Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hi, it's Steve Vindig at Sport Law. Leave me a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Hey Steve, it's Dina. You aren't going to believe what just came across my desk. We need to chat, give me a call.
Welcome to the latest episode of Sportopia. We're so excited to share our knowledge and have conversations about healthy human sport. Today we are joined by Kara Button, senior national manager of Game Plan, a total athlete wellness program that strives to support national team athletes to live holistic lives.
Kara has been working in the Canadian sports system since 2006. She worked at CSI Alberta as a game plan advisor before taking on the leadership role of Game Plan at the Canadian Olympic Committee in 2021. Kara is very proud of her work and the work her team does and the positive impact they have on athletes.
When she's not busy doing this kind of work, she lives in Calgary where she takes advantage of the mountains whenever she can. She enjoys hiking and skiing, racket sports and traveling to visit friends and family. So welcome, Kara, to Sportopia.
[00:01:34] Speaker B: Thank you, Dina. I'm so glad to be here and I love talking about Game Plan, so this is a great opportunity for us.
[00:01:42] Speaker A: Well, and you and I go way back. You know, we, we do, we've been able to connect over our decade long experience working in sports. So it's just a privilege to have you here.
We often start our podcast just by asking, so what's coming across your desk this week? So please share us.
[00:01:59] Speaker B: Well, it's just such funny timing, but Game plan is really 10 years old in this sort of iteration of, of the program.
And so we're at a point where we're doing some really important in person focus groups with athletes across the country and today happens to be the day that it's happening in Calgary. And so we're really trying to like get a feel from athletes, you know, what they think about our program, maybe what's missing, what they want to see more of any feedback they can give us because, you know, without their input, it's just not practical for us to just keep throwing things at the wall and hoping they're going to stick. So we need their input, we want their input and so that's what these focus groups are about. So it's really exciting. I can't wait. Because they've been happening across the country. There's already four of them that have taken place.
It'll be really fun once the results are all compiled and I am hoping to get some New information.
So yeah, that's what, that's what's on my plate right now. How about you?
[00:03:07] Speaker A: I love that. I love taking time to ask people, so how, how is this program working for you and in what ways could we improve it? You know, I think that's such a healthy practice and I'm, I'm actually preparing to say goodbye, which is bittersweet. I've been, been companioning a group of international coaches. So I, as you know, I'm a, I'm a certified professional coach, not a sport coach, but a leadership coach. And I designed a program that's a six month program where I'm teaching coaches how to incorporate a grief and loss lens to the work that they do when they're supporting executives and leaders in their, in their developmental journeys.
So the program has come to an end and I get to consciously complete with each of them. And so my first conversations are tomorrow. And I can feel both the excitement of being able to connect with each of my students, but there's also some sadness because we have journeyed together and have grown as a group.
So I think it's so important for us to do this. And yet, and, and I know this, the goodbyes are, are sad or painful. So looking forward to, to being in these conversations as well, you know, with you. So, so thank you for that, Kara.
[00:04:35] Speaker B: Yeah, that sounds like a good, you know, a tough week, but I bet you'll be very uplifted by it as well.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: You're so. It's so true because when we, we make intentional time to both acknowledge and express gratitude for the work that people are doing alongside, able to thank them and say goodbye, you know, it just, it helps to make space for the new hellos that are going to enter into your life. So, yeah, so it sounds like both of us are in the conversation mode and, and of course we get to have this exquisite conversation together, which is great. So, you know, we know the Game Plan has been around, as you said, 10 years, is hard to believe in its current shape, and we know that it's a vital resource for Canada's national team athlete. It offers so much support in health and education, career development.
So we'd like to, you know, give us a sense for those who may not be as familiar with the breadth of Game Plan. We'd love to just give you some time here to let us know what it is that you do and your team does and how is it impacting Canada's national team athletes?
