Respect Group: Proud event sponsor of the Ontario Soccer Summit

This is our 6^th year as event sponsor of the Ontario Soccer Summit and we couldn’t be more proud of this partnership. Throughout the summit, leaders in the space delivered keynotes, classroom sessions, and a panel discussion preceded by our co-founder’s introduction, Wayne McNeil. Some great takeaways for all participants!

Thank you to Ontario Soccer for this incredible event!  

February 22, 2023

HOCKEY CANADA ENHANCES COMMITMENT TO SAFE SPORT AND CULTURAL CHANGE IN HOCKEY
Multi-year partnership extension announced with Respect Group

CALGARY, Alta. – Hockey Canada is pleased to announce a renewed and expanded commitment to preventative education in safe sport through a multi-year partnership extension with Respect Group, continuing a longstanding relationship between the organizations to make hockey safer at all levels of the game.

Through this investment, Hockey Canada will work with Respect Group to collaborate and develop new, age-appropriate player programs, while optimizing the ongoing delivery of existing Respect Group online training courses with the Hockey Canada Member Branches.

“Age-appropriate, player-centric education is the next logical step in the enhancement of our Respect in Sport curriculum, and we are very excited to be partnering with Hockey Canada as a contributor in the development of these tools,” said Sheldon Kennedy, co-founder of Respect Group, child advocate and former NHL player. “This demonstrates how committed both of our organizations are to creating change in hockey.”

Hockey Canada recognizes there is still work to be done to drive cultural change in the game, and the partnership extension with Respect Group reflects an organizational commitment to create safe and respectful environments for participants to enjoy the sport from grassroots to high performance.

“Hockey Canada is thrilled to be working with Respect Group in pursuit of our common desire to effect meaningful change in hockey by advancing a safe, respectful and inclusive experience for all participants,” said the Hon. Hugh L. Fraser, chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors. “We were one of the first organizations to become a full signatory to Abuse-Free Sport and the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, and also established the Independent Third Party, an additional confidential reporting mechanism for hockey-related maltreatment complaints of someone affiliated with Hockey Canada beyond the national level.

The investment in preventative education announced today represents another component of Hockey Canada’s duty to change the culture in sport, including through enhanced sport safety initiatives. Our efforts in this area will continue and further announcements will be forthcoming in the not-too-distant future.”

In its first two months, the Hockey Canada Board of Directors has met for over 80 hours and continues to work extensively with stakeholders to restore confidence and trust in the organization.

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For more information or to be removed from the media contact list, please contact:
Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada
416-451-3343
jknight@hockeycanada.ca

PHF ENHANCES RESPECT, SAFETY, INCLUSION INITIATIVES FOR MEMBERS

New partnerships announced with Respect Group and RealResponse, plus mandatory background checks with NCSI

BOSTON, MA – (January 4, 2023) – The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced a pair of new multi-year partnerships with Respect Group and RealResponse, and has introduced mandatory background checks with National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI) for all league and team staff. Each organization provides industry-leading resources that will strengthen the league’s commitment to fostering a healthy, respectful, safe, and inclusive environment for all players and staff.

“The entire PHF community should be an environment that is healthy, respectful, safe, and inclusive, and these important initiatives help us take essential steps to further that commitment,” said Reagan Carey, PHF Commissioner. “As leaders who are deeply invested in growing the game, it is our responsibility to develop a culture that exemplifies our values, and one where we continue enacting positive change by prioritizing training, education, prevention, reporting, and accountability.”

Respect Group empowers people to recognize and prevent bullying, abuse, harassment, and discrimination (BAHD) through interactive, online training courses. Founded by Wayne McNeil and former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy in 2004, Respect Group has provided programming and training to sports organizations, schools, and workplaces with a goal of eliminating BAHD and inspiring a global culture of respect. PHF members including the Board of Governors, front office personnel, team staff, and players are required to be Respect Certified by completing the 90-minute Respect in the Workplace online training program.

“Our commitment to improving hockey culture and preventing BAHD behavior within society continues with critical partnerships like this. By providing good people with tools and knowledge makes them better and helps organizations thrive,” said Sheldon Kennedy, Co-Founder of Respect Group. “The leadership of Reagan Carey and the work the PHF is doing to advocate for their athletes, above everything else, is exemplary. We applaud these significant efforts to grow the game in a way that’s safe and inclusive for all.”

RealResponse is dedicated to equipping athletic organizations with a tool to promote accountability and trust. Founded in 2015 by NCAA student-athlete David Chadwick, RealResponse reaches over 200,000 athletes, coaches, administrators, and staff through partnerships with more than 120 collegiate institutions, multiple NFL teams, and athletic organizations like the NWSL, Major League Baseball, NASCAR, the NFL Players Association, USA Swimming, and USA Gymnastics. They use surveys, real-time reporting, and a comprehensive documentation repository to provide a safe space for athletes and league members to share feedback, questions, and concerns with their administration that can inspire change. The RealResponse system allows for two-way communication in real-time between PHF members and league leaders while protecting the reporter who is able to submit feedback anonymously. This will be their first partnership in professional hockey.

