Safety in Sport: Addressing Toxic Culture and Abuse in Canadian Athletics

Date: Tue, Mar 12, 2024

Time: 6:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time)

Location: St. Clair Centre for the Arts

Cost: FREE

Join us for an insightful event focused on tackling the pressing issue of toxic culture and abuse within Canadian athletics. This in-person gathering aims to shed light on the importance of safety in sport and initiate discussions on creating a rich and meaningful environment for athletes.

Throughout the evening, panelists will share their experiences, knowledge, and suggestions to address abuse. Coaches, athletes, administrators, and parents...everyone involved in the sports community is encouraged to attend and contribute to the conversation.

Together, we can work towards fostering a positive and inclusive sporting culture that prioritizes the well-being and safety of all athletes. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of the change!

Brian Masse, MP is a federal Member of Parliament and sponsored the petition last year calling for an independent inquiry into abuse in Canadian sport He will be starting the night by addressing The Future of Sport in Canada Commission.

Panelists:
Abby Spadafora was a Women’s Artistic Gymnast for 19 years, six of which she competed on behalf of Canada. During her years as a club gymnast, she experienced psychological, verbal, physical and sexual abuse. After being failed by the legal system, in 2019 Abby wrote a complaint letter to Gymnastics Canada which led to three years of re-victimization. Her male abuser was banned from the sport for life, and her female abuser was suspended for five years, which ended January 2024. As she navigated this process, Abby realized that nothing had changed since her days in the gym. After joining Gymnasts for Change Canada in 2022, along with the support of the committee and her family, Abby went public with her story of abuse. Today she is honored to work with Gymnasts for Change Canada, support victim-survivors and push for all sports to be safe and healthy for all those involved. Gymnasts 4 Change Canada

Melanie Hunt is a former national team gymnast and child abuse survivor. She experienced psychological, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of her coaches during her fifteen-year gymnastics career. At the height of the #metoo movement in 2017, a former Club teammate of hers came forward to the police about the abuse she witnessed during Melanie's career. Melanie's coach was arrested a few months later which resulted in a criminal trial; he was eventually acquitted of the charges against him. However, immediately following the verdict hearing, it was announced that multiple other gymnasts had brought forward allegations of abuse against him and his wife which forced Gymnastics Canada to initiate a disciplinary hearing. The hearing was a lengthy and retraumatizing experience; however, it did eventually result in a five-year ban for her former female coach and a life-time ban for her former male coach. Melanie is honored to be a part of such a well-intentioned and resilient group of individuals committed to creating change in Canadian sport. She believes that excellence in sport can be achieved without the use of fear and intimidation. She believes that participation in sport at any level should build an athlete’s confidence and well being. And most of all, she believes that no matter how big an athlete's dream is, it is never worth more than their self worth as a human being. Gymnasts 4 Change Canada

Dr. Jay Johnson is a full professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba. Throughout his career as a teacher and researcher he has focused on making sport an inclusive and welcome place where individuals can grow physically, socially and intellectually in a safe environment. His work on hazing and the abuses designed with the guise of bonding has been groundbreaking. His works have been informed by his experiences as a high performance athlete himself. jay has published extensively on hazing and abuse in sport, co-editing Making the Team: Inside the World of Sport Initiations and Hazing with Dr. Margery Holman (University of Windsor) and the forthcoming, Research in the Sociology of Sport: Sport Hazing in the New Millenia. The work sheds light on who is at risk for engaging in aggressive and violent initiation experiences. Additional aspects of his contributions directly linked to safety in sport include investigating bullying, sport doping and the complexities created with the cultural intersections of gender, masculinity, race, ethnicity, sexuality and homophobia in sport team hazing/initiation rituals. One of the strengths of Dr. Johnson’s work is that he connects with the community, not only educating about safe sport but also working with sport communities to find solutions while maintaining their desired outcome of team bonding.

Mark McGuire is a former professional European athlete and coach, Coaching Association of Canada Learning Facilitator and Ontario Minor Hockey Association Course Conductor. For over 35 years Mark has certified coaches and instructed skills to thousands of learners in four countries. Mark owns a Leadership Development business and is a graduate of St Clair College, the University Windsor and the Goethe Institut (Munich). Mark is the Executive Director of Give & Go Sport Education.

Ginny Ryckman is a dedicated mother of two daughters who excel in competitive swimming, both earning scholarships in the United States. Throughout her journey as a swim mom, she has been deeply involved in the swimming community, volunteering countless hours on the pool deck, organizing events, coordinating carpooling, and offering unwavering support to local swimmers. However, Ginny's advocacy for creating a positive sports environment was ignited by repetitive distressing experiences that her daughter faced which they felt fit definitions of psychological coaching abuse. This trauma and failed efforts by Ginny and her family to work with the organization for resolution led Ginny to realize the absence of effective policy designed to protect athletes from such harm. Determined to make a difference, she took her concerns beyond the local club level, bringing them to the attention of Swim Ontario. With her background as a teacher and consultant in Education spanning 19 years, Ginny brings valuable expertise to her advocacy efforts. Her experiences help inform her approach to addressing issues within the sports community for organizations and parents while particularly emphasizing the importance of creating safe and supportive environments for young athletes. Ginny's commitment to advocating for policy changes and raising knowledge and awareness about athlete well-being underscores her passion for ensuring that all individuals, including her daughters and their peer swimmers, can pursue their athletic endeavors in a positive and fair environment.

Thank you to our funders:

Dean of Human Kinetics, University of Windsor
Dr. Jess Dixon, Kinesiology, University of Windsor
The Office of Human Rights, Equity & Accessibility, University of Windsor
Office of Sexual Violence Prevention, Resistance, and Support, University of Windsor
Sexual Violence Committee, St. Clair College
Student Safety & Wellness, St. Clair College
Senior Operating Group, St. Clair College
St. Clair College Saints Athletics

Hosts:

Dr. Vicky Paraschak

Dr. Marge Holman

Dr. Krista Loughead, ND

Alexandra Wiseman, MHK, MSW