[00:05:44] Speaker B: Hey, Game Plan was started really thinking about athletes who were Leaving sport who were done sport and moving on. And we knew some of them, many of them really struggled and there was some recognition that we weren't doing enough to support our athletes to move out of sport. I would say the program has evolved because what we learned is that really we should be helping athletes throughout their career. It's not something we should be waiting to address when they're done. You know, that still happens sometimes. There's just some athletes that just aren't ready to receive what we're doing offering. And so, you know, we're still going to support them at that stage. But now I would say our program is more about athlete development, their personal development throughout their career. So in and in and out of all the stages they go through, not just at the end of their career. So I'd say that's a big, that was a big sort of shift and we put a stake in the ground about the importance of that. And there is a lot of research coming to support that. When we first started, you know, there wasn't as much, but more and more there's a lot of research that's indicating how important it is for athletes to have an identity at a sport, to work on their education while they're competing and in sport and to be thinking about what that next career might look like.
And they, they might surprise themselves of how many opportunities they have while they are in competitive sport to connect with people and to learn about the interesting opportunities that are out there.
So I would say that's, you know, that's some of our program has evolved in the last 10 years. I would say the other, you know, big thing that I've noticed is there is so much more acceptance and normalization of athlete well being and the importance of it and even I would say prioritizing it in some cases. So it's not, um, it's not like we have to go underground or that we had to, you know, really sell what we are doing. I mean there's always going to be an element of selling, you know, when you're trying to engage with young people and, and get them to do something outside of their sport. But it's, it's way less than it ever was. And we are getting more and more support, you know, across the country from the, the major sport organizations as well as from the sport governing bodies. So, you know, that's been pretty great.
And then, you know, we've had a chance to develop and, and evolve some of the programs. So you know, we, we do focus on supporting athletes with Their education.
And you can imagine that's quite the range. But you know, we're here to, to point out that there's different ways of going to school. So not everybody's path is going to look the same, and that's okay. And of course, athletes are doing a lot more online courses and finding a way to make it work and plugging, you know, courses into their free time, you know, when they have blocks of time in their off season. So it's just a different approach. And you know, we have a lot of universities that are very supportive in that area. And so that has helped. And then the online schools like Athabasca attracts a lot of high performing athletes. So that's one area. And then we're really trying to develop our career portion of game plan because we would like to see more companies that are user friendly for athletes. And by that I mean, you know, there's a lot of companies that offer internships to students. Right. To help them get that experience. But unfortunately that does. The timing of those don't usually work for athletes. So we're looking for companies that want to be flexible in that area.
And you know, that their blueprint that they have for the internship is there. It's just a matter of maybe adjusting the timing of it. So things like that is what we're working on and very excited about.
We have so many companies approach us that say they want to hire athletes. And so we're sort of pushing back a little and say, well, you know, be a little bit flexible then in how you approach it and think about it and here's why. And we're again, trying to showcase some great examples of where that's happened and how it's been very successful. And so, yeah, those are two big areas. And then of course, mental health. I could go on and on. Dina.
[00:10:27] Speaker A: Right? Like, how long do we have?
[00:10:29] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm like, I'll take a breath here and see if you have any questions.
[00:10:34] Speaker A: Well, I just, you know, I, I love listening to. I'd say let's call it an evolution.
I've been, you know, in the Canadian sports system since 1991. And I would say that even back then, it's not as if, you know, the system wasn't supportive of, let's call it total athlete wellness. But the ways in which they were doing that is nowhere near as sophistic or as holistic as it is now. And we know that when there's an intentional strategy and there's resources and collaboration, the likelihood of things being realized seamlessly you know, comes to pass, and that's what you're speaking to here. So just really delighted to hear of the efforts, the intentional efforts that, that have been made by sector leaders and then having someone like yourself provide oversight and leadership to ensure that these programs are hit, hitting the mark, is really fantastic. I also love that you're acknowledging that not all athletes are going to want to access education in the same way. So maybe we could maybe take a deeper dive into examples of the ways in which the game plan is providing athletes with opportunities either while they're still competing or once they've left their elite career, what are the ways in which they access the game plan educational initiatives.
[00:12:06] Speaker B: So one area that we are very fortunate in in Canada is that athletes that receive Sport Canada carding to support their journeys also receive tuition credits.
