November 21, 2009 (Ottawa, ON) – Here is the latest news from the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), including Nominations open for CAAWS 2009 Most Influential Women List, CAAWS News, Workshop Opportunities, New ParticipACTION Resource From Research to Action, Nominations for 2009 Tom Longboat Award and National Aboriginal Coaching Award, On the Move Survey – Thank you, and the Celebration Noticeboard.

Nominations open for CAAWS 2009 Most Influential Women List
Nominations are open for CAAWS’ 2009 Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity. The List will reflect activity in 2009, and women previously named to the list in other years may be nominated again. Nominate a woman who is influencing sport and physical activity in this country, perhaps an athlete or an executive, a volunteer, a coach, or someone in the print or broadcast media. Nominations close Friday, November 27, 2009.

To nominate online click here.

CAAWS News
a) Changes to the CAAWS Board
After six years on the board of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), Vancouver BC’s Ljiljana “Lilo” Ljubisic has stepped down. Her final board meeting took place in Vancouver this past weekend.

Joining the CAAWS board as its newest board member is Larena Hoeber from Regina, Saskatchewan, who is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Studies at the University of Regina.

b) CAAWS and Levitt family recognize five young women with scholarship
Five young women from across the country who share a passion for sport have been named recipients of the 2009 Stacey Levitt Women and Sport Scholarship. These young women are participants and leaders in diverse activities, yet have in common their enthusiasm, tremendous work ethic, and an ability to inspire others and act as role models in their communities.

This is the 13th year that $2,500 in scholarships has been awarded in memory of Stacey Levitt by her family to a young woman, or to a girls’ team or sport organization, that exemplifies Stacey’s ideals and qualities of participation, sheer joy of camaraderie, competition and teamwork. A superior athlete and a top student, Stacey Levitt was a very special young woman who was hit by a car and killed while jogging on August 30th, 1995.

Her parents, Cheryl and Ned Levitt of Toronto, selected this year’s recipients from nearly 400 applicants. The Scholarship is divided equally among the four individual recipients and the team. They will each receive $500 and a copy of the book I Am a Rose, which is a compilation of poetry written by Stacey Levitt.

2009 Recipients
– Jane Grant, Edmonton, Alberta – Synchronized Skating
– Susanna Kubik, Calgary, Alberta – Freestyle Snowboarding
– Emily Skinkle, Belleville, Ontario – Agility
– Erin van Wiltenburg, Victoria, British Columbia – Cross-country/Marathon running
– Ariele Wagner, Montreal, Quebec – Martial Arts

Workshop Opportunities
a) Host an On the Move Workshop in Your Community!
On the Move is CAAWS’s national initiative to increase opportunities for inactive girls and young women (ages 9-18) to participate in sport and physical activity. Through education, collaboration and communication, On the Move influences change in the sport and active living, health, education, and social service sectors to increase gender equity.

CAAWS is currently looking for communities interested in co-hosting On the Move workshops between January and March, 2010. On the Move Workshops are half-day, interactive, issue-based sessions that provide an overview of the initiative, share best practices from across Canada, and provide “how-to” tips to increase the participation of girls and young women. Appropriate for everyone from practitioners to policy makers, the workshops also provide an opportunity for participants to network and discuss collaboration and local action to make a difference in the lives of girls and young women in their community. Aboriginal communities interested in an On the Move workshop that highlights CAAWS’s Team Spirit: Aboriginal Girls in Sport and Aboriginal Girls On the Move projects are also encouraged to apply. Workshop expenses (e.g. facilitator costs, facility rental, refreshments) will be paid or reimbursed by CAAWS.

Submission Deadline: December 11, 2009

For information about the workshop and submitting a Letter of Interest click here.

On the Move Workshops are made possible through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

b) Host an Aboriginal Women and Leadership Workshop in Your Community!
CAAWS is currently looking for communities interested in co-hosting an Aboriginal Women and Leadership workshop between January and March, 2010. CAAWS’ new Building On Our Strengths: Aboriginal Women and Leadership workshop was developed to provide a personal and professional development opportunity for Aboriginal women to increase their skills and confidence to enhance community sport and physical activity. During the workshop, participants discuss community issues relating to sport and physical activity, and develop their skills relating to communication, networking, and influencing change. Workshop content was developed by Aboriginal women for Aboriginal women; and each workshop will be facilitated by an Aboriginal woman. Workshop expenses (e.g. facilitator costs, facility rental, refreshments) will be paid or reimbursed by CAAWS.

Submission Deadline: December 11, 2009

For information about the workshop and submitting a Letter of Interest click here.

Aboriginal Women and Leadership workshops are made possible through a financial contribution from Heritage Canada (Sport Canada).

c) Women 55-70: Physical Activity and Sport Challenges and Opportunities Ontario Regional Workshops
CAAWS and local partners are co-hosting a series of Regional workshops focused on physical activity and sport challenges and opportunities for women 55-70. The purpose of the workshops is to present and discuss findings, tools and resources produced as part of a four-year national project (2005 to 2009) focused on increasing physical activity and sport opportunities for women 55-70. The useful information and concrete tools presented will assist in the development of physical activity and sport initiatives, policies and strategies for women 55-70.

– November 19 — Ottawa
– November 23 — Barrie
– November 30 — Kingston
– January 13, 2010 – London

Cost: There is no cost to attend the workshop and lunch is provided.
For more information: Shelley Callaghan, Email: purpledog@sympatico.ca

Funding for this three-year project has been provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion through the Sport for More Program.

New ParticipACTION Resource From Research to Action
Each year, the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card examines physical activity opportunities for kids all across Canada. The role of the Report Card is to consolidate research knowledge to drive social action for policy change, by informing messaging, policies, programs and research initiatives that can increase physical activity opportunities for children and youth. ParticipACTION has developed a resource guide to accompany the findings of the 2009 Report Card. It is intended to help you everyone from NGOs to public health to sport organizations and municipal recreation departments take action on the Report Card findings. ParticipACTION collaborated with national and provincial/territorial partners to unearth practical ways to turn research into action. CAAWS reviewed the material to ensure it was inclusive and appropriate from a gender perspective.

Download a copy here

Nominations for 2009 Tom Longboat Award and National Aboriginal Coaching Award
The nomination process for the 2009 Tom Longboat Award and National Aboriginal Coaching Award is now open. To recognize the ongoing commitment and outstanding achievements of amateur Aboriginal athletes, the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) annually awards the prestigious Tom Longboat Award to the year’s top male and female Aboriginal athletes at both the regional and national levels.

Certified Aboriginal coaches are also recognized for their commitment to the development of Aboriginal athletes through the National Aboriginal Coaching Awards. Deserving male and female certified Aboriginal coaches from each province/territory are selected for the Aboriginal Coaching Awards with regional recipients advancing as nominees for the National Award.

Nomination forms can be downloaded from the ASC website, and submitted via mail or fax.

The deadline for nominations is January 29, 2010 @ 9:00 pm EST.

On the Move Survey – Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to the On the Move survey – the response was overwhelming. The survey report, as well as other information associated with the development of a new strategic plan for CAAWS’ On the Move initiative will be posted in the Loop as it becomes available. Winners of the prize draw have been contacted by email.

Celebration Noticeboard
Lorraine Lafrenière (Ottawa, ON) is the new Director General of Canoe Kayak Canada. The Canadian Blind Sports Association appointed Janice Dawson (Calgary, AB) to the position of High Performance Head Coach leading its National Goalball programs. Colleen Miller is sharing the position of Domestic Development Officer – Sport Development at Rowing Canada Aviron. Chantal F. Courchesne is the new Executive Director at CPRA and Marilee A. Nowgesic is the new Executive Director of the Aboriginal Sport Circle.

Three women were inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in November, Sandi Anderson, (Winnipeg, Man.)5 Pin Bowling / Athlete, Lesley (Hamerton) Divers (Unionville, Ont.) Basketball / Athlete, and Evelyne Holenski (Winnipeg, Man.) Softball / Builder.

Darlene Currie (Basketball player and coach), the late Wendy Ladner-Beaudry (Mentor, Administrator, and Volunteer) and Shirley (Gordon) Olafsson (High Jumping) were recognized as honorees into IN HER FOOTSTEPS…. CELEBRATING BC WOMEN IN SPORT, a recognition program and exhibit celebrating exceptional BC women in sport, housed at the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Coaching Association of Canada honoured several women coaches with a Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award for 2009. The awards recognize coaches whose athletes excelled at various world championships and at the Special Olympics World Winter Games:

Shelley Barnett (Burlington, ON), coach of Canada’s world champion synchro skating team; Janet Collins (Wasaga Beach, ON), coach of singles figure skater Christine Koutras, gold medallist at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, and of bronze medallist Vicky Dupont; Yi Hua Li (Pointe-Claire, Que.) coach of diver Émilie Heymans, silver medallist on the three-metre springboard; Ingrid Paul of (Calgary, Alta.) coach of long track speed skater Christine Nesbitt, the 1000-metres world champion and the 1500-metres bronze medallist; Manon Perron (Boucherville, Que.) coach of figure skater Joannie Rochette, world championship silver medallist; Denise Sauvé (Montréal, Que.) coach of Team Canada, synchronized swimming bronze medallists; Julie Sauvé (Montréal, Que.) coach of synchronized swimmer Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon, solo bronze medallist; Xiuli Wang (Calgary, Alta.) coach of long track speed skaters Clara Hughes, silver medallist in 5000-metres, and of Kristina Groves, bronze medallist in 3000-metres and 5000-metres; Marina Zoueva (Canton, Mich. USA), coach of ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, world championship bronze medallists.

In the Loop celebrates women’s accomplishments in the sport and physical activity communities. Send career notices, changes, awards and recognitions to In the Loop c/o bmacdonald@caaws.ca to be included in the next issue.

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