing to the realization of this goal.