So. And they don't have to use those credits while they're competing. They can wait till they're done and they have five years to use them after they're done. Or, you know, they can sort of do it continuously and, and the money's just bank that they don't spend. So it is a great gift for them. And I think many of them recognize that.
One of the things you do have to remember too, or that I'd like to point out to the audience is our sports are so different that many of them have a great opportunity to go to school. And so if you think of some of the summer sports in particular that maybe go to the US and go to school on a scholarship down there, right, Education is just part of the norm and so that's great for them and that works. Some of the winter sports, it's much harder because their competitive season is during a traditional school year.
So what we've done is we've really had to educate athletes and point out like there's different ways of doing this. So there's summer school courses, there's block week courses, and then there's the online courses. So you can do a combination like, you know, it's, it's to think broadly and to get started because you'd be amazed like, even if you're only doing one or two courses a year, right, it does add up. And then when you potentially are done sport and only have to do two years of a degree to finish, it's much better than four.
And then the other thing I get such a chuckle of is there is like Royal Roads has a great program that is a condensed program and they, they in a sense recognize the work of being a high performance Athlete and acknowledge that and bring the athletes into this condensed program.
But they have to have a couple basic courses. For example, there's a financial accounting course that they need to have. And you know, we preach that and we try to get athletes to take it just as a, prepare yourself in case this is something you might one day be interested in. And I remember I had this one athlete say to me like, you guys should have made us do that.
We did suggest it very strongly but you know, sometimes it's not until you're ready to do it and you think, oh. And you know, those same athletes are saying to me, yeah, I wish I would have just chipped away. And yeah, but you know, that's okay. I tell them like it's never too late. So don't get caught up in that. You didn't do it. Let's just make a plan for moving forward. And maybe you want to share your wisdom with the athletes coming behind you. You know, your, your advice will carry a lot more weight than my advice and so, you know, things like that. But I'd say the other great thing in education is Game Plan has a wonderful partnership with the Smith School of Business at Queen's University.
And so we have a number of awards that are given out annually for MBAs as well as executive MBAs. And then there's also, we have about 20 awards in the just master level programs in the business school.
And then we also have a certificate in business which is done completely online which is great for athletes, right, because they can do the whole program at their, you know, self paced online. So that has been a game changer. Those, those awards have been a game changer. If you have a chance to see, you know, what athletes that have won them have gone on to do, it's just so exciting.
And you know, I was, yesterday was a perfect example. I went to the, the first sock women's soccer game here in Calgary of the Northern Super League. And Diana Matheson created that league from her project that she did.
[00:16:30] Speaker A: Right.
[00:16:31] Speaker B: Her MBA at Queensland. So you know, the proof's in the pudding right there. But we have many examples of athletes doing great things after receiving those awards.
[00:16:42] Speaker A: Yeah, that's such a great story. I remember being at lunch with Diana and Anastasia maybe a couple of years ago when she was sharing with me the work of her MBA and this dream that she had of bringing a national women's soccer league to Canada and she was on fire, right. Like what she was discovering and just the. I don't think that Diana has a shortage of confidence or courage.
But what the MBA did give her was the research and the solid footing and ground that she could make a really compelling business case. So it gave her the structure to help her bring her dream to life. And you know, truthfully, what she's been able to do with her team, you know, it's an all star cast and that she's, she was able to do it in 20, 20, 25 is nothing short of miraculous. Because if anybody knows what it takes to be able to realize something like this, it's so wonderful to hear how her journey was supported right. By, by the ecosystem. That said, we care about you not just while you're competing, but while you're, you know, once you, you've transitioned out of your career, we want to help you, you know, launch. Right. That, that's really the intention. So, so thanks for sharing that story.
[00:18:05] Speaker B: Yeah, there's so many there, there are so many great examples of it. You know, even Shea Smith, he started, he founded Racing to Zero, right, which is getting sports to.
That are having major events to realize how much waste they create. Right. And now it's blossomed to the point where he's been able to hire other athletes and the, the, the project is just gaining momentum constantly, you know, and it's such an important topic.
