OCF Update to Membership – Organization Priorities and Plans This Offseason
The Ontario Climbing Federation (OCF) would like to update our membership on the year to date and our offseason plans as we prepare for the 2023-24 season and beyond.
We are very pleased with the finish our 2022-23 season brought, not only with our successful Qualifier and Provincial competitions, but with the incredible results our athletes were able to achieve at the various National competitions as well. Coming back out of the pandemic with a full slate of competition for the first time in a few years was always going to bring about its challenges, but we ultimately saw just how passionate our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and stakeholders are – and we could not have asked for a better ending.
As we progressed through the end of this season, we were also able to hire our first Executive Director. Bringing in Nathan Abdelnour to help lead the operations of the organization has already brought about a streamlined approach. The flexibility of having full-time staff to address changes as they happen has allowed us to adapt our plans this offseason in order to maximize potential funding opportunities.
In our continued efforts to prepare for next season, the OCF is also taking a look at planning for the years ahead. The professionalization of sport, and our recent hiring of an Executive Director, puts us in a place to use our resources to advance the strategic and operational needs of the organization. As such, we will be moving ahead with some major projects, and we will need your help!
To begin, the OCF will be submitting our Provincial Sport Recognition Policy application with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Sport and Culture. This recognition is years in the making, and once complete will allow for more diverse funding options, allowing us to invest in the next generation of recreational and performance athletes.
A key component of the Sport Recognition Policy is presenting a multi-year Strategic Plan, and we are already hard at work to put together a plan that will reflect the needs of the sport. There will be a 2-step approach to engaging with our stakeholders to obtain contributions from across the climbing community. The first is to conduct a survey, which is launching today, Saturday, May 27, and running through to Friday, June 2 at 5pm. You can find the link to the survey by clicking on this link. The second step is to host a few Focus Group discussions online. We will be distributing further information on the Focus Groups and how member participation will work in the coming days.
From there, we will be turning our attention to the calendar of events and competitions for 2023-24. The Competition Committee has been hard at work, and we are looking to send out the bid hosting documents in the next few weeks, with the goal of announcing our dates and venues for next year’s competitions by the end of the summer.
The Strategic Plan will be the guiding document for the organization for the next several years, and your contributions will be critical to ensure the growth and success of the sport. We look forward to the ongoing engagement of our members as we build for the future. If you have any questions, please reach out to info@climbontario.ca.