Community Better Challenge – Cochrane SPARkLErs Series Interview #1
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Featuring Karen Dommett and Laura McDonald
Topic: In support of Inclusive Sport Experiences in Cochrane
Link to AUDIO ONLY
Scroll down for a list of links and resources
This interview highlights two newly appointed Sport4life Cochrane board members who both have a passion and experience in creating inclusive sport environments in Cochrane and in Alberta. We’ve captured some highlights below but recommend watching the full video to capture the incredible insights shared by these two amazing advocates and moms!
Karen and Laura, tell us a bit about yourselves:
Karen Dommett:
I live in Glenbow just a few houses down from Laura. We moved here exactly 2 years ago this week. I’m the mom of a 6 and an almost 3 year old who are very active in lots of sports in the community We love this community and how we get to back onto the trail system and all the play grounds and facilities
I am the director of the Calgary Adapted Hub powered by Jumpstart. Which is a collective that enhances and creates sport and recreation opportunities for children and youth with disabilities.
Laura McDonald:
We moved to Cochrane almost 11 years ago and we chose to raise our family in Cochrane we love it so much for many of the same reasons as Karen. It’s just such a wonderful active community. One thing I love about Cochrane is how much Cochranities love Cochrane. It’s so wonderful to live in a place that has so much pride in community. So we are never leaving. Our daughters love it and I think we made a great choice many years ago.
I work in business operations so I support a couple of clients across the country. And on the side I’m also a cartoon actor so sometimes I do silly things on the side too.
Karen, tell us why Inclusive sport is such a hot topic right now?
Karen, what are some examples you have seen with organizations to build experience and capacity to be more inclusive
Laura, tell us your story as a parent and advocate for children and families facing diverse abilities:
Laura, tell us about the Fireside Playground project that you were instrumental in leading:
I fundraised, designed, and helped build the playground at my daughter’s school (Fireside). It was so rewarding for me to be a part of this because:
Laura/Karen - Let’s talk about terminology when referring to persons with varying abilities– what is your preference/advice?
Laura
Karen
Karen, what are some small steps that sport organizations could take to move forward into inclusivity?
Laura, as a parent with disabilities what advice do you have for other sport and physical activity leaders and coaches?
Laura, can you highlight a program(s) you/your daughter has experienced that provides a welcome and inclusive experience?
With the Community Better Challenge taking place for the month of June, what would you do with the $100,000 that we could win if Cochrane is the most active community?
Thank you both for sharing our insights with our audience today!
For more information go to www.sport4lifecochrane.com or email lea.wiens@sport4lifecochrane.com
Links and resources
Connect with Karen 1:1 - For families wanting to learn more about what adapted and disability inclusive sport options there are in the Calgary region, they can visit this link to book a 1:1 call with Karen where we build a game plan individualized to their abilities, interests, location, and family circumstances:https://www.calgaryadaptedhub.com/personalized-services/get-to-know-you-form
June is Pride Month and Indigenous History Month. Here are a few related links and webinars that may be of interest:
Featuring Karen Dommett and Laura McDonald
Topic: In support of Inclusive Sport Experiences in Cochrane
Link to AUDIO ONLY
Scroll down for a list of links and resources
This interview highlights two newly appointed Sport4life Cochrane board members who both have a passion and experience in creating inclusive sport environments in Cochrane and in Alberta. We’ve captured some highlights below but recommend watching the full video to capture the incredible insights shared by these two amazing advocates and moms!
Karen and Laura, tell us a bit about yourselves:
Karen Dommett:
I live in Glenbow just a few houses down from Laura. We moved here exactly 2 years ago this week. I’m the mom of a 6 and an almost 3 year old who are very active in lots of sports in the community We love this community and how we get to back onto the trail system and all the play grounds and facilities
I am the director of the Calgary Adapted Hub powered by Jumpstart. Which is a collective that enhances and creates sport and recreation opportunities for children and youth with disabilities.
Laura McDonald:
We moved to Cochrane almost 11 years ago and we chose to raise our family in Cochrane we love it so much for many of the same reasons as Karen. It’s just such a wonderful active community. One thing I love about Cochrane is how much Cochranities love Cochrane. It’s so wonderful to live in a place that has so much pride in community. So we are never leaving. Our daughters love it and I think we made a great choice many years ago.
I work in business operations so I support a couple of clients across the country. And on the side I’m also a cartoon actor so sometimes I do silly things on the side too.
Karen, tell us why Inclusive sport is such a hot topic right now?
- Sport just has this great opportunity to reflect the society that we want to live in. Sport influences our culture.
