EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND DIVERSITY IN SPORTS

The Department of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity in Sports

The department in partnership with Free Learn Canada is led by a group of accomplished volunteers that have an extensive background in sports and education. These volunteers include the Office of the Registrar of The Royal Alberta College and Executive Director of Free Learn Canada, Perry Chahal, Mr. Kondeh Mansaray a Black Canadian soccer coach and youth mentor, Mr. Michael Durodola a passionate coach and youth mentor and Mrs. Jennifer Carol, an accredited teacher and former NCAA gold medalist in Women’s Soccer. Collectively they will bridge relationships with Black and BIPOC led sports entities across Canada.

The Department's Mission

The Department of EDI in Sports Project “Equity, Inclusion and Diversity in Sports” (EID in Sports) Intends to provide opportunities for those that assist marginalized and unrepresented community members (BIPOC Canadians) through life skills education and enhancement of knowledge, guidance and support, and technical training that will enable them to succeed in these endeavours while striving for more inclusion and diversity in sports.

A Project in Partnership With

Project Summary

While generally aiming to assist BIPOC Canadians, this department aims to assist those in particular who face financial constraints or encounter discrimination based on their ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and a large francophone community.

The Department of EID in Sports will work to train coaches, young athletes that have an interest in coaching or becoming a sport officiate (referee) with an emphasis in the sport of football (soccer) and player management. Currently, BIPOC Canadians remain underrepresented at all levels of management in Canadian sports and internationally, whether amateur, collegiate, or professional.

Our intention is to provide opportunities for BIPOC learners through the transmission of life skills and knowledge, guidance and counselling, and technical training that will enable them to succeed in these endeavours while striving for more inclusion and diversity in sports.

Rationale and Background

A recent CBC Sports Investigation found that, in 400 top sports positions across 56 universities, < 10% are filled by a Black person, Indigenous person, or person of colour, demonstrating a clear lack of diversity in one of Canada’s highest levels of sports.

The purpose of this department is thus to guide and provide training opportunities in sports, particularly in soccer and sports management, for members of Black communities who face ongoing challenges and disparity in the face of systematic socio-economic racism.

The department will enable each of the individuals that receive their desired training to become better educated within the realm of sports and sports management, therefore enabling these newly trained leaders to apply recently acquired skills and knowledge to mentor hundreds of young athletes (ages 6-18), who comprise 98% Black Canadian children in Edmonton and across Canada. Programs include training on leadership, ethics, and social responsibility, among many other valuable programs that are recognized and will enable individuals to become qualified for better opportunities.

This project will enable BIPOC to access educational content, connect with mentors, and hone the skills required to succeed in their respective fields of sports management and resources tied to leadership, ethics, social responsibility, and digital marketing.

Participants

All minority and BIPOC Canadians are encouraged to participate, including Caribbean, African, Eastern Central, Western, Southern, and African Nova Scotian origins. The department will assist many francophone coaches, athletes, and families who have roots in French-speaking regions of Africa. These regions include, yet are not limited to

Cameroon

Algeria

Morocco

Congo

Madagascar

Senegal

Gabon

Seychelles

Togo

Cote d'Ivoire

Djibouti

Haiti

Niger

Republic of the Congo

Mali

This project will strive to provide opportunities to engage and converse in French and develop English skills during learning and applied training.

The Royal Alberta College’s Department of EDI in Sports will be offering the following programs during the fall of 2021

These courses will provide learning opportunities in the following fields

Sports Management -The Essentials

Essentials of the Professional Sports Business Management

The Complete Course on Sports Sponsorship

Certificate Program in Media Relations in Sports

How to start your career in the sports industry

The Complete Course on Sports Events and Facility Management

A comprehensive guide to the business of eSports

Sports Psychology

The Department of EDI in Sports has created the following online certificate programs for self-paced learning, these courses include, and are limited to

Certificate in Sports management : The Essentials
Certificate in Professional Sports Business Management
Certificate in Sports Sponsorship
Certificate in Media Relations in Sports
Certificate in How to start your career in the sports industry
Certificate in Sports Events and Facility Management
Certificate in business of eSports
Certificate in Sports Psychology
Certificate in Sports Nutrition
Certificate in Sport Agency

A project in partnership with: