About the Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association
BRIEF HISTORY
Conversations about the formation of a Canadian S&C Association have been on-going in pockets across Canada for over 20 years. On April 4, 2013 we were close. However, debates centred around what the association’s focus should be, without conclusion. Nevertheless, there is a debt of gratitude that needs to be expressed to many individuals for their outstanding work and time devoted in attempting to get an association off the ground at that April 4th meeting in Toronto.
In attendance at that meeting were practitioners who worked in the universities, colleges, public sector, private sector, amateur high-performance sport and professional sport. Many of those individuals have continued their desire to see the formation of the association come to pass, and are now instrumental in the formation of the Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCA).
The Federal incorporation of the CSCA as a not- for-profit organization was officially accepted on October 22, 2018 at 3:06pm EST.
Phase 1
The CSCA will work through a 3 Phase process as we begin. The purpose of Phase 1 is to collaborate in the dissemination of our stories. We will maintain this website with articles, and we will distribute a quarterly newsletter staring in 2019. The focus of the newsletter will be to share stories about the state of our industry in 1) colleges and universities, 2) elementary and high schools, 3) elite amateur sport, and 4) professional sport. In so doing, we will celebrate the amazing work of S&C coaches working in Canada, and Canadians working abroad. Newsletters will be published (electronically) in the Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The timeline for Phase 1 is 1 year. We trust you will sign up after you have read this article to support our (which includes you) association.
Phase 2
We will focus on the education of S&C coaches and employers in Phase 2. We will create and share information relevant to S&C coaches who desire to further their careers by offering a professional career progression pathway. Additionally, we will use similar information to help guide employers in varied sectors of our industry in the considerations of note prior to hiring an S&C coach in Canada. Time frame is 2-3 years.
Phase 3
In Phase 3 we will address standardization. This Phase is projected to begin in year 3 and will take up to 5 years to complete. It will centre on guidelines and agreed upon standards of practice for Canadian S&C coaches. However, that is not to say that we will not consider directions for education and standardization in Phase 1, we will.
MEMBERSHIP
We are offering access to our articles and newsletter at no charge to you through the coming year. We are doing this to prove our worth to you first, before asking you to commit financially. In time we will offer a members’ only access portal. We will also create mentorship opportunities for members, which will offer growth for mentors and mentees.
We have the benefit of learning from the amazing work done by other organizations to date. We also benefit from the varied and extensive experiences of the group of dedicated practitioners who have stepped up to help our association grow.