Orangeville Otters Swim Club Position Statement
Equity Diversity and Inclusion
PREAMBLE
Orangeville Otters Swim Club, “The Club” (https://www.gomotionapp.com/team/canoott/page/home) is a competitive swim club in the Huronia region registered and sanctioned by Swim Ontario. The Club provides instruction and training for swimmers of a wide range of ages (5 to adult) and swimming skills ability (basic stroke skills to national level competition). The Club seeks to offer access to the sport of swimming to any interested person in our catchment area. This document provides a framework of the philosophy of The Club that ensures equity of access, inclusion of all interested individuals, and a dedicated motivation to support the diverse identities, physical abilities, and backgrounds of people in our community.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Mental Health Support
The Club believes the psychological health and safety of athletes and coaches is vital to strong performances in the pool. While many participants may be comfortable seeking help for physical health issues, there may also be a stigma about seeking help for mental health issues that can prevent some people from getting the help they need. Mental health challenges, including changes in behaviour and ability to focus on training identified by the coaching staff, should be discussed in conjunction with the swimmer, coaches and parents in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. In becoming more aware of the types of mental illnesses and common signs and symptoms, one can help identify problems and help connect people to appropriate supports. For more information, please access the following link on the Swimming Canada website: https://www.swimming.ca/en/safe-sport/education/mental-and-physical-health/mental-health/
Abuse, Harassment and Anti-bullying Initiatives
The Club is committed to providing fun, healthy, inclusive and safe environments, free of abuse, harassment and bullying. We have developed a number of initiatives to address potential sources of interpersonal conflict including a Complaint Dispute Procedure as well as Comprehensive Codes of Conduct for Parents and Swimmers. Further to that goal, this document provides a framework to ensure adherence to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The Club is an inclusive organisation and welcomes full participation of all individuals in our programs and activities, regardless of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability. The Club encourages participation in the sport of swimming and will ensure that equity, diversity and inclusion are key considerations when delivering policies and programs sanctioned by Swim Ontario. All participants in this mission, including The Club, parents and swimmers, can avail themselves of various resources listed below for ongoing education and awareness.
Supplementary Educational Resources
- The Sports Inclusion program, Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity
- https://ccgsd-ccdgs.org/sports/
- Aims to challenge homophobia and transphobia in athletics – to make sports a more accepting and inclusive pastime for all athletes, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
- Works with amateur and recreational sports leagues, gym classes, and school and community groups (etc) all around Ontario to increase awareness and understanding about LGBTQ+ issues in sports.
- Believe everybody is affected by hetero- and cis-sexism in athletics, not only queer and trans people – so we hope to collaborate with sportspeople and trainers throughout the province to create action plans on how to combat ignorance, reduce bigotry, and improve the atmosphere of inclusiveness and acceptance in athletics.
- Offer workshops for interested and eligible groups (anybody involved in some type of sport, not at the professional or collegiate level).
- Canadian Olympic Committee One Team Program
- https://olympic.ca/education/resources/one-team-a-safe-place-to-be/
- Educational resources to identify ways to create safe environments and reflect on the virtue of respect for others
- LGBTQI2S Sports inclusion checklist.
- Canadian Women in Sport Allyship and Advocacy
- https://womenandsport.ca/topic/allyship-and-advocacy/
- Indigenous girls in sport
- LGBTQI2S inclusion in sport
- Trans inclusion in sport
- Position on homophobia in sport
- Pandemic impact on women and girls in sport
- Experiences of BIPOC women and girls in sport
- Via Sport LGBTQI2S resources
- https://viasport.ca/resources/lgbtqi2s-coach-guide/
- This resource is designed to help coaches create safe spaces for their participants, specifically those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.
- The Inclusion Club
- http://theinclusionclub.com/resources/tic-videos-2/
- Online resource with educational videos covering a variety of inclusion in sports examples
- The Rick Hansen Foundation
- https://www.rickhansen.com/news-stories/disability-information
- Mission: To create and deliver innovative solutions that lead to a global movement to remove barriers and liberate the potential of people with disabilities.
- Physical Literacy
- https://physicalliteracy.ca/inclusion/
- Educational resources to promote the elements of physical literacy including:
- Motivation and Confidence (Affective): Motivation and confidence refers to an individual’s enthusiasm for, enjoyment of, and self-assurance in adopting physical activity as an integral part of life.
- Physical Competence (Physical): Physical competence refers to an individual’s ability to develop movement skills and patterns, and the capacity to experience a variety of movement intensities and durations. Enhanced physical competence enables an individual to participate in a wide range of physical activities and settings.
- Knowledge and Understanding (Cognitive): Knowledge and understanding includes the ability to identify and express the essential qualities that influence movement, understand the health benefits of an active lifestyle, and appreciate appropriate safety features associated with physical activity in a variety of settings and physical environments.
- Engagement in Physical Activities for Life (Behavioural): Engagement in physical activities for life refers to an individual taking personal responsibility for physical literacy by freely choosing to be active on a regular basis. This involves prioritising and sustaining involvement in a range of meaningful and personally challenging activities, as an integral part of one’s lifestyle.
- True Sport Principles
- https://truesportpur.ca/
- Online resource to promote the seven “True Sport” principles:
- Go for it
- Play fair
- Respect others
- Keep it fun
- Stay healthy
- Include everyone
- Give back