- I’ve seen it time and time again where we’ve done it really well and where we could have done it better. That’s what has really driven me into working in inclusive and adaptive sport and creating more of those opportunities to do it better.
- Our people, our coaches and administrators, are filling many more roles than they were before and it’s hard to build back better.
- We need to make our spaces more inclusive and more welcoming, but we also need to support our sport leaders and not put all this pressure on them to be all things to all people. That can’t ever happen, they’re the experts in their sport so it needs to come through creative partnerships and collaborations to help guide people on this path to inclusion.
Karen, what are some examples you have seen with organizations to build experience and capacity to be more inclusive
- The Calgary Adapted Hub collaborates and connects organizations and families to build inclusivity in a way that people always feel included, not just in specific programs
- Many small steps and changes lead to big impact
- For example, Winsport -runs Adapted multisport programs. They started with free drop-ins per week for adapted sports groups with experts in the adapted sport and it is leading to changes across all of their programming and policies.
Laura, tell us your story as a parent and advocate for children and families facing diverse abilities:
- As a mom of a 2 daughters, one with physical disabilities, finding safe and nurturing places for her to belong in sport has been a challenging, eye opening, and rewarding journey that has also been alienating and lonely at times.
- Starting with breaking down barriers for my own child I have learned that sometimes you can make change without support but it’s much more effective and rewarding with support of partners and programs who are open to growing and expanding their programs.
Laura, tell us about the Fireside Playground project that you were instrumental in leading:
I fundraised, designed, and helped build the playground at my daughter’s school (Fireside). It was so rewarding for me to be a part of this because:
- The community came together to do something inclusive
- Every child knows that they playground was made for all abilities
- Set the president for all thoughts and ideas around inclusivity at the school
Laura/Karen - Let’s talk about terminology when referring to persons with varying abilities– what is your preference/advice?
Laura
- Comfortable with the word disability (all encompassing)
- All abilities (More blanket term)
- Diverse abilities
Karen
- People first language
- Personal preference
- Be aware of microagressions
- Be open about what your limitations are and where you might need to work with the parents more to be able to accommodate
Karen, what are some small steps that sport organizations could take to move forward into inclusivity?
- There is no blueprint, you will have to change with each individual
- Marketing, what does your registration advertising look like? What questions are you asking? What information and language are you using?
- Where does there need to be more of a conversation with the parent
- Are you including open ended questions for the parents?
- Considering these questions will help the coaches know what the child needs for the best environment for them
Laura, as a parent with disabilities what advice do you have for other sport and physical activity leaders and coaches?
- Getting to know the human being that’s coming to your program
- Reach out to the family and let them know that they can come early to meet with the coach so that everyone knows what is best for the child moving forward
- Coaches and leaders can give the parents the opportunity to say, “here’s some things that you need to know about my child that will help her and you today”
- Any small thing you can do to remove the feeling that the child/family is a burden is so welcome and reassuring
Laura, can you highlight a program(s) you/your daughter has experienced that provides a welcome and inclusive experience?
- The Spray Lakes Aquatic Center was running the Red Cross adaptive swimming lessons and the lifeguards that were trained with that were awesome. It was amazing to have her there when other swimming lessons were going on. Now whenever we go swimming there the lifegaurds will say hello to my daughter and it’s so meaningful
- She does a program, the APAP program, at the University of Calgary and she loves it there too. She talks about it all the time and can’t wait for Friday nights
- A lot of times the sports /physical outcomes’ take a back seat to building the relationships and having a place where you feel safe
With the Community Better Challenge taking place for the month of June, what would you do with the $100,000 that we could win if Cochrane is the most active community?
- Laura
- More things like the Try It Day, where abilities do not matter
- Karen
- Build the Calgary-Cochrane trail with intention so that no one feels left behind and so that everyone can use it no matter their abilities
Thank you both for sharing our insights with our audience today!
For more information go to www.sport4lifecochrane.com or email lea.wiens@sport4lifecochrane.com
Links and resources
Connect with Karen 1:1 - For families wanting to learn more about what adapted and disability inclusive sport options there are in the Calgary region, they can visit this link to book a 1:1 call with Karen where we build a game plan individualized to their abilities, interests, location, and family circumstances:https://www.calgaryadaptedhub.com/personalized-services/get-to-know-you-form
June is Pride Month and Indigenous History Month. Here are a few related links and webinars that may be of interest:
- Viasport’s 2SLGBTQ+ resource page for sport organizations.
- Creating a psychologically safe space for the LGBTQ2S+ community
- Moving towards building a Reconciliation action plan: Indigenous inclusion with employers webinar on June 7 at 1:00PM ET. Register here.