So, you know, it just makes you very proud to be connected to them, seeing them do things that are going to have an impact for all of us. I think it's awesome.
[00:18:46] Speaker A: It is awesome and it really warms my heart because one of our core values is to be able to support athletes after they've at Sport Law, after they've transitioned. And so it's interesting to me you mentioned Shea at Racing to Zero and then Diana and her team. These are athlete groups that we've actually supported either through legal or leadership means once they're no longer athletes. And I have to say we had Olivier on who's the executive director of Racing to Zero and it is, I think such an important part of the message is that athletes matter not just during their career, but also after. And if there's some wind in the sails as a game plan is really to a lot of these athletes and it's sharing those success stories. Right. Not everybody's going to go on and do maybe something at a global scale, like we've just referenced two examples, but others who are might be more in the shadows doing the work that needs to be done. It's really helpful to know that there's these, these educational initiatives that they can start while they're competing. Right. Even one credit a semester can be a game changer.
Maybe tell us a little bit more about the work in, in your career, you know, the career transition and helping athletes move from a more singular focus on elite performance on the playing field. So what are some of the ways in which you help them transition in their career?
[00:20:18] Speaker B: So as you can imagine, one of the big things is they don't know what that career might be or look like. Not all of them know what they want to go on to. So we do support them with career exploration.
Again, that's a readiness thing. And not all athletes are there.
And I would say it varies a little bit across the country from institute to institute, where the game plan advisors are delivering that. Some of the game plan advisors have that skill set and others don't, and so they source it out. But the point is we recognize that that's an important piece for many of them, that they just don't know where to start. So we try to help them start. Then we also do the practical pieces too, like your resume, your interview prep, you know, and then we're, we're trying to like, curate some, again, companies that are interested in attracting athletes. You know, it's not a tough sell. There's many, many examples of athletes who have gone on to do great things and companies that are, you know, trying to attract top quality people are looking for that. We just haven't yet made a great, I don't know, cool of, of such companies. I would say it's more one off right now. And that, that is, I would say, our next big focus of trying to really build that out. We've toyed with.
Well, Deloitte was our, our founding partner for Game Plan and so they created a program with us to attract athletes to get an internship opportunity at Deloitte. And as a result of those internships, Deloitte ended up hiring many of those athletes, you know, and it was a win, win for both. Right. The athletes got the opportunity to see what it was like working in that world.
Deloitte got to see who were the rock stars or who fit. And then it was like a screening process for them and they got the opportunity to hire many of them. And so it was just a really good program. And I would think that's another thing we will try to do is build out more opportunities like that. RBC has had the RBC Olympians program forever. That came way before Game Plan, so that continues and it's a great opportunity, but we do need a couple more of Those I would think that would just. And maybe in some different industry as well. So that that's an area that Game plan will be focusing on.
[00:22:56] Speaker A: I really feel that part of the work I do when outside of sport law is provide coaching services to different sector partners. And with the downsizing in the federal government these days, I've been called in to provide grief support. But beyond that, as you said, Kara, just the tangible things like I haven't looked at my resume in forever. Can you give me some feedback? And I'm smiling because often Claude AI, which is a form of Chad GPT, just more elevated and ethical I would say I, I actually show them here, let's put your resume in. And you want to put more of a focus on let's say communication and marketing and look what Claude can do. So you know, being able to bring in some tools and help people move away from their known way of being, which for many athletes is a minimum of 10 years at that level in 10,000 hours and, and to explore this new territory, for many of them it's unknown. It's stepping into the vast unknown. Because they've been so singularly focused on performing on the, on the world stage. Right. That's what they've known. So stepping into the unknown is often scary for people. So having companions like you and your advisors is, is such a gift. Right. And it, it helps them then maybe find a little bit of courage to be able to navigate that. The what's next next.
