Rarely a day goes by at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport that we don’t receive a complaint from a person involved in community sport in Canada. While it is frustrating and discouraging that we are usually unable to assist in addressing the grievance, we are always struck by the lack of trust and confidence in local sport organizations that is often at the root of the problem being brought forward.
It is time for all of us to get behind and support the development of a values-based, principle driven community sport system under the True Sport Movement.
The True Sport Movement is growing at the community level. It is responding to Canadians’ desire for a better sport experience for their kids. The True Sport Movement now needs to be validated and embraced by governments and national sport governing bodies if it is to fulfill its promise of good sport making a great difference.
Good community sport governance is at the root of the True Sport Movement and a proper system of governance for all community sport associations needs to be implemented.
We have very promising work going on in this area that should be sustained. Club Excellence is an idea whose time has come.
When properly implemented, this program will allow the Canadian sports system to continue to benefit from its enormous volunteer base. At the same time, it will aid in establishing the necessary checks and balances to ensure good sport is being delivered in our parks, fields, gyms, pools and arenas.
To respond to grievances in community sport, we need to explore the training and availability of community sport ombudspersons. These individuals might be municipal employees trained to arbitrate disputes and available to all sport organizations in a community. They could ensure that all involved in community sport have the ability to have their grievance heard before an independent arbitrator, free of bias, personal relationships and without fear of repercussions on their child.
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