In 2019, the CAC conducted a study on coaching diversity and inclusion initiatives launched by NSOs. 50 NSOs took part in the survey.

The CAC asked the NSOs how it could support the Canadian sport system and what roles it could play in each organization’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. 33 NSOs suggested that the CAC offer more programs and services, such as a guide on NSO best practices. Some also mentioned they were interested in looking at what other sports are doing for inspiration. Others suggested the creation of shared policies.

Some respondents (32 NSOs) suggested the creation of eLearning modules on inclusion. These modules could be designed both for the organizations’ staff and for coaches. The goal of the eLearning modules would be to educate organizations’ staff and coaches the various inclusion issues in the sport system.

Finally, a frequent suggestion was to increase funding for NSOs to support them in developing their own inclusion and diversity initiatives. Despite this recommendation, NSOs understand that this is not the CAC’s mandate. There was a clear consensus among NSOs that there are various ways the CAC could support them in order to improve diversity and inclusion efforts. 

Organizations were asked to rate their capacity and readiness to implement diversity and inclusion measures on a scale of 1 to 10. The average results are 6.9/10 for capacity and 7.3/10 for readiness. Several respondents mentioned the importance of working on inclusion and diversity initiatives, but are significantly limited by a lack of time and resources. Some organizations mentioned that they already have ideas for action and implementation strategies. Others, particularly smaller organizations, face many challenges both with regard to resources and their capacity to implement such initiatives.

Finally, respondents who want to implement inclusion and diversity initiatives consider that their limited capacity makes the task more difficult. 

The 15 respondents were asked how important Aboriginal inclusion is to them. The average score was 7.1/10. Participants indicated that this score reflects the reality in Canada and that Aboriginals are an important part of the country. 

The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) asked organizations what initiatives they are currently implementing. Key initiatives include: pilot projects with Aboriginal groups, partnerships with Aboriginal sport organizations and coaching modules for Aboriginals. The CAC also asked organizations what challenges they are currently facing. Respondents mentioned that they lack capacity and resources to focus on Aboriginal communities. They also said they need to learn more about how to reach them and access available resources. 

In conclusion, the surveyed organizations strongly care about Aboriginal inclusion. Some are applying for additional funding. Others mention the importance of including Aboriginal communities to get a wider range of perspectives.

In 2019, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) conducted a study on coaching diversity and inclusion initiatives led by NSOs. 50 NSOs took part in the survey. 

The respondents ranked their preparedness to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives on a scale of 1 to 100, for a mean of score of 60%. The NSOs were then asked to rank their organization and staff’s capacity to implement diversity and inclusion initiatives. A majority of respondents (75%) reported low or medium capacity, for which they cited several reasons, most particularly staff, time and funding issues. Organizations stated that since the inclusion and diversity portfolio is not assigned to a particular staff member, no one takes ownership of it. Some organizations also explained that due to lack of time, they focused their efforts on performance at the expense of inclusion and diversity. Finally, organizations reported frequently lacking the necessary funding to implement such initiatives. 

Meanwhile, some NSOs described initiatives they are launching, such as diversity and inclusion committees, policies on gender equity, scholarships for female coaches to promote equity, LGBTQ12S inclusion guides for coaches, etc. Aside from a few inclusion initiatives, most initiatives are focused on creating a safe sport environment.

The organizations were asked how they measure and track the inclusion of underrepresented groups. They indicated that they are able to track the inclusion of women by looking at the number of female coaches, women in leadership roles, women on boards of directors and women on committees. 

Some organizations are also able to track of the number of female members and participants. Some organizations stated that they can track the number of people with disabilities, primarily by looking at the number of para-athletes. Some organizations specified that they have an agreement with the government to monitor these numbers. 

The organizations also mentioned that they have more trouble keeping track of the number of Aboriginals, visible minorities and new Canadians. Though some organizations indicate that Aboriginals sometimes identify themselves as such, it still is not mandatory as long as the government does not ask for this data. The inclusion of visible minorities and new Canadians is not tracked.

The organizations were asked questions about their inclusion, diversity, equity or sport accessibility policies. 9 out of 15 national or provincial organizations mentioned having this type of policy. 

Of those who did not have such policies, many mentioned wishing to implement them but not having succeeded in doing so due to lack of time and resources. Some organizations also mentioned that they have a similar policy but that it does not directly concern inclusion. 

Finally, organizations mentioned that a guide of Coaching Association of Canada (CAC)’s best practices or examples from other organizations would help them create an adequate policy. They mentioned that they simply need time and guidance to develop such a policy.

In 2019, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC_ conducted a study to collect information on the various coaching diversity and inclusion initiatives led by National Sport Organizations. The CAC began by identifying their priorities and divided them into seven main categories: high performance, athlete development, safe sport, funding, coaching, operational efficiency and diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility. Each NSO was asked to rank these priorities on a scale of low, medium and high. 

Survey results showed that athlete development and high performance were the NSOs’ highest priorities, while diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility was the lowest. These results confirm one of CAC’s concerns, namely that inclusion and equity are not always priorities for Canadian sport organizations. 

Respondents were also asked to indicate which underrepresented group they prioritized most between women, people with disabilities, Aboriginal persons and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Results show that women were the most highly prioritized group, with a certain number of votes also given to people with disabilities and to Aboriginal persons.

One of the interview questions concerned CAC recommendations to promote diversity and inclusion in coaching. The majority of organizations recommended simplifying things to facilitate the adoption of a policy. 

Some organizations suggested the creation of an action plan they can follow. They mentioned that calling it a priority was not enough and that it should actually be implemented. Others said that support and advice from the CAC would be useful, particularly regarding tools for promoting inclusion. For this purpose, some participants proposed that the CAC create a resource hub featuring tools specifically designed for organizations. The CAC could also create discussion groups with recommendations on how to attract more women, new Canadians and other minority groups. 

Two organizations mentioned specific ideas. The first suggested that the CAC create separate training modules on coaching values and expectations in Canada for new Canadians. The second suggested that CAC educate organizations on the importance of gender equality.

In order to better understand the diversity and inclusion landscape at the NSO level, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) retained the services of NANOS to conduct interviews with 15 organizations. They were asked questions about their inclusion and diversity initiatives for underrepresented groups. 

Results show that including women is a high priority for the majority of sport organizations. All 15 organizations ranked the importance of female inclusion and representation at 9.4/10 on average. As they represent half of the population, their visibility is crucial and remains of considerable importance for the national and provincial organizations surveyed. 

Certain initiatives have already been implemented to increase representation, such as gender equality in hiring, high performance coaching, leadership positions and boards of directors. Respondents also mentioned the express desire to hire more women. Sport organizations are also working on creating coaching and mentoring programs for women. Some organizations also focus on organizing events to promote the development of women’s sports. Finally, one of the organizations stated the importance of gender equity regardless of position, as well as the need for pay equity: “We also have a pay equity initiative. If the roles are similar, the salary should be too.”