purpose + outcomes

• To engage sport community stakeholders across the province in the development of a provincial sport system that serves all
• To introduce and update stakeholders on work done to date to understand the current sport system and plan for its future
• To gain further input, momentum, and mandate from across the province for future work aimed at transforming the sport system

STEPHANIE SPENCER

For years quality sport advocates have been calling for an end to early single sport specialization which is having a negative impact on the youth sport system and the well-being of kids. Easier said than done as the obstacles and impossibilities are plentiful. Stephanie’s community, however, has cracked the nut: the Antigonish multisport program has emerged and is celebrated across the country as a national best practice model for Multisport delivery. Stephanie will show you how.

ALLAN MACDOUGALL

What we know in the sport world as a kayak was originally called aqajaq, the name of a traditional sealskin boat used for thousands of years to travel and hunt marine mammals and sea birds. You could usually tell where someone came from by the shape of their qajaq. Since it was completely covered, a skilled hunter was able to travel in wind and waves of the open water of summer and even manoeuvre through the moving ice in winter and spring. Allan MacDougall knew these origins when he was invited to be a paddling coach for members of an Inuit community from Northern Quebec; but that was only the beginning. Allan’s journey teaches us how the teacher can also be the student, and that sport is anything but a "one size fits all."

PETER MCCRACKEN
 

Was part of a team in northern Nova Scotia who wanted to provide better support to persons with disabilities in recreation and sport. Like others before them, they didn’t know where to begin. Unlike others before them, they turned that challenge in to an opportunity to build better understanding, and set off on a data-collecting mission. Armed with ideas, insights and perspective, today they feel enlightened and uniquely positioned. Peter will use the perspective of one boy and his family to share what they learned.

AMY WALSH & CAROLYN TOWNSEND

Sport Nova Scotia promotes itself as the voice for sport in our province. So when it came time to renewing the organization’s strategic plan, a courageous decision was made to collect ideas and input from as many voices as possible. Sport Nova Scotia’s Director of Communications Carolyn Townsend and Sport Nova Scotia's Director of Sport Development Amy Walsh will describe the engagement process that resulted in a plan that belongs to every Nova Scotian.

BILL SCHURMAN 

When Amherst declared its goal of being the most active, healthy community in Nova Scotia, the list of barriers was long. Years of steady decline in sport and recreation and participants, facility access and population, coupled with increased fees, and the list goes on… Bill will share how his adopted hometown worked hard to discover the opportunities, resulting in a creative solution to an age-old problem. Ingenious in its simplicity, the program is soon entering its third year and catching the attention of municipalities across the country.

BRAD TAYLOR

As the Manager of Development Programs with Hockey Nova Scotia, Brad identified an opportunity to introduce Canada’s favorite pastime to families new to Nova Scotia. They launched a program but it didn’t go as planned. They re-tooled and, a couple years later, they tried it again. This time it was so successful it has become a flagship program of Hockey Nova Scotia and their partner, ISANS, and it has been the proudest achievement of Brad’s career… but not by the measures you’d imagine. Brad will tell you why ‘hockey’ participation trails behind the most important outcome

Parent Education

Parent Equation

• Start at grassroots level

• Start with coach education & parent meetings

Multi-Sport Parent Education

• Influence on kids

Sport for Change

• Sport/Recreation as a social determinant of health

• Removing barriers through sport

Harmonized Sport System

Harmonized sport system - PSO, NSO, Municipalities, Schools, Recreation Facilities

PSOs

• Common updated policy across PSO’s

• Background checks

• Safe sport

• Ethics

 Sport and Recreation

• Bridge the gap between sport and recreation - define “sport”

• Recreational sport first - no early specialization

• More partnering

• Competitive sport at a later age

Let’s Talk

Regional Forums

• Regional Sport Forums

• Use best practice model already in place #seewhyweloveit

• Find champions and bring them together and let them go

Youth Forums/Engagement

• Ask the kids/players/youth what they want and what is preventing or keeping them in sport and then take action

• Connecting seniors, high school/university students as leaders to give back in the school system

Local/Community Forums

• Initiate smaller community conversations

• Localize conversation within the community - more rural vs HRM

• Local discussion between sport governing bodies with education boards, community figures, and the people

• Different communities have different sport needs

Municipality Forums

• Ministerial forum for mayors/municipalities focus don positioning of sport

• Better communication/relationship building with municipal government

• MPALs Teaching grassroots programs

• Info sharing with public

Facilities

• Optimization of spaces and places (i.e. lakes, facilities, schools)

• Mandate public facilities to become more accessible ($$, schedule for diverse demographic)

• Facilities - better collaboration, utilization practice facilities, amenities, washrooms, change rooms

• Transparent facilities and field booking structure in NS - an app?

• Free unrestricted access to more facilities province wide

Access

• Education of leaders inclusion and increasing access to resources

• Improve focus/create an action plan to improve adult education and access to physical activity and sport

• Support training for under-represented populations

• Financial reality check- cost of sport - less $$

Inclusive policies:

• Devise

• Implement

• Support

Open Access to Sports

• Already have legislation in the province

• Has been in the works for several years - but still not open access

Collaboration

• To address barriers to access

• To build networks between stakeholders - sport leaders, Champs, PSOs, schools, transportation, parents, health professionals, kids

Funding

Align PSO Work

• Reward PSOs to work with other PSOs with funding or additional resources.

• Increase incentives for PSO and sport stakeholder collaboration (i.e. granting process)

• Values-Based Funding - Does your sport have a potential to develop value towards future life?

• Funding incentives for collaboration

Fund Differently

• Funding criteria - develop participation!

