Call for Applications: OBA clubs to pilot program to increase gender equity

Ontario Basketball (OBA) and the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), with support from Status of Women Canada, are seeking three OBA member clubs to pilot the Same Game Model, which is focused on increasing opportunities for girls and women as participants and leaders.

About the Project

As part of the Canada 150 anniversary celebrations, Ontario Basketball partnered with CAAWS and Ontario Soccer for a three-year project focused on helping sport organizations increase the participation of women and girls as athletes and leaders by developing and testing new tools and resources that meet the needs and reflect the priorities of sport organizations.

There are three key components to the project:

1. Spring 2018: Assessing institutional and systemic barriers for women and girls in sport through a survey of OBA member clubs and other Ontario Provincial Sport Organizations.
2. Fall & Winter 2018: Using insight from the survey to inform the development of new pragmatic tools for sport organizations at all levels to support their efforts to advance equity and inclusion of girls and women.
3. April to December 2019: Testing the tools with local pilot partners and refining them based on their feedback, before sharing them with the Canadian sport system.

Same Game: A Model for Embedding Gender Equity Into Your Organization

The Same Game Model is a new tool to help organizations systematically analyze their organization to ensure gender equity actions become embedded in overall organizational planning.

The Same Game Model consists of the six steps listed below.

• Step 1: Collect and analyze gender equity data
• Step 2: Incorporate gender equity into planning
• Step 3: Communicate gender equity targets
• Step 4: Create capacity by training partners and leaders
• Step 5: Engage women and girls (Try something)
• Step 6: Evaluate

The Model emphasizes that buy-in from key stakeholders (board members, staff, members, volunteers, etc.) is needed at every step of the way and those leading the initiatives need tools to move through each step. Traditionally, many initiatives for girls and women start at step 5, Engage Women and Girls (Try Something), where organizations try something like a “Girls’ Day” or a “Female-only Coaching Clinic”; these initiatives can be very successful but long-term retention of the participants often does not happen because it was not integrated into overall organizational planning. By integrating gender equity activities from the beginning and throughout the planning stages, embedding long-term sustainable initiatives for women and girls should happen more easily.

Requirements of Pilot Project Partners

OBA member clubs need to commit to working through the six steps of the Same Game Model over a six-month period. There are a number of resources and tools to help clubs progress through each step, and clubs are expected to provide feedback along the way about how useful the tools were (or were not), ease of use, and other feedback to help in revising and improving the tools.

The specific pilot project timeline is outlined below.

• April–September 2019: Participating in all six steps of the Same Game Model.
• April–September 2019: Participation in three conference calls with Ontario Basketball, CAAWS, and the other basketball pilot projects to share feedback, challenges, and successes encountered working through the Same Game Model.
• April–September 2019: Participation in one conference call with CAAWS, Ontario Basketball, Ontario Soccer, and basketball and soccer pilot projects to share feedback, challenges, and successes encountered working through the Same Game Model.
• April–December 2019: Reviewing and using the tools provided at each step of the Same Game Model and providing feedback on the tools and resources used or not used.
• April–December 2019: Being available to discuss feedback with CAAWS, Ontario Basketball, and researchers to help revise tools and resources.
• October–December 2019: Participation in a final evaluation to provide feedback on the overall process, the Same Game Model, and how this will impact current and future initiatives to increase gender equity.

Requirements of Ontario Basketball and CAAWS

• Provision of all tools and resources for pilot testing.
• Funding for pilot project partner implementation of the Same Game Model.
• Coordination of conference calls.
• Coordination of feedback from pilot projects.
• On-going support to pilot project partners throughout the duration of the project.

Criteria and Considerations for Becoming a Pilot Project Partner

• The partner must commit to being involved for the duration of the project (April–December 2019).
• The partner much show evidence of being able to connect directly with girls and/or women or with partners who can connect directly with girls and/or women.
• The project must increase participation and/or leadership opportunities for girls and/or women within your club.
• The project must engage girls and/or women throughout the project.
• Evidence of sustainability of initiatives created beyond the funding period needs to be shown.

Project Timelines

• March 2019: Pilot project partners selected to pilot the Same Game Model
• April 1 to September 30, 2019: Same Game Model pilot testing of all six steps
• October 1 to December 31, 2019: Final evaluation

Applying to Become a Pilot Project Partner

Applicants must submit an application form [.pdf] by Friday, March 29 to Shelley Callaghan, CAAWS Project Manager.

Contact

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Shelley Callaghan.

 

Ontario Basketball thanks all OBA member clubs that completed the gender equity survey last spring, which helped inform the development of the Same Game Model. Survey respondent Cleveland Clunis from ETBA was randomly selected to receive an iPad to thank him for his participation.