[00:24:23] Speaker B: I was just going to say that Dina, like who doesn't, you know, benefit or like having some one on one support, right. And many athletes like just think about how they've, you know, grown up. It's with a coach, you know, somebody that's guiding them, giving them pointers, giving them feedback, giving them praise, giving them criticism, whatever it is. Right.
So I always say this is the biggest advantage of Game Plan is that we have game Plan advisors so we can have all the programs we want and they're solid and great and important.
But it's the Game Plan advisor that sets us apart from all other programs across the world. Like nobody else does it this way.
And I would say like that's where we get the best feedback. It's not on the programs as much as it's on the individual advisors and the attention they give people one on one and they really help to like cater to the individual need of the person they're working with. Right. So again you feel like somebody's listening to you or hearing you instead of just putting you in a box that exists already.
So again, I can't emphasize enough like our programs are important and great, but it's our advisors that I think separates us from other programs and makes us so impactful with the athletes.
[00:25:42] Speaker A: It's all about the people, right, Kara and I just want to double down on what you've shared. You know, in the end, when people are struggling and they're feeling vulnerable, they can turn to, you know, a chat GPT. And I have to say that a lot of these online forums where they can, you know, I'm thinking of my work in grief and loss. You can get these helpful texts, right? So if you've lost, let's say you've lost a parent and you know, you can, you can teach the algorithm a little bit about the significance of that relationship and when they died and when their birthday is. So you receive these texts and that's incredibly cathartic. Not gonna lie, I've been testing some of this, but it's partial. So alongside that, if you have a human who is asking you questions that actually are cued from your emotional experience, which is really hard to teach, you know, an AI bot, it's not impossible, but it's, it's different because now my experience is being mirrored with the other human. And in those moments of vulnerability, I feel less isolated. Right. That's what you're, you're sharing here. So it's fantastic. And I think it's a beautiful bridge to the third area of offering and that's the mental wellness total. You know, my world, I talk about total wellness and it sounds like that's what you've been building through with Game Plan. So maybe share a little bit more about the intentional ways either programs or the companionship that you're offering to ensure that athletes mental health and wellness is an ongoing priority.
[00:27:20] Speaker B: Yeah, thank you.
I mean, I would say that's been one of our biggest game changers in recent years is that we've been able to fund mental health support for athletes. And it was a real gap. It was quite obvious that it was a gap. A lot of athletes would receive mental performance care, counseling, consulting as part of their, their work with their team.
But so many of them had mental health issues and whether they were aware of it or not, you know, knew they needed something and many times the people working with them knew they needed more.
So we've been able to offer $2,500 a year per athlete for confidential one on one counseling. And I'm really proud of what we set up and Again, we listened to feedback from athletes and it was crystal clear from them that they wanted a third party neutral, ARM's length away from their sport, where they could have confidentiality and know that they could go and nobody else was involved from their sport. They of course have the option to, you know, share with their IST members or work with their sport should they choose, but if they don't want to, they don't have to either. And our network of providers are all sport informed so they have that background and understanding of what the athlete is going through.
And that is the single, you know, biggest thing that athletes talk about and praise. As much as, you know, there was a lot of stigma around mental health, we are seeing that breaking down. It's not gone entirely, but it is breaking down and it's much more talked about than it ever was. And so some of those athletes that are bravely sharing their experience with the mental health network, then that encourages other athletes to, you know, take advantage and try it as well. So that has been a game changer. But along with that we also started realizing, like, we need to educate people in this area. They're not really clear, you know, what these mental health disorders are, the difference between mental health and mental well being, that you could have a mental illness but still be functioning, functioning at a very high level.
So we've, we've created a lot of educational materials, we have a mental health network of providers, as I was saying, working across the country.
Each of the Canadian Olympic Paralympic Sport Institute network, they all have mental health leads now. Like, this is a big change from a few years ago when you were just, it was more off the side of the desk and not a real budget put towards it and again, no real strategy. Whereas now there's a strategy for mental health and high performance sport. So that's a, that's been a for sure a game changer and a big one and, and very important.
