Hi everyone – and Welcome to our first President’s Corner of 2022!
It’s been a minute since our last update. That’s because we’ve been working on some big things! As always, the goal of our President’s Corner is to give you a glimpse of what’s happening within the Club and behind the scenes, to inform you about what our Board of Directors is working on, and share what we discuss at our monthly meetings.
Before we get into that…
Congratulations to our varsity athletes who took part in the OUA, RSEQ and USport Championships.
- University of Ottawa athletes picked up two medals at the OUA Championships and the Carleton Ravens brought home three more from RSEQ the same weekend.
- Alex Telford had another podium finish at the USport Championships, finishing third in the 60m hurdles.
- Several former Lions also competed at USport – and we enjoyed seeing the unofficial Club reunion take place online via social media and livestream.
We are so proud of all our varsity athletes, who overcame many challenges this season – from restrictions to a hiatus mid-season, and adjusting to new training facilities. Well done Lions!
And now for our regular programming…
At our April meeting of the Board of Directors, our Executive Director and Head Coach Richard Johnston reported that our Club has some exciting plans for the outdoor season. The season will be packed with exciting events, with Ottawa hosting the NACAC Combined Events Championship, high school East Regional championships, and Twilight Meets from May through to August. In addition, registration for our outdoor programs and spots are already filling up for our summer camps!
What else is going on?
Following our Annual General Meeting, which took place in February, the Board of Directors developed a strategic planning initiative that identified six key priorities to focus on for the 2022 year. Our goals for the coming year include:
- Working with partners to continue strengthening our Safe Sport policies and practices;
- Ensuring our amazing staff and passionate coaches have access to the resources they need to fulfil their responsibilities and succeed in their positions;
- Understanding how to ensure consistent access to our principal training facilities in the city; and,
- Reviewing our existing by-laws and policies to clarify vague processes and definitions.
We have already begun taking steps toward achieving some of these goals and we look forward to updating you on our progress
Our Board has also had lengthy discussions on vaccination policies and mask mandates, in light of the ongoing pandemic and changing public health guidelines. We expect all members to follow public health guidelines and to respect the rules and procedures of the facilities that we use. We also believe that members who want to continue to wear masks, in the absence of a mask mandate, can do so without fear of reprisal or discrimination.
But wait, there’s more!
ICYMI Board member and Club coach Gordon Cavé was named as Assistant Coach for the NACAC Senior Championships in the Bahamas this summer! Congratulations Gordon!
And, last but not, least, Jenn Dumoulin (our Club President) will be a panelist at the Sport for Life Summit (Ottawa Summit) taking place in May 2022.
We always welcome your feedback; you can reach us via the President’s email account (president@ottawalions.com) or through info@ottawalions.com.
That’s it for this month! Looking forward to seeing you on the track!
Jennifer Dumoulin
President, Board of Directors
Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club
(prepared jointly with Zeena Rashid, Secretary, Ottawa Lions Board of Directors)