The Sport Strategy Project

History:

How is sport currently being delivered in Edmonton? This is a difficult question to answer due to the complex nature of the situation. There are many different groups, individuals and organizations that all play a part. There are over 350 groups on file with Community Services who have some aspect of sport in their offerings to their members. As well, the school boards, community leagues, post-secondary institutions and many other agencies are involved. The different “pieces of the puzzle” are all working on, or playing in, their own areas of influence, but the pieces do not necessarily fit together well. The lack of a defining strategic plan for sports in the Edmonton area has led to a somewhat haphazard delivery of service.

The need for a plan to co-ordinate these efforts has been identified several times. For instance,

“The City of Edmonton requires a master plan for sport. This plan, to be developed in conjunction with both sport-oriented and non-sport oriented citizens, would outline the goals which the City wishes to achieve through sport, would indicate the directions to be taken, and would allocate the responsibility for the conduct and development of sport to the various actors in the sport delivery system.”

                              (Barry K. Cooper, 1983)

Support has also been identified at the provincial level for the development of a sport strategy. In 1997, the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation allocated funding of $20,000.00 for each of the 8 zones in the province to develop a zone sport strategy. 

In Zone 6, Edmonton, this funding was used mainly to hire a co-ordinator for the Sport Strategy Project. The co-ordinator’s role was to assist in the process of developing a strategy, with goals and action plans, for implementation within the Edmonton sport environment.

Plans for the Sport Strategy Project began in the Fall of 1996 with discussions held among Community Services staff. The development of the project gained impetus when a City Council motion in March of 1997 asked for more information and research pertaining to the development of a Sport Council. (See Appendix B.) With the hiring of the project co-ordinator in March 1997, the project formally began.

The first steps in the process of developing the strategy involved gathering input from the sport community. This was followed by the creation of a “Working Team” comprised of 3 City Staff and 15 individuals from the community who were interested in assisting with the process. Additional ongoing feedback from the community was sought throughout the process.

This next section provides further detail on these topics.

Sport Group Questionnaire:

In March 1997, 379 questionnaires were sent out to groups in the City of Edmonton, which were understood to have an element of sport within their mandate. There were 68 questionnaires returned, for a response rate of 18%. Thirty different sport organizations were represented in the responses, including 15 Community Leagues.

Groups were asked about their affiliation with provincial and national governing bodies, as well as the size and type of their membership and their fund-raising methods. Facility use was also explored, with 97% of the respondents indicating the need for a facility in which to do their activity and 68% reporting being successful in accessing the needed facilities. Significant numbers indicated difficulty in attracting new members (62%) and in attracting volunteers (57%). 

When asked the question, “Do you think it would be important for all sport to be represented through a local (Edmonton Based) organization such as a “Sport Association”? the response was 66% answering “yes”. When asked what the major purpose of this body would be, answers ranged from “a voice for sport”, to “organize and run sport all year round”.

Partners In Sport- The Institution Meeting of April 16, 1997:

On April 16, 1997, a meeting was held for representatives of various institutions and organizations with an interest in sport delivery in the city of Edmonton. These included the University of Alberta, Grant MacEwan Community College, Concordia College, The Edmonton Catholic School Board, Edmonton Public Schools, The Alberta Recreation and Parks Association, Sports Medicine Council of Alberta, Alberta Community Development and Sport Central. Several other organizations were invited, but were unable to send a representative. The meeting was facilitated by City Wide Resources staff of Community Services.

The purpose of the meeting was to bring people together to determine if a need existed to work together on initiatives and issues in the area of sport and to try and identify how this could or should be done.

A lively discussion took place with several important issues raised. Many people identified the need for some kind of common “voice for sport”, while recognizing that the diversity of sport and sport groups would make the development of this voice very challenging. A suggestion was made that it would be a good idea to find an individual, or group of individuals who could act as leaders or spokespersons for the sport community, to raise the profile of sport and rally support. It was also suggested that larger issues, such as the benefits of sport, and access for all, would be good rallying points. Funding was also identified as an area of concern and it was felt that groups need to take a more active role in accessing existing funding opportunities and developing new opportunities. In many cases, there are no new dollars, so it is important to work together to share existing resources and use them wisely.

