Safe Sport & OLBA

Sports are a critical part of many people’s lives. They provide fitness, enjoyment, excitement and social benefits. But those benefits may only be truly enjoyed in an environment that is safe and inclusive. Too often in the recent past we’ve seen distressing news about abuse, preventable injury, harassment, discrimination and bullying. We may have even experienced it.

“Safe Sport” is the banner used by sports and governmental agencies internationally to denote significant reforms designed to address these issues. The Governments of Canada and Ontario have already implemented massive reforms at the national and  provincial level as part of the Ontario Amateur Sport Fund compliance requirements for accredited provincial sports organizations. We can expect this trend to continue and for other sports organizations at all levels to be held to higher standards of accountability. Ontario lawn bowling will be no exception.  

OLBA Commitment to Safe Sport
  • Everyone has the right to enjoy the sport at whatever level or position they participate. 
  • Bowlers, coaches, officials and volunteers have the right to participate in a safe and inclusive environment that is free of abuse, harassment, discrimination or bullying as defined by OLBA policies.
  • The welfare of everyone involved in the sport is a foremost consideration and in particular the protection of youth and other vulnerable athletes in the sport is the responsibility of each individual, member and special interest group in the athletic community.
  • The adoption of the OLBA Screening Policy is a vital part of ensuring a safe sporting environment.  While the Policy is focused on the OLBA Board, coaches and umpires, we strongly urge all clubs to adopt their own Screening Policy (next page).
  • The OLBA standard for all coaches at all levels is that they have the appropriate NCCP training AND that they have completed the Respect in Sport training (new). Details of how to access this online will be available to coaches through the BCB web portals.

These principles are also defined by the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries through the Ontario Amateur Sport Fund which provides grants to the OLBA and other recognized Provincial Sports Organizations.  

The following policies and guides help to explain Safe Sport in a lawn bowling context and to aid clubs and members towards implementation.

  • Sample Lawn Bowls Club Screening Policy
    • intended for local clubs and modelled on the OLBA screening policy for it’s Board, coaches and umpires
  • Screening Policy: OLBA Subsidy
    • limited time financial help for clubs adopting the screening policy
  • Code of Conduct and Ethics
    • Many of the Safe Sport behaviours are already built into the OLBA code 
  • Draft Code of Conduct for Individual Clubs
    • intended for local clubs and modelled on the OLBA Code.
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