WHAT IS SAFE SPORT?
The term ‘Safe Sport’ is defined as “physical and emotional safety which includes concussion and injury prevention, and environments free from bullying, abuse, harassment, discrimination and other forms of maltreatment”.
Sincere thanks to Sport Law for their facilitation of the toolkit development process and to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their generous funding support.
A TOOLKIT TO HELP OTTAWA SPORT ORGANIZATIONS FOSTER SAFE, WELCOMING AND INCLUSIVE SPORT ENVIRONMENTS
Under the leadership of the Ottawa Sport Council, the framework for the Ottawa Safe Sport Toolkit was developed by 12 local sport organizations to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all participants including coaches, athletes, official, administrators and volunteers. Based on best practices and resources at the federal, provincial, and community levels, the Toolkit is a fundamental building block to create a healthy supportive environment in which everyone can thrive. The toolkit is a living document. Content will be added as new information and resources become available.
To get started, download a copy of the Implementation Guide and watch the Toolkit Tutorial Video.
WHAT IS SAFE SPORT?
The term ‘Safe Sport’ is defined as “physical and emotional safety which includes concussion and injury prevention, and environments free from bullying, abuse, harassment, discrimination and other forms of maltreatment”.
Sincere thanks to Sport Law for their facilitation of the toolkit development process and to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their generous funding support.
RESOURCES
What Safe Sport resources exist to create awareness and consistency?
There are many safe sport resources which complement the Ottawa Safe Sport Toolkit Assets (custom designed for Ottawa community sport organizations) available across Canada to advance knowledge and awareness and promote a safe sport environment. Below you will find a list of resources from across the Canadian sport landscape to support safe sport practices in community sport organizations.
These resources cover the following topics: general awareness of safe sport, player welfare and injury prevention, harassment, abuse and bullying, health and wellness, the responsible coaching movement, and equity, diversity, inclusion, and indigeneity.
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RESOURCES IMPLEMENTATION
Post and/or send links to the Ottawa Safe Sport Toolkit and/or other resources to all relevant stakeholders.
Create a method for stakeholders to submit enhanced resources from other organizations on leading practices or innovative thinking in safe sport that you can share with members.
Post all enhanced resources and links to related organizations (e.g., CAC) on your organization’s website and/or social media accounts.​
Repeat all steps annually.
JUMP TO:
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PLAYER WELFARE & INJURY PREVENTION
HARASSMENT, ABUSE, & BULLYING IN SPORT
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS IN SPORT
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, & INDIGENEITY IN SPORT
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SAFE SPORT GENERAL AWARENESS
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Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner: The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner will, for participating organizations, oversee the complaint intake process, conduct preliminary assessments, initiate full investigations, and refer cases for mediation and adjudication by independent professionals.
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Safe Sport 101 from the Coaches Association of Ontario: Giving coaches the tools they need to make sport safe, inclusive, and fun for all.
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Safe Sport Toolbox from the Coaching Association of Canada: Resources and materials to facilitate a culture of safe sport.
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Sport Safety for Parents from the Coaching Association of Canada: Strategies to help make safe sport happen and help children to learn, excel and have fun in a safe, positive environment.
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Safe Sport Policies and Procedures from SIRC: Highlights Canada’s leading safe sport policies and practices that have been adopted in sport.
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Safe Sport Education & Training Resources from SIRC: Collection of go-to education and training tool for coaches/instructors and all sport participants.
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Safe Sport Research Resources from SIRC: Policies and best practices in safe sport were informed by research captured here.
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True Sport Resources: Resources to support sport that is built on fairness, excellence, inclusion, and fun by intentionally incorporating the True Sport Principles.
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Quality Sport from Sport for Life: to create positive experiences in supportive environments.
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Guide to Administrative Fair Play from the SDRCC: A guide to help sport organizations prevent or reduce the occurrence of sports-related disputes.
