September 28, 2022

Sask Sport is committed to recognizing National Day for Truth and Reconciliation through education, knowledge and sharing. 

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation recognizes and remembers those who were lost to the legacy of the residential school system, honours survivors and acknowledges the lasting harm and pain that these schools brought to Indigenous children, their families and communities. Today, is an opportunity to participate in and contribute to reconciliation. 

Sask Sport and the amateur sport community can come together in the spirit of reconciliation to provide program support and training that work to advance Indigenous athletes, coaches and volunteers. Sask Sport will continue to commit to partnerships with Indigenous community groups to advance understanding and shared experiences. The Indigenous Coaches and Officials Program has spent the last decade and half working to bridge gaps. Learn more about the program and how its work contributes to Truth and Reconciliation. 

Contributions and efforts of reconciliation will only help to enrich Saskatchewan communities.

For the past several years, Sask Sport staff have worn their orange shirts to honour survivors, commemorate those who attended residential schools, remember those who never returned home and reaffirm that “Every Child Matters”. It is also a symbol of the commitment to Truth and Reconciliation that Sask Sport will continue in 2022 and beyond.  

Resources are available to learn more and to deepen understanding: 

• Orange Shirt Day Story and History
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action  
• The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Memorial 
• Sask Culture Indigenous Awareness Hub 
• National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation 
• Wawahte Stories of Residential School Survivors

When Jessica Campbell walked into the Kraken Community Iceplex — the practice facility for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken and the team’s home base for their summer development camp — there was already a dressing room for female coaches waiting for her.

Having grown up playing in small town rinks across Saskatchewan, that’s not something Campbell was accustomed to, who recalled memories of getting dressed in janitor's closets or merely any space she could find.

“That was an absolutely unbelievable feeling,” said Campbell, who served as a member of the Kraken’s coaching staff for the team’s development camp this summer. “To know that’s the direction the game is going — forward thinking and understanding we too do have something valuable and different to bring to the table as people and we’re deserving of the same opportunity.”

Read the full story here.

Love of sport and giving back to the community are two common reasons why many get into coaching. And with 20,000 trained coaches in Saskatchewan, the impact they have on the community is immense.

As part of Coaches Week in Saskatchewan, two Special Olympics coaches in the province share their story of how they got into coaching and the impact they are making in their communities.

Brennon Madland, Special Olympics Saskatoon — Basketball

Brennon Madland grew up in Flin Flon, Man. watching his uncle, who has Down Syndrome, participate in Special Olympics weightlifting, cross country skiing and bowling. It was his uncle's participation that prompted Madland, who now lives in Saskatoon, to take on a role helping others compete in sport.

Phyllis Madigan, Special Olympics Regina — Bocce, Curling & Softball

It was through Rhonda Penno that Phyllis Madigan got her introduction to Special Olympics. Penno, who has served as the chair of the Special Olympics Regina community executive committee, needed someone to umpire a curling bonspiel for the organization. Madigan, a certified official, volunteered her name. 

Read Brennon’s and Phyllis’ story here.

Tim Landeryou had a long career in racquetball playing for Team Canada from 2010 to 2018, with career accomplishments including three silver medals at the world championships and another three bronze medals at the Pan Am Games. But when COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 national championships, the writing was on the wall for him to call it a career.

During his time as an athlete, Landeryou always knew he wanted to stay involved in the sport post-playing career, but he just wasn’t sure in what way.

When Lorne Prentice, a long-time coach in Saskatchewan and a 2008 inductee to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, decided he was going to retire, a door opened for Landeryou.

“I like to joke that I’m like the relief pitcher,” he said. “I’m obviously helping the athletes that I’m working with, but for a lot of them — most of their development was through Lorne and the programs that he helped to start.”

Read more about Tim's journey here.

Former Canadian 3×3 basketball star and Indigenous advocate Michael Linklater is set to headline the 2022 AthletesCAN Forum, scheduled for Oct. 15-16.

Linklater, who won championships with the Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, will give a keynote address to begin the event. His address will speak to how inclusion and accessibility in sport can improve the sport culture across Canada.

The forum, titled Reimagining Culture through a Safe Sport Lens, will be open to all National Team athletes qualifying for AthletesCAN membership.

Learn more and register at AthletesCAN. 

In recognition of Concussion Awareness Day, the Government of Saskatchewan, Sask Sport and the Sport Medicine & Science Council of Saskatchewan offered a one-hour webinar: A Concussion Story – Lessons for Concussion Management.

Moderated by Rhonda Shishkin (Sport Physiotherapist and Certified Athletic Therapist for Craven SPORT Services and Canada Basketball), the webinar featured Ben Coakwell, three-time Olympic bobsledder and 2022 Olympic Bronze Medallist, as he shared his experience with concussions and how he managed them in his career.

The pair were joined by panelists Dr. Michael J. Nicholls (Clinical Coordinator at the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine’s Enhanced Skills Sport and Exercise Medicine residency program), Dr. Ryan Flett (mental performance consultant and mental health researcher) and Emmarie Racine Hallin (MSc (Kin) candidate, BKin. Hons, CAT (candidate)).

Canadian Women & Sport is pleased to extend an invitation to sport and recreation organizations across Canada to apply for the Same Game Challenge thanks to funding support from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart).

Same Game Challenge is for sport leaders who are inspired to reimagine how women and girls access their sport but have been frustrated in their ability to make efficient and effective change. 

Applications close October 2.

In Canada, sport and recreational activities account for a large proportion of concussions, particularly amongst children, adolescents and young adults.

Most concussed individuals recover within four weeks. Typical symptoms may include headaches, nausea, dizziness and light sensitivity. However, there is a small proportion of individuals (15-30%) who continue experiencing symptoms and challenges weeks and months after a concussion.

The Sport Information Research Centre has provided more information about concussion symptoms that take a longer time to improve and may impact an athlete’s cognitive and communication functioning in significant ways.

Feb.18 - March 5, 2023

Prince Edward Island

March 29 - April 1, 2023

Saskatoon

2023 Juvenile Broomball National Championships

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Sask Lotteries - Lottery Account Representative (closes Sept. 30)

Sask Sport - Sport Consultant (closes Oct. 5)

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