Generally, the group agreed that there was work to be done, and working cooperatively was the way to proceed. However, participants stated they did not have a lot of extra time to put into a project, without knowing what would be expected of them. It was suggested that some type of draft proposal for further action should be produced and then they would be able to decide what role they or their organization could play.

A Voice For Sport- The Sport Forum of April 24, 1997:

On April 24, 1997, a meeting was held for all not-for-profit sport groups in the City of Edmonton. Approximately 380 invitations were sent out to sport groups, sport organizations and community leagues, asking them to attend the Forum to receive information and to provide input. The meeting took place at Commonwealth Stadium and approximately 60 people were in attendance.

The evening was divided into two parts. The first part of the evening was a series of presentations that included the Joint Use Agreement, City of Edmonton re-organization, Tax/Lease for not-for-profits, Lottery fund distribution and an update from the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

The second part of the evening was a forum. Participants were asked to discuss the topic “The importance for all sports in Edmonton to be represented by a local ‘sport association’.”

Through the discussions and information gathering on the forum topic, several areas of common concern for the sport community were identified. The broad categories are outlined below, with a breakdown of specific points. The areas that had the most comments are listed first:

Participation: Recruitment, affordability, accessibility, declining numbers, opportunities for all people (age, race, gender, ability level, special needs, economic status), variety of opportunities at a variety of levels.

Funding:  Decreasing funds available, groups competing for the same dollars, high cost of participation at elite levels, travel costs, need for affordable opportunities for low income groups, rising facility costs.

Facilities: Overuse, limited access, deteriorating quality, broader range of types needed, care and maintenance, potential closures, Home Base development.

Volunteers: Burnout, ongoing need for more volunteers, lack of recognition.

Promotion: Media coverage, awareness, all sports and all levels, benefits of sport.

Coaches/Officials: Certification programs, ongoing need for more certified coaches and officials.

Common Voice: Need for a united front, diversity of sports.

Co-operation between groups: Competition between groups/schools for same resources.

A number of possible solutions were suggested for many of the concerns:

1) Development of a “Common Voice”: Many participants suggested the formation of some type of council that would include representation from all areas of sport. The roles of this group could include advocacy, promotion of sport, resource sharing, networking and developing partnerships. There were a variety of suggestions for possible membership, ranging from no government involvement to involvement of all levels (municipal, provincial and federal), as well as paid staff and sub-committees as needed. It was suggested that the arts community in Edmonton might provide a model to consider for this type of council.

2) Increased Profile for Sport: This would include more and better media coverage of local amateur sport, more government support, more publicity and key players in the community taking on leadership roles.

3) Increased Funding: Possible sources could include the municipal government, Lottery funding and corporate sponsors. Participants also felt existing dollars could be used more efficiently and effectively through sharing of resources and better co-operation between groups. Special funding for low-income groups was identified as an important aspect to consider.

4) Management of Facilities: There was support for the continuation of the Home Base program, as well as the development of a thorough, up-to-date inventory of all sport facilities in the city and surrounding area, accessible to user groups. This would be complemented by a needs assessment to identify areas where there is a need for more or improved facilities. A centralized booking system and clear guidelines on priority use would also be very helpful.

5) Effective use of Volunteers: Suggestions included detailed job descriptions, smaller/easier projects, meaningful recognition and recruiting from populations who may have more available time, or motivation to become involved, such as seniors, students, baby boomers.

6) Coaches/Officials: There is a need for standardization of training and certification to insure quality and consistency.

7) Specific Projects: Some specific events were identified as possible ways to address some of the concerns, such as holding an Edmonton Sport Festival, winter and summer, similar to Corporate Challenge, and promoting new and emerging sports such as Roller Hockey.

When the group was asked who should be involved in implementing these solutions the list was quite extensive. They felt that parents, schools, post-secondary institutions, participants, not-for-profit groups, volunteers, community leagues, the private sector, corporations, umbrella sport groups, zone councils, multi-sport groups and municipal, provincial, and federal governments could all play a part.

Overall, the evening generated significant discussion, and evaluation forms indicated that the majority of participants found the sessions useful.

The Working Team:

The Sport Strategy Working Team was brought together in July of 1997. Applicants were recruited through newspaper advertisements in the Edmonton Journal and the Edmonton Examiner, and team members were selected from those who submitted their resume. The team members represented a wide range of sport affiliations and experience in the sport community. Their role was to assist in the development of the strategy, and to provide feedback on the input process for the strategy.