PLAYER WELFARE & INJURY PREVENTION
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Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport from Parachute: The Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport has been developed to ensure that athletes with a suspected concussion receive timely and appropriate care, and proper management to allow them to return to their sport.
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Ottawa Sport Council Concussion Education Video: This educational video is designed to equip coaches, players, parents, board members, staff, and volunteers alike with the knowledge of how to apply the 4 R’s of concussion management (Recognize, Remove, Refer, Return) in a sport setting.
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Concussion in Sport Resources SIRC: Tools and resources to support your organization, inform your practices with evidence-based research and ultimately keep your athletes safer.
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Concussion Awareness Tools from the Coaching Association of Canada: Resources to support coaches in identifying the signs and symptoms of a concussion and to know what to do when they suspect a participant has suffered one.
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Concussion Recognition Tool 5 from the Concussion Group in Sport: the CRT5 is to be used for the identification of suspected concussion. It is not designed to diagnose concussion.
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The 7 R’s of Concussion Management from ViaSport: The injury management process before a concussion occurs, when it is suspected, and once it is diagnosed.​
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Sport-Specific Return-to-Sport Strategy Adaptation Tool from Parachute: This tool will help ensure your Return-to-Sport Strategy is tailored to include sport-specific activities that help athletes return to your sport after a concussion.
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Strategy for Return to School after a Concussion from Parachute: This tool is to be used to when athletes are returning to school following a concussion.
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Physical Literacy and Injury Prevention Guide for Leaders by Canadian Sport for Life: This guide will enable your organization to establish best practices reducing the risk of injury in your programming, and they may also improve the overall experience of your participants.
RESPONSIBLE COACHING MOVEMENT
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Responsible Coaching Movement Toolkit: A marketing toolkit to support you in spreading awareness among coaches, volunteers, parents, and participants and to encourage other organizations to take the RCM pledge.
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Responsible Coaching Movement Video: A short video to outline each of the three pillars of the responsible coaching movement to support you in spreading awareness.
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Safe, Smart, Secure Campaign: Encouraging sport organizations across Canada to take the Responsible Coaching Movement pledge.
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Three Steps to Responsible Coaching from the Coaching Association of Canada: A learning approach that supports coaches with the training and knowledge they need to ensure a safe (open and observable), healthy, and fun sport environment.
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Rule of Two from the Coaching Association of Canada: Guideline to ensure all interactions and communications are open, observable, and justifiable.
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Rule of Two E-Learning Module from the Coaching Association of Canada: Online training that outlines how to can increase the safety and security of sport participants while protecting all those involved.​
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Responsible Coaching Movement Checklist for Sport Organizations from the Coaching Association of Canada: Recommended actions to implement responsible coaching movement, rule of two, background screening, and ethical behaviour.
HARASSMENT, ABUSE, & BULLYING IN SPORT
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Canadian Sport HELP Line: to provide assistance, advice, and resources on how to proceed/intervene appropriately under the circumstances.
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Respect in Sport: A safe sport program for coaches/instructors and parents/families to recognize, understand and respond to issues of bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination (BAHD).
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Guideline for Adults Interacting with Children in Sport: To establish a common understanding of expectations for adults interacting with children in sport, and a sense of safety for those who need to bring forward any concerns of misconduct towards children.
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Canadian Centre for Child Protection: Programs not only provide immediate help, but also offer educational and prevention material to help keep kids safe online and in everyday life.
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Steps for Reporting Inappropriate Behaviour from Commit2Kids: A quick reference guide for use in a sporting environment for reporting inappropriate behaviour involving a child.
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Steps for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse from Commit2Kids: A quick reference guide for use in a sporting environment for reporting child sexual abuse.
MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS IN SPORT
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Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub from the Coaching Association of Canada: Tools and information to overcome stigma and guide conversations about mental health for coaches and sport administrators.
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Body Sense: tools and tips to guide you to positive body image and strong self-esteem.
