Thank you for your invitation to appear before the committee to discuss coaching in amateur sport. It is a very important topic for Canadians.
Skate Canada has a long and rich history of which we are proud. This gives us a wealth of knowledge and experience about our sport and about sport in Canada. Skate Canada will actually be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Canadian figure skating championships in 2014, which is just an example of that rich history.
Skate Canada's structure has over 180,000 members, 1,150 clubs, and over 5,100 coaches under its umbrella. Skate Canada's structure is unique in that all skaters, clubs, and coaches are members of our organization. This centralized structure is extremely beneficial. It is what allows us to create a strong, consistent program delivery and club operation standards which all lead to our success in retaining members and developing elite athletes who have won many world and Olympic medals, and who have represented Canada so proudly on the world stage.
Our sections, of which there are 13—Ontario is divided into four; Yukon is with B.C.; and the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are with Alberta—are responsible for helping to fulfill the strategic priorities of the organization, and support rules, policies, and program delivery by member clubs. All skaters, coaches, and clubs pay a membership fee to Skate Canada, and Skate Canada gives a portion of these fees back to sections to help support and deliver programs and training.
Skate Canada coaches are all members of Skate Canada. To be a member a coach must be certified in the national coaching certification program, must have a valid first aid certificate, submit a police clearance check, complete the Coaching Association of Canada's making ethical decisions course, and finally, pay a fee and register with Skate Canada.
Coaches are paid for their services, not by Skate Canada but by their clients. Some are part-time and some are full-time. Coaches also set their own coaching fee rates. Skate Canada does not set the coaches' fees and the fees are not set by their certification level.
Skate Canada's coaching model has an instruction stream and a competition stream with various levels and contexts. I have provided a model for you in the notes.
Concerning the matter of participation rates in all levels of amateur sport, the number of coaches in Skate Canada numbered 5,182 in our 2011-12 membership season. Over the last 10 years the number of coaches has been increasing while the number of skating members has remained constant and the number of clubs has decreased. Therefore, the number of coaches is not really an issue for Skate Canada.
The number of coaches by certification level, again in the 2011-12 membership season, was 510 for the CanSkate program; 48 for the CanPowerSkate program ; 1,950 for primary STARSkate, which is essentially a program to learn to figure skate; 1,411 for intermediate STARSkate/provincial coach; 778 for level 3; 42 for level 4; and 10 for level 5. In total, there are only 120 level 5 coaches in Canada.
By gender, we have 4,622 female coaches and 500 male coaches. Overall, Skate Canada is well represented by female coaches, something not seen in all sports.
How can the federal government further promote amateur coaching in Canada? We have a few recommendations.
Number one is to mandate that the RCMP allow third party access to vulnerable sector search information. This will ensure consistency of information, ensure consistent costs for coaches, and ensure quick processing times. The safety of children is more important than the privacy of individuals who have relevant charges related to minors.
Number two, we recommend national standardized forms for police clearance checks and vulnerable sector searches, again, for some of the similar reasons, but overall for the safety of children participating in physical activity under the guidance of coaches.
Number three is to support ongoing professional development for coaches. This is important because coach training is expensive but critical for ensuring a quality sport experience for physical activity participants.
Number four is to support the Canadian Sport for Life movement, participation in physical activity, and other healthy living initiatives. This is critical for encouraging healthy living, reduced health care costs, and better quality of life for all Canadians.
Number five is to elevate and recognize the role of the coach. Coaches are critical in determining the quality of the participant sport experience and the likelihood for them to remain active over their lifetime.
Thank you very much.