Members of the Working Team:

Community Members-Tim Berrett, Jack Rutherford, Bill Dean, John Wojcicki, Linda Blade, Malcolm Smith, Lil Kordic, Laurie MacGillivary, Ian MacLeod, Lance Adamson, John Dance, Keith Driver, Darlene Skiba, Billy Strean, Jim Wheatley.

Community Services Staff- George Murphy, Brent McFarlane.

Project Coordinator- Val Mayes.

The Working Team held a series of meetings throughout the summer and fall of 1997, during which the purpose, beliefs, vision, mission, theme areas and goals of the strategy were developed, discussed, and edited. Team members evaluated and provided feedback on Drafts 2, 3, and 4 of the Strategy.

The Edmonton Sport Strategy Update - October 23, 1997

On October 23, 1997 a Sport Strategy update meeting was held for community sport organizations and community institutions. The session was attended by 35 individuals representing 29 different organizations. Collectively, these representative organizations provide a range of sport programs and services to children, youth, adults and seniors.

The session began with a presentation of the work accomplished by the Sport Strategy Working Team since the previous Sport Forum in April 1997. The presentation included an outline of the overall purpose and objectives of the initiative as well as the beliefs, values, vision and mission of the Sport Strategy. The five identified theme areas were also outlined along with information on a proposed Sport Council which would oversee the implementation of these theme areas. 

Following the presentation, participants broke into small groups to discuss the various aspects of the Sport Strategy and to provide input on improvements that could be made to the document. Key elements from the group discussions were then shared with the overall group. Finally, a brief presentation was made on the logistics around the formation of the Sport Council, including an Interim Board selection process and timelines for implementation. Participants voted in favour of the selection process for an Interim Board by way of a show of hands.

At the close of the session participants were asked to complete a brief feedback form and to take a board member application form if they were interested in becoming a part of the Sport Council Interim Board. Results from the feedback forms indicated that 76% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed with the Sport Strategy as presented, 79% believed it would benefit their sport and 82% supported the proposed formation of a Sport Council.

Additional Input:

A variety of methods were used during the development of the Sport Strategy to ensure that the sport community had many opportunities to be involved.

The Feedback Team:

Several individuals expressed interest in being involved in the development of strategy, but were unable to be a part of the Working Team. These 20 people were asked to be members of the Feedback Team and were included in the process by providing comments on drafts of the strategy, and in some cases meeting with the project co-ordinator. 

Presentations:

The following groups received a presentation on the Sport Strategy and had the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions.

• Fun Team Alberta
• Edmonton Interdistrict Youth Soccer Association
• Soccer Federation of Edmonton
• Northeast Zone Sport Council
• Parks, Recreation and Cultural Advisory Board
• Edmonton Track and Field Council
• Edmonton Figure Skating Association
• Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, Community Services Committee
• Community Services Staff, including NE District, SE District, NW District, SW District, Leisure Centres, Facilities Branch Management Team

Newsletter Distribution:

The following list of individuals and organizations were sent “The Game Plan”, the newsletter of the Sport Strategy project. (See Appendix C)

• Mayor Smith and Councillors
• 142 Community Leagues
• The Edmonton Minor Hockey Association
• The Community Group Profile (CGP) list of sport organizations
• PRCAB (Parks, Recreation and Cultural Advisory Board)
• Community Services staff
• Members of the Feedback Team
• Institutions and multi-sport groups
• Members of the Working Team

Invitations to the Sport Strategy Update Meeting:

The invitations to the meeting on October 23 went out to the following list of people. Invitation packages included an executive summary of the strategy.

• Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues Executive/Board
• 142 Community Leagues, including presidents, secretaries and sport directors
• CGP Mailing List sport contacts
• PRCAB
• 80 Provincial Sport organizations
• Individuals who attended the Sport Forum in April
• Edmonton Minor Hockey Association
• Representatives of educational institutions and multi-sport groups
• Community Services Staff
• The Feedback Team
• The Working Team

As well, advertisements were placed in the Edmonton Journal and the Edmonton Examiner inviting people to the update, and posters were put up in sporting goods stores.