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The Black Student Athlete Mental Health Fund from the Black Canadian Coaches Association: Program to subsidize mental health care services for Black student-athletes attending a Canadian university or college​
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Understanding Mental Health from Game Plan: A guide to helping athletes create an understanding of the basics of mental health.
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Managing Uncertainty Workbook from Game Plan: Helping athletes manage uncertainty with the individual self-assessment to for physical and mental health.
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Athlete’s Self-Care Workbook from Game Plan & the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport: Helping athletes take an active role in preserving or improving one’s health and wellbeing.
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Mental Health 101 from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: A series of free online tutorials intended as a starting point for learning about mental health.​
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, & INDIGENEITY IN SPORT
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Ottawa Sport Council’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Panel Discussion Video: a conversation among leaders in our sport community about how to create a welcoming and inclusive sporting environment for all to participate. Panelists share their lived experiences and perspectives on levelling the field of play.
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What is unconscious bias? from Catalyst: Infographic defining unconscious bias and implicit associations, attitudes, and assumptions.
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Anti-Racism Resources from SIRC: A collection of key terms, educational resources, and organizations to support sport organizations to be more aware, informed, and take action on anti-racism.
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Anti-Racism in Coaching Toolbox from the Coaching Association of Canada: Resources for coaches and sport administrations to further educate themselves on anti-racism and how to support racialized participants in sport in Canada.
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Creating Inclusion of Newcomers in Sport and Physical Activity from Sport for Life: The resource outlines the barriers that New to Canada participants may face in sport participation and provides examples of solutions and opportunities for inclusion.
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Aboriginal Sport Circle: Canada's national voice for Aboriginal sport, physical activity and recreation bringing together the interests of First Nations, Inuit & Métis peoples.
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Indigenous Long-Term Participant Development Pathway from Sport for Life: A roadmap for developing sport and physical activity among Indigenous peoples. Key considerations when planning, developing, and implementing programs with Indigenous communities.
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Resource Guide from SIRC and INclusion INcorporated: This document offers guidance for honouring September 30th as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a day of reflection to raise awareness and honour the individual, family, and community intergenerational impacts of residential schools.
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Gender Equity from Canadian Women & Sport: Working to allocate resources fairly and address any imbalances in the benefits available to people of different genders.
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What is Intersectionality? from Canadian Women & Sport: A quick reference guide to understanding intersectionality, why it’s important in gender equity, and how that applies to sport.
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Creating Inclusive Environments for Trans Participants in Canadian Sport from CCES: Research findings, policy templates, and guidance to help sport organizations develop trans inclusion policies at recreational, developmental, and high-performance levels.
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Leading the Way: Working with 2SLGBTQ+ Athletes and Coaches from the Coaching Association of Canada: A comprehensive resources designed for coaches to highlight curries issues and opportunities to make sport a more welcoming environment for 2SLGBTQ+ participants.
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LGBTQI2S Sports Inclusion Checklist from Egale Canada Human Rights Trust: This checklist is a tool to aid sport organizations to begin the work of LGBTQ inclusion by identifying potential needs for support in their sport organization/context.
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Ausome Ottawa Community Training: Workshops to provide an overview of ASD and give examples of what ASD looks like in sports and recreation settings.
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Special Olympics Diversity Series Inclusive Language for Communications: Whether your message is printed, tweeted, emailed, blogged or spoken, follow these guidelines to make sure your words resonate and connect with your intended audience. Inclusive language speaks to everyone!​
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Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Training: This program covers basic information about AODA, comprehensive details about its standards, and the benefits they offer Ontarians.
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Glossary of Terms from the Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion: This comprehensive glossary aims to provide a reference for anyone interested in terminology used within inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). The language used around IDEA and social justice topics is constantly evolving. Context, connotation, tone, and individual preferences all play a role in what terminology is acceptable.
OTTAWA SAFE
SPORT TOOLKIT
A toolkit to help Ottawa sport organizations foster safe, welcoming and inclusive sport environments.
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