600,000 Canadians participate as sport officials annually! Many sports are struggling to train and retain sufficient officials, which has led to cancelling tournaments and events. Research links this shortage to the lack of organizational support for officials programming.How you can work with your sport community to include sports officials as a strategic priority? How do you measure how well your organization is supporting officials?
Recommended Steps to Follow:
- Create quality training programs including:
- Up-to-date, research based materials;
- Mentorship;
- Practical training opportunities;
- Adaptability to skill level, experience, and age/stage of learners;
- Incorporate evaluation and feedback loops.
- Train developers, evaluators and mentors.
- Clearly communicate and promote developmental pathways and training opportunities.
- Provide fair and clear compensation/honorarium/expenses criteria.
- Include programming and communications in strategic and operational plans that value and recognize officials.
Promising Practices
Resources
- Sport Quebec Multi-Sport Officials Training Programs
- Canadian Heritage Sport Participation 2010
- Sport Officiating in Canada Report by Susan L. Forbes, Lori A. Livingston, & Darsiga Thevakumar University of Ontario Institute of Technology, March, 2018
