Ontario Sailing Annual Conference and Award nominations

by Ontario Sailing on 5 Oct 2017 We are so excited about the upcoming conference for 2017! We will be collaborating with ROWONTARIO to allow a wider selection of sessions for club leaders (volunteers and administrators) and coaches with sessions on working with various types of athletes or situations as well as continuing to offer sailing specific sessions.

Our theme is LOOK -> and we will be focusing on moving forward - planning, goal setting and overall improvement! Sessions promise to provide hands on practical pieces you can utilize in the months and years following the conference!

We are based at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto Airport and Conference Centre. Staff took a tour this summer and were impressed with recent renovations and a bright new look. As a conference participant you can book a room overnight for a reduced rate! (Click here to book your room.)

This is a one stop event that includes the Ontario Sailing AGM, sessions to help further you as a coach and/or a club leader as well as time to network and catch up with your sailing friends. We really hope you will make plans to join us on Saturday November 25th.

The Conference Schedule

8:15 am - 9:45am Check In Available for Registered Participants
8:45 am - 9:45am Annual General Meetings and Sessions
9:45am - 10:30am Awards Ceremonies
10:30am - 10:45am Awards Reception (Coffee and Light Food Available)
10:45am - 11:55am Session A
12:00pm - 1:35pm Lunch with Speaker
1:45pm - 2:35pm Session B
2:45pm - 3:30pm Session C
3:30pm - 3:50pm Break (Light Food Available)
3:55pm - 5:30pm Session D
5:40pm - 6:00pm Final Wrap Up Session

The Conference Sessions

Some of the sessions that will be offered are listed below, additional topics and speakers will be added over the next few weeks.

COAST - What Your Club Needs - Top Ten
The COAST Online Assessment tool and the wide range of requirements for your not for profit organization can be overwhelming. Walk through the key items your club needs to have in place with Lisa Roddie. Session will have lots of opportunities to ask questions and the practical piece of how to get these items in place to protect the club and yourselves.

LTAD Considerations to Actively Engage Girls and Young Women
The Canadian Sport for Life movement and use of long-term athlete development (LTAD) pathways are improving the delivery of sport and physical activity in Canada. However, many bumps, roadblocks, and dead ends exist along the LTAD pathway for girls and young women. Discussion will focus on several key issues central to supporting girls and young women as athletes and leaders, including training environments, injury prevention, role models, and 'on- and off-ramps'. Practical recommendations will be provided for coaches, recreation leaders, teachers, and sport administrators.

Expanding your Participant Base
This session will include creative and innovative ways to integrate the Wetfeet, Start Keeling Boat Sailing and ICANSail programming into your current sailing programs. In addition to the overview of the programs, there will be tips and tools to successfully implement the programs.

COAST - The People Side - Staff and Volunteers
Explore how your club can maximize the biggest resource - people! Lots of ideas on the process of bringing people onboard to help your club be more effective and once they are onboard how to ensure you keep the right people on your team!

Mental Health
This session will provide attendees with a basis understanding, identification of behaviours of concern and how to manage within the group.

The Habits of a Proactive and Professional Instructor
Take your sailing lessons from good to great! Instructors and coaches will learn how to maximize lesson planning to prioritize building skills and experiences specific to the student sailors, using curriculum as a guide. This session will cover goal setting for student sailors, methods of interactive teaching, and focusing to improve your lessons to make sure the outcome of each sailor's experience is always positive. Receive take-away lesson plan templates, tips on showmanship, and a renewed emphasis on engaging and reenergizing your teaching styles to connect with your sailors.

COAST - SAIL Insurance
These will be sport specific sessions with insurance representatives presenting on various insurance types applicable to each sport. Sessions will touch on both club and personal insurance.

Keeping your Equipment in 'ship-shape'
A sailor needs and relies on their boat! One of the biggest challenges is the ongoing maintenance of your vessel(s). Learn tips and tricks on preventative maintenance and tracking your equipment and associated parts. Session will also cover how staff, participants and crew all play a role in maintenance. After this, you will easily be able to keep your equipment working and looking like a million bucks.

COAST - Safety and Emergencies: From Start to Finish
Safety is the n umber one priority for all of us on and around the water. Walk through the different stages of planning and prevention as well as dealing with emergencies in your club with Lisa Roddie. This session will give you tools to immediately improve the safety at your club, for clubs of all shapes and sizes.

Optimizing the Design of Your Sailing Program
In facilitated small groups you will look at items such as Proactive Seasonal Planning; Matching Programming to your Participants; Effective Staffing, and Optimizing your Daily Structure. This is your chance to share and learn creative new ways to expand or balance your current programming, maximizing the many underutilized areas and pathways.