• Bigger investment in prevention over treatment

• SNS Lobby Govt for this

• Facilities are an investment

• Funding campaigner

• $ for financial barriers in sport

• Funding start conversation on funding to carryout these initiatives

• Lottery $ for Infrastructure

• Align - Let’s get Moving, Federal Gender Equity $’s, Disability, Indigenous - for access to sport $$

Education

Inside Schools

• Change policy for access to school facilities and daily physical education opportunities

• Mandate physical education/daily physical activity through Depart of Education (SNS, CCH, CSCA)

• Promote that physical ed and recess are alright and not just a privilege - policy needed to support this

Schools sharing best practices in how they deliver day to day - how do we keep kids moving in schools?

• Link between activity and academic performance

• Educate and share - sport leaders and teachers dept. ed.

• Train new generation of teachers in physical literacy

Daily physical quality education

• NSTU

• Dept of Ed

• Principals

• School boards

School curriculum overhaul and influence on bringing quality PE back in schools

Sport and School

• Education to the table

• Mandate daily physical education in schools

• Sport and schools - more of a connect

• Schools

• Curriculum development

• Coaching and reffing certification

• Prioritize sport in schools

• Discussion with Dept of Ed

• Advocacy of school boards for programs in and out of school hours

• School board and sport federation - partnered not segregated (working together for sport)

• Understanding the current school/community relationship - what’s missing? Is there time and space?

• Using schools to better deliver sport -working together with PSOs and CSOs

Policy

• Proactively engage DOE - physical activity framework

• Mandate this group to engage the Dept of Education and former school boards

• Pressure government to make physical active a priority with literacy and numeracy

Coaching

• Establish a cross-sport Coach Institute of Nova Scotia (training and collaboration)

• Provide leadership training to sport delivery professionals and volunteers to impact all aspects of sport

Investment in coaching

• Volunteers

• Retention

• Standards

• Minimize barriers ($)

• More learning facilitators

More coaches

• With help from coach education and access and educators

• Funding to do so

Increase in quality leaders

• Coaches - education

• Volunteers

Increase the value of youth physical development through professionalizing sport delivery (without increasing user cost)

Volunteers

• More support for volunteers (i.e. policy check fee waived, waive all volunteer fees)

Volunteer recognition 

• Incentives

• Tax credits for # of hours volunteered

• Step by step resource materials from PSOs NSO at every school, center, church, etc for volunteers and coaches

Champions

• Capitalize on role models and mentors and reach to rural communities

• Promote and find a community star (see them, be them)

• Bring 50 of the right people together, everyone with an idea

• SNS make a list of community volunteers or “champions” to teach specific sport skill to help utilize cavities and equipment

Marketing

• Sending out success stories using different mediums. Better communication of all success (podcasts)

• Physical literacy equal platform as literacy, numeracy

• Sports Day in Canada - in the schools, individual clubs teaching, winter/summer

• Attitudinal shift

• Change perception in funding model

• Vocabulary change

• Reward/incentivize collaborations

• Stop being risk averse

NAIG

• Use NAIG as a community development tool

• Support reconciliation through NAIG - How can we help?

Other Great Ideas

• Scaleability Support

• Take success and scale for other communities

• Innovation framework

• Equipment loans, storage, availability

• Create a database of stakeholders to facilitate connections

• Explore the concept of community sport council with paid leadership

• Things I cannot control & focus on those with my ability to impact.

• Dream Big and make change happen.

• Facilities need to be more accessible whether schools, YMCA’s, arenas, fitness centres (cost, etc).

• Sport needs to be more inclusive (i.e. ability, need, age, gender, culturally)

• Don’t forget about the roles that recreation, leisure and education play within the sport system.

• Think long-term. Think in terms of generational change (Mik’maq culture 7 generations ahead).

• As you work towards inclusion of under-represented groups, be sure to include first person voice/experience of these groups.

• Do not lose momentum!!

• Education for parents, coaches and athletes.

• Continue to communicate and engage us as participants. Let’s do a few things really well and not over commit.

• Think boldly.

• Involve schools and the Minister of Education.

• Knowledge should be shared from within all levels in sport.

• Be open-minded. Pick one thing and do it immediately. Make sure you include all Nova Scotians in that choice. Engage grassroots stakeholders. A lot of resources to help the most people.

• Pay attention to the social det. of health, urban vs rural, race, ethnicity, poverty, education, etc.

• Spend more time or create a balance between elite sport engagement and active for life model.

• Create the potential for creative solutions (i.e. $100,000).

• Get out into the community and listen (rural areas not just cities).

• Embrace initiative.

• Lose the judgement. Be open-minded.

• Is it health performance or participation? What is the goal? Stay focused on it.

• Establish key performance indicators (measurable).

• Concentrate on the positives (what is the bright future?)

• You cannot please all! 20/80. 20% must choice/decision = 80% of impact (highest) in 5 years.

• Share information and work on collaboration. “Takes a village to raise an athlete.”

• Act on inclusivity. For “all” where “all” really means “all.”

• Leave your pre-conceived notions and agendas at home. This broad - province wide.

• Clear pathway from all ages/abilities/backyards to high performance.

• Check Norway.

• Narrow focus and delegate to ensure accountability. What is priority?

• There isn’t one answer or solution - it’s continuous improvement.

• Communicate often. Keep conversation going.

• Be patient.

• Replay this same model at the local level across the province before you act.

• Focus on the positives and your strengths/shared objectives.

• Help everyone find their sport(s)… for life.

• Challenge the accepted norms.

• Dear Core Team: Please engage new (unexpected?) stakeholders on an on-going basis. “Continuous fuelling the fire” with the right people, understanding those people change.

• Schools being under-used - Oval is a perfect example of everything being free.

• Don’t speak or assume the position of other groups in the system.