COMMUNITY UPDATE

posted Oct 27, 2022, 2:45 PM

Community Update

October 27, 2022

Dear Bluewater athletes, parents, volunteers and coaches.

We are writing this letter to provide some important updates from our Club leadership about our ongoing commitment to create a respectful and welcoming culture, and to ensure you feel supported during what will be another series of news items that may feature our club.

The Board and Staff are committed to continue to put in place leading policies, procedures and programs to ensure that athletes feel safe, respected, and supported.  We are committed to creating and maintaining an open and safe environment for the children and youths to whom have been entrusted into our care.

Board Leadership

The Board of Directors is comprised of parents and community volunteers.  The Board of Directors is grateful to the Staff for going above and beyond and working alongside us to foster an open and safe environment, where the central focus is the wellbeing of the athletes. For more information on our Board of Directors see our website.

Documentary on Gymnastics

                The Board of Directors feel it is important to proactively communicate about the upcoming documentary that will be aired on November 5, 2022, on Crave, and on November 12, 2022, on W5.  This documentary focuses on the maltreatment of athletes in our sport.  Please note that there may be reference to our Club. We are mindful that this documentary may be triggering, upsetting and difficult for anyone who has been, is, or who have been involved with our club. The Board of Directors have not seen the documentary but anticipate this may stimulate questions about how the Club has evolved since 2017.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. 

Our Commitment

                As volunteers we believe in the power of sport to transform communities, to bring people together, to empower people and to be a positive training ground for the development of healthy and confident young people. We are focused on welcoming all individuals to achieve their personal physical goals. Being accountable, transparent, and values-driven has been our commitment and we will continue to make the necessary improvements to ensure this is realized in the years to come.

Good sport and good governance go hand in hand. Thus, we have created a Resource and Policy page on our website, that includes True Sport, as we believe in the 7 principles and feel that they reflect our commitment to creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive culture. Within this section, you can find our relevant policies that speak to this commitment and provides additional information related to our due diligence including ensuring Rule of Two, Police Record Check, Coaches in training (CIT) and Staff Training, Organization Code of Conduct and Reporting Complaints, and Concerns and Incidents Policy. The Board of Directors will continue to update our policies and practices, especially those that deal with complaints, codes of conduct, and maltreatment. We have also amended our Board governance policies to ensure that we are managing conflict of interest, supporting the work of staff, minimizing risk, ensuring prudent fiscal oversight, and engaging more frequently with our membership. Our mandate is to focus less on outcome, and more on the experience that individuals are having as club members.

We are grateful to our BGC family for entrusting us and want to express our sincere gratitude for inviting us to lead. We feel that our Club is on a healthy path, and we look forward to your ongoing feedback so that we can learn and make improvements together.

With thanks and appreciation,

Bluewater Gymnastics Club Board and Staff