Ottawa Sport & Social Club OTTAWA SPORT & SOCIAL CLUB
Ottawa Sport & Social Club OTTAWA SPORT & SOCIAL CLUB

Sport & Social Club

Inclusion Policy

Creating a welcoming, respectful, and inclusive sport community for everyone.

What Inclusion Means To Us

The Sport and Social Club seeks to promote the positive social and athletic enjoyment of all activities under our multi-sport umbrella.

Through our Club activities and most importantly our players, we are committed to providing a supportive and respectful environment for all players and staff regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and all other grounds protected from discrimination.

Commitment To Education

The Sport and Social Club commits to continually evaluating the organization’s progress towards a more inclusive sport system.

We are also committed to educating full-time staff and evening contractors, including Evening League Facilitators, Game Coordinators, Instructors, and Referees, on the Club’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Guiding Principles

✓ Participation in SSC activities celebrates differences and focuses on the benefits and joy of sport.
✓ Policies for inclusion should nurture fair play, honesty, respect, and integrity.
✓ Participation policies embrace diversity and create positive sporting experiences free of discrimination or harassment.
✓ Policies foster access, equitable participation, and equal opportunities for trans and non-binary people.
✓ Policies are evidence-based, protect privacy rights, and strive to prevent physical, emotional, and mental harm.

Participation

We welcome players to participate based on their gender expression and how they socially align, regardless of sex assigned at birth. This self-identification is done in good faith, and we do not require disclosure or documentation.

  • Women are welcome in women’s, mixed gender, and open gender leagues.
  • Men are welcome in men’s, mixed gender, and open gender leagues.
  • Non-binary players are welcome in mixed gender, open gender, and gender-specific leagues.
  • Players may update their Player Profile to reflect their gender expression online at any time.

Respecting Others

Any SSC member who feels they have been discriminated against, bullied, verbally or sexually harassed, vilified, or victimized based on gender identity or expression has a responsibility to take appropriate action.

This can be done through the Game Report form or by contacting the SSC office directly.

Confidentiality

The Sport and Social Club recognizes the privacy rights and safeguards the confidentiality of all players.

Gender Definitions

To help guide league play and ensure all expressions are recognized in our sport rules, the following expressions are grouped under each gender category.

Gender expressions that meet the requirements for “men”

  • Cis men
  • Transgender men
  • Non-binary
  • Gender non-conforming
  • Gender fluid

Gender expressions that meet the requirements for “women”

  • Cis women
  • Transgender women
  • Non-binary
  • Gender non-conforming
  • Gender fluid

Non-binary, gender fluid, and gender non-conforming players may:

  • Choose to align with a gender category, man or woman, if that is how they socially express themselves; or
  • Choose not to be counted toward a gender category, man or woman, if neither accurately represents them.
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