But on top of mental health, there's so many more pieces to well being, right? And so it goes back to, you know, just treating the athlete as this, this person who needs identity outside of sport, who needs to be thinking about their future, who maybe just needs to develop some skills, whether it's, you know, public speaking or working on their brand so that they can try to attract sponsors or build out their story. So many of them have great, great stories to tell and that's part of what makes them appealing to sponsors and people. So it's all part of that, right? It's, it's not just one piece.
The Mental health is. Is a significant piece, but it's not the only piece. But I am. I would say that's been a big game changer for our program in recent years.
[00:31:20] Speaker A: I really appreciate, when we look at your trifecta here, approach of education, career, you know, support and counseling and then mental wellness as a total human experience as an elite athlete. And it feels they can kind of jump in and jump off and explore some of these different elements depending on where they're at in their age and stage as an elite athlete. And the support continues for a few years after. Right. They can kind of take the time they need to be able to plan and prepare, which is what I heard you say, which is brilliant. And then, you know, with some of the athletes I've companioned, it's interesting, you know, Kara, how they hear about me. It's usually drips and drabs or if they put, you know, they put grief support in sport, my name kind of pops off. And one story I'll share with you, I've written about this in my book was, you know, a name you'll know is Mark De Jong, right.
You know, a world champion paddler. And he came to me because he was really interested in the work that we were doing at Sport Law. And, you know, we had several walkabouts, so he would walk, you know, in Nova Scotia, and I'm. I'm in Canada, in Ottawa, in Canada.
And so we would just have these conversations. And then, you know, I think it was just a way in which I phrased a question that opened up a different dimension of his last, you know, experience as preparing for the. The Olympic team.
And what he was able to speak to there was the. The grief that set in, that he didn't know. He didn't use the word grief. So when I. He was just talking about his experience, experience of making the team and his teammates didn't, and how he stopped being able to perform on demand and how this whole, you know, entourage was there to support him as he was trying to grapple with how did I stop performing in 24 hours? Like, what just happened?
So I think in. In that moment, I kind of just asked him, well, is it possible that you were grieving? Grieving the fact that your teammates didn't make the team and you did, and.
And, you know, it was just the use of the right word, which is what you were speaking to.
When we introduce the literacy, we give people the language to be able to understand what's happening to them, and we help them see that often they're attached to their identity, their teammates, their way of being.
Right. The, the regular routine that has been kind of curated over decade plus, and all of that starts to dissolve. So when we give people that language, first they feel less isolated, they feel seen and validated, and then they feel like they have a place to land. Right.
So I, I'm, I'm very grateful that, you know, the athletes have so much more available to them in an intentional way now than they did, you know, I'd say even 15 years ago. Right. So it's, it's really beautiful work that you're. You' doing, Kara.
[00:34:26] Speaker B: Thank you.
One of the things that I find funny, every athlete also thinks that they're the only one that goes through this, right? They all think and they, there's. They're like, there must be something wrong with me. Like, everybody else has just like gone on and, and been fine, you know, And I think that's one of the beauties of our success after sport program.
It allows athletes to come together and share with each other what they're going through. And everybody. That's one of the consistent comments. It's like, oh, I thought I was the only one. Like, I didn't know. Others feel this way too. And again, it's, it's bringing like, some literacy and normalization to the fact that it is normal to struggle when you leave sport. And even if you think you've prepared, you're still going to struggle to some degree, right? You might have a job to go to or career, but you still lost something that you loved. You're no longer doing something that you've been doing forever. And for sure, it's a grieving process, right? And to use that language, like, I don't think that's been used in the past, right. And it's just starting to come into play where people talk more openly about the grief of it as opposed to just solutioning, okay, we got to figure out what your career is, what's next, right? And so that's, that's the benefit of having somebody like yourself, the program, success after sport, like, there's opportunities there for athletes to use that and take advantage of it and help them understand themselves and dissect this beautiful career that they've had and what it's meant to them and then how they take what they want from it with them into the future and leave behind some of it too. Like, some of it they won't want to bring forward with them.