“The work Reagan Carey and her team have done in the past year to quickly and effectively ramp up the services offered to the elite women’s athletes of the PHF is admirable, and we are proud to be part of this latest expansion,” said David Chadwick, Founder and CEO of RealResponse. “Our platform has been extremely effective with leagues in helping not just identify, but prevent issues that sometimes fly under the radar and can derail success on every level. We are confident that this partnership will aid everyone in women’s hockey, from the players and the coaches to the staff and executives, as the PHF continues to rise.”

NCSI is a leading provider of background checks, helping organizations minimize their liability and meet strict legal mandates since 2005. Driven by the goal of protecting vulnerable populations from harm, NCSI was the trusted background check provider for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and serves thousands of organizations from youth sports to national governing bodies.

“The PHF is taking important steps to cultivate and maintain a positive workplace environment, which is something that all athletes value immensely,” said Brianna Decker, PHF Team and Player Development Advisor. “Initiatives like this that elevate the safety and well-being of PHF players above all else is another layer to the strong foundation we’re proud to be building for professional women’s hockey.”

The PHF’s commitment to workplace health, respect, safety, and inclusivity is also supported by the league’s ongoing relationship with Athlete Ally and Chris Mosier.

About the Premier Hockey Federation
The PHF is the home of professional women’s hockey in North America. Established in 2015 as the National Women’s Hockey League, the NWHL rebranded to become the PHF in 2021 and provide opportunities for elite athletes to earn a living playing the game they love while fueling the continued growth of the sport. The league is made up of the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and the Toronto Six who all compete annually for the Isobel Cup. As part of a two-year agreement with ESPN, live coverage of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 PHF seasons is available exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States, and provides international rights for games which includes TSN in Canada. For more information visit premierhockeyfederation.com.

Media Contact

Paul Krotz PHF

Senior Vice President of Communications

647-505-8010 / pkrotz@phfhq.com

The Transition Event: A deep dive into inclusion efforts in hockey

Our co-founder, Sheldon Kennedy, moderated the afternoon Panel discussions at the Transition Game organized by the Carnegie Initiative on November 8. This event intended to engage players, parents, partners, coaches, sports leaders and media in important conversations around the growth of inclusion and acceptance in hockey. The event was broken down into two parts; a round table, solutions-based session to discuss “the good, the bad, the hard” in making hockey a better, more diverse, and safer space, followed by open discussion with attendees, community leaders and members of the press.

The afternoon portion included a keynote and panel discussion identifying issues/needs and creating actionable steps to make hockey more inclusive, followed by an opportunity to network and meet other like-minded individuals creating change.

Thank you to the Carnegie Initiative and to all who attended this day of critical conversation and learning.

WHL, Respect Group Launch Respect Charter Program

As part of enhancements to the WHL Respect in Hockey program and the WHL’s partnership with Respect Group, the League recently piloted Respect Charter workshops with three Central Division Clubs.

Statement from Respect Group

Respect Group Media Statement

Respect Group has been working with grassroots sport across Canada to prevent bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD) for 20 years.  All stakeholders need education to ensure that sport is safe, inclusive and respectful. We are excited to partner with Canadian Tire on this common pursuit to create positive sport culture where kids have fun and stay involved.

Sheldon Kennedy OC AOE OM and Wayne McNeil

Co-Founders of Respect Group

_____________________________

For more information, please contact: media@respectgroupinc.com

We’re proud to announce the recent launch of the new Inclusive Play Leadership program!

The Inclusive Play Leadership certificate, produced in partnership with, Jumpstart, The Steadward centre at the University of Alberta, the University of Toronto, Canadian Disability Participation Project, and Respect Group, gives leaders the tools to support leading activities, playground play, and facilitate inclusive free play.

Certified leaders will be able to think critically about inclusion and accessibility and how to develop play strategies that support children of all abilities.

For more information on Coaching Kids with All Abilities Resource produced in partnership with Jumpstart, please watch the video below:

For more information on these helpful resources, please visit: http://jmpst.ca/OrgResources

Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League today announced a series of enhancements to the WHL Respect in Hockey and the Security Network programs during the 2022 WHL Leadership Conference, which was held virtually today in preparation for WHL Club Training Camps which open beginning September 1.

The WHL introduced mandatory Respect Education seminars for all players as part of the overarching WHL Players First programming initiatives in the late 1990s. From 1998 to 2019, the Canadian Red Cross in partnership with the WHL administered mandatory Respect Education seminars to all WHL players. In 2011, the WHL also mandated Respect in Sport certification, which is administered by the Respect Group. The WHL Respect in Hockey program was created in 2019 through collaboration with Sheldon Kennedy and Wayne McNeil, co-founders of the Respect Group and leading experts from the Canadian Red Cross. The WHL Respect in Hockey program, which was fully implemented during the 2020-21 season, is a mandatory program for all WHL personnel and includes on-line seminars, Respect Champion workshops and Respect in Sport certifications.

Here is a clip from Global News on this initiative: https://globalnews.ca/video/9093552/whl-respect-in-hockey-program/

Respect Group’s Statement on Hockey Canada’s Action Plan

Respect Group agrees that “the surest way to affect behaviour is through education”. We will continue those pursuits with each and every grassroots hockey organization who, through their own local leadership, have made foundational, evidence-based RESPECT training a mandatory requirement for activity leaders, officials and parents across this country.

We applaud those decisions and the heavy lifting necessary to make them happen. Respect Group continues to believe, along with our friends in the trenches, that education remains the cornerstone of creating safe and welcoming hockey environments while improving culture, bottom-up, over time.