2021 has come and gone, and with it, community sport organizations have overcome another year of uncertainty, adapting once again to an ever-changing sport world.
Like other members of the sport community in 2021, the Ottawa Sport Council (OSC) aimed to support its peers and ensure Ottawa sport organizations had as many resources as possible to withstand another year of adversity and emerge from the year ready to rebound stronger.
The OSC kicked off the year by awarding two local community sport organizations – the Rideau Canoe Club and the Nepean Sailing Club – with the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation 2020 True Sport Community Grant, aimed to assist with COVID-19 recovery efforts and further develop inclusive programming while embracing the True Sport Principles.
The Rideau Canoe Club’s Special Olympics and Paracanoe program made a return in 2021 and the Nepean Sailing Club was able to develop their ABLE Sail program to offer people of all abilities the opportunity to participate in sport.
For the OSC, this year also presented a unique opportunity to continue to give back to the sport community through specialized, peer-driven workshops designed to help sport organizations rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These workshops formed the Rebound program, a year-long initiative created to enhance the resources found in the Ottawa Return to Play Roadmap. The primary objective in designing the Rebound Program was to support ongoing COVID-19 recovery in community sport with an active engagement strategy throughout 2021.
This active engagement strategy included opportunities for:
- Resource, knowledge, & data sharing
- Peer learning and network development
- Unity within the community sport sector
The 13 Rebound workshops hosted from February to November 2021 were attended by 130 participants from 87 organizations and 34 different sports, offering a diverse perspective regarding the various focused topics.
Rebound covered four topics: Strategic Planning; Volunteer Recruitment and Retention; Risk Management; and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Subject matter experts led Chalk Talks (full-day sessions) and facilitated Huddles (2-hour workshops with discussions among peers) for each of these topics to offer hands-on learning.
To complement these sessions, the OSC created the Community Sport Slack Workspace. This Slack channel allows sport organizations to share information, resources, and articles with one another going forward and continue the legacy of the Rebound program.
Similarly, many of the resources created through the Rebound program remain available to the community. These resources, like the EDI Panel Discussion Video, the Strategic Planning Video, and the Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Report can be accessed at any time here.
In 2021, the Rebound program achieved its primary goal of supporting COVID-19 recovery for community sport organizations and created unity in the sector by facilitating peer-to-peer learning.
In addition to Rebound, the OSC created other new initiatives aimed at connecting the Ottawa sport community.
Community sport relies heavily on the contributions of staff and volunteers and the continued involvement of many different sport organizations. To celebrate the work being done by these dedicated members of the sport community, the OSC honoured eight Community Sport Heroes as part of the Community Sport Recognition Campaign. These eight members of the sport community have contributed to promoting sport in the Ottawa area. We would like to thank each of them for their dedication and tremendous contributions. To learn more about our Community Sport Heroes, click here.
To further connect the sport community, the OSC also launched In the Field of Play, a monthly newsletter designed to keep members informed regarding community sport in Ottawa. Through eight editions, the OSC shared Rebound registration information, grant opportunities, features highlighting all 2021 Community Sport Heroes and other news from around the community.
The OSC also welcomed a new board of directors, introducing two new members – Shamir Kanji and John Cunningham – and electing a familiar face to the Ottawa sport community – David Gourlay – as President.
The OSC looks forward to working with the new and returning Board members to enrich the sporting experience in Ottawa by promoting inclusivity and accessibility in sport and continuing to help local sport rebuild and recover from the pandemic.
The sport community came together in 2021 and proved that community sport in Ottawa is ready to thrive and can overcome the challenges with which it is presented. The power of community is strong, and the OSC is proud to be member of this very special community.
2021 showed that tremendous potential exists when sport organizations come together. In 2022, the Ottawa Sport Council is excited to continue to help the sport community realize that potential.