[00:36:18] Speaker A: So you're making me think of. So Laurie Johnstone, who's a dear friend of mine, was president of Athletes can and has done so much for the Canadian sports system. She had, you know, a career ending, what they said was a career ending injury in her sport, racquetball. And then she taught herself how to play with her left hand.
[00:36:40] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:36:40] Speaker A: Athletes are incredibly resilient. And you know her story of, of, of having to live through loss after loss after loss.
Recent one was a traumatic brain injury where she almost died in a car accident.
And just recently, Lori was part of the, the, the students I was telling you about that have been through this program and she, she has gone back to school.
Right. And so this was a national team athlete, right.
Highly regarded, she's taught herself, she's gone back to school and is, is going to be introducing forest bathing as a form of healing because she has this beau that she lives on in New Brunswick and now equipped with her life lessons as a, as a high performance athlete and sport leader and mother and now grief companion, she's integrating all of this into a way of giving back to people and helping to ease their suffering. Because as you just shared, Kara, you know, one thing that we don't do very well and we don't do very well in sport is normalize, you know, the natural human experience of pain, right? Of being able to express the pain as a, as a sign of courage, not as a sign of weakness. And what Lori is doing, I think is just an indication of how do we use the wounds, how do we use our wounds to actually, as a gift not only to ourselves, but others. Right? And so I think there's, there's, there's something really remarkable about athletes who if supported as you are doing through game plan and encouraged by giving them the right language and the supporting programs, normalizing their experience and then validating them through some peer to peer support that sets them up.
That's the conditions for some resilience into jumping into what's next next Y And you know what?
[00:38:42] Speaker B: I, I, I will also say game plan doesn't do it all. There's, there's lots of things out there that might resonate with some athletes. I hope that we're opening the door for them or opening their mind to, to look for what's going to help them. You know, ideally we have a lot of good tools, again, resources, programs, people.
But you know, forest bathing like you just called out, right? We're not doing that right now. But I don't think that that's, that means that athletes shouldn't do it. It's Just we can't be the end all and be all. But I would, if an athlete broached that with me, I'd be saying go and explore it. See if that works for you. Like, I think that's important too. And it's important to call out. Right. There's more than one way for everyone. Right. So use the, the tools and resources that are at your fingertips, but be willing to explore others as well.
[00:39:44] Speaker A: Yeah, that's a, that's a beautiful, you know, kind of wrap up summary of, of our exquisite conversation today. Just filled with so much gratitude to the leaders of the Canadian sports system who are, you know, pioneering. This is really, I feel like we're, for many of us, we're pioneering new ways of being, we're adapting to the needs of current day athletes and when we know better, hopefully we do better.
So thank you, Kara, on behalf of the team at Sport Law for taking the time to share with us the many ways that the Canadian sport sector leaders are coming together to offer these really enriching services and opportunities for growth for elite athletes, both during their career, as they transition out and then once they've segued out. It's really enlightening and encouraging to know that so much is being done now and it's, it's, it's not everything, but at least it gives people a soft place to land once they're ready to explore what's next. So, so thank you so much for joining us.
[00:40:51] Speaker B: Oh, it was my pleasure. I just do have to add on one little thing because I think by helping athletes and setting them up, helping them leave sport in a better place, they're going to come back to sport. And we know that what they have to contribute is priceless. Right? And we don't want to lose all that intel. So it's in our best interest to help them, help them leave their journey but want to come back and contribute to the greater good. Because we all know that what sport does for society and community is, you know, you can't put a price tag on it and it should be available to everyone. So to have our elite level athletes come back is, is one of our many goals.
Thank you so much for a great conversation, Dina. It was awesome. I loved talking about this with you and I look forward to future conversations.
[00:41:45] Speaker A: Me too. Well, thank you so much. In the episode notes below, you'll find some Sport Law blogs where you can find more information related to our conversation today. Thank you so much to our listeners. We're really grateful to share our vision of Sportopia with you as we all look to elevate sport.
As always to have your say in Sportopia. Email us at helloportlaw ca to let us know what you want to hear about next. Stay tuned for the next episode and until then, be well.
Sam.
