OTTAWA – With the 2013 athletics season drawing to a close and on the heels of Canada’s best ever showing at the International Association of Athletics Federtations (IAAF)  World Championships, Athletics Canada is pleased to turn its attention to the development of the sport in Canada and its next generation of athletes by engaging clubs across Canada.

Athletics Canada, as a founding member of the Club Excellence program, is committed to the program’s missions of “building a network of healthy, strong and sustainable sport clubs and sport organizations, across Canada”. The Club Excellence framework and certification standards guide investment in club development and identify priority areas for program development.

The first phase of activation begins immediately, through to March 31st, 2014.  During this initial stage Athletics Canada will work hand in hand with four provincial branches (Athletics New Brunswick, the Fédération québécoise d’athlétisme,  Athletics Ontario and Athletics Alberta )to develop tailored strategies to support club development within each province,  identifying the most effective ways to assist clubs in growing and developing programming.

Activities include the development of club forums to identify sport development priorities within designated regions, educational presentations targeted at assisting club administrators in improving club operations, financial support for clubs to attend multisport Club Excellence workshops, as well as direct staff support and reimbursement of certification costs to clubs who register as Club Excellence Candidate Clubs.  Additional benefits will be extended to clubs once they achieve certification.

The aim is to have 20 athletics clubs in Canada registered as Candidate Clubs by March 31st, 2014, and at least ten clubs achieving level one certification.  While specific support initiatives are targeted in four provinces for this phase, clubs across Canada are encouraged to register as Candidate Clubs, these clubs will receive support from Athletics Canada’s Manager, Domestic Programs and reimbursement of registration fees.

To learn more about Athletics Canada’s activation plan and the Club Excellence Program visit www.athletics.ca/page.asp?id=687 or contact Douglas Duncan ([email protected]) – Manager, Domestic Programs.

-AC-

Douglas Duncan
Manager, Domestic Programs
Athletics Canada
[email protected]
(613) 260-5580 x.3311