Organizational Changes in Canada's Sport System: Toward an Athlete-Centred Approach1

1. This paper was presented at a workshop organized by the Research Centre for Sport in Canadian Society at the University of Ottawa in December 2003. We have benefited from the comments and feedback of the workshop participants, in particular Drs Jean Harvey and Joanne Kay.

Abstract

Prompted by an examination of the sport system, a reorientation of priorities and actions around high performance sport has occurred in Canada. One of the important changes has been a shift away from the administrative aspects of sport delivery to a focus on the development of high performance athletes. This shift has meant that more resources are now invested directly in high performance athletes rather than in the administration of sport organizations. The purpose of this paper was to explore the reorientation in priorities, from the bureaucracy of sport to the athletes and their development. Using Pettigrew's contextualist approach, we examined the content, context, and process of changes that led to the introduction of athlete-centred initiatives in Canada's sport system. Evidence of the change included increased representation of athletes on decision-making committees of sport federations, increased athlete funding, the creation of training centres, and a forum for athletes to resolve disputes with coaches and sport federations. The change to a more athlete-centred system was the result of pressures originating from the external and internal environments. Key individuals also played an important role in the athlete-centred change. The application of Pettigrew's approach allowed us to discuss the nature of the changes that took place and to better understand the complexity of the change process in light of pressures originating from the context. This paper allowed us to reflect on the reorientation in Canadian sport from a focus on the structural and bureaucratic development of the system to an athlete-centred approach. We also discussed system-wide changes occurring in Canadian sport and uncovered the factors that led to greater athlete-centred programs and services.

Notes

1. This paper was presented at a workshop organized by the Research Centre for Sport in Canadian Society at the University of Ottawa in December 2003. We have benefited from the comments and feedback of the workshop participants, in particular Drs Jean Harvey and Joanne Kay.

2. In April 2002, the Canadian Olympic Association changed its name to the Canadian Olympic Committee (Canadian Olympic Committee, 2002).

3. Pettigrew, Ferlie, and McKee's (1992) investigation of the National Health Service offers some parallels with Canada's sport system. The NHS, like Canada's sport system operates predominantly within the public and non-profit sectors. The NHS fulfills its mandate with the assistance of several health-related organizations and interest groups (e.g., hospitals, community health council, mental handicap services). In the Canadian sport context, the Federal Government through Sport Canada meets its objectives of delivering sport to the population by collaborating with several non-profit national sport federations, multi-sport and multi-service organizations.

4. National sport federations are also referred to as national sport organizations in sport documents.

5. The Mills Report represents the deliberations of a Federal Government sub-committee report on the study of sport in Canada. Members of the sub-committee included politicians from all political parties and sought input from every stakeholder in the sport sector. The sub-committee's mandate centred on the social, cultural, and economic significance of sport in Canadian society and addressed the Federal Government's involvement in this sector. The document is often referred to the ‘Mills’ Report’ because Dennis Mills, Member of Parliament was the Chair of the sub-committee (cf. Mills, 1998).

6. The Canadian Sport Centre located in Victoria (British Columbia) is included as part of the network of centres, however, the funding for this centre originates from the Canada Commonwealth Legacy Fund (i.e., legacy from the hosting of the 1994 Commonwealth Games) (cf. Pacific Sport, 2005).

7. Other principles of the Canadian Sport Centres include the development and training of top level coaches, the promotion of the coaching profession, and the coordination of the professional preparation of coaches with the training of high performance athletes (Sport Canada, 1999). As well, the promotion of sport development and the creation of economies of scale through the coordination of programs and resources among sport partners were also identified as principles of the Canadian Sport Centres.

8. Hosting high profile sport events may actually divert funds away from high performance athletes and lead to expenditures that may have little relevance to enhancing Canada's sport system (e.g., building infrastructure, road and transportation improvements and security).

9. For example, out of a budget of more than $56M in 1998–1999, Sport Canada invested 60% in high performance sport (i.e., funding of elite athletes, high performance programming in national sport federations, National Sport Centres and hosting of international games and world championships).