To: Stephen Shimek, President of Burnaby Caprice Synchronized Swim Club

To: Stephen Shimek, President of Burnaby Caprice Synchronized Swim Club

From: Alina Aref’yeva

Date: February 8, 2017

Subject: Proposal for increasing training accessibility for athletes with disabilities at Burnaby Caprice Synchronized Swim Club

Introduction

Burnaby Caprice is a synchronized swimming organization that runs out of Simon Fraser University and C.G. Brown pool in Burnaby, BC. The club offers the most versatile sports programming for athletes within the province. Jean Peters founded the club in 1972 to give her daughter, who had asthma, an opportunity to participate in organized sports. Since then, the club has continued to grow in numbers and program options, giving opportunities for all athletes to succeed. Burnaby Caprice is able to offer athletes from the ages of five to over sixty-five an opportunity to participate in sport recreationally, provincially, and nationally. One of its most current additions is a program for athletes with disabilities. While Caprice prides itself on its program versatility, increasing training accessibility for athletes with disabilities will allow the club to have a more positive impact on the community and continue to build on its vision to provide sports programs for athletes of all abilities.

Statement of Problem

Athletes with disabilities do not receive proper attention when it comes to participation in recreational activities. This can cause isolation therefore increasing their chance of disease from a sedentary lifestyle and affects their social interactions. While Burnaby Caprice prides itself on offering a variety of programming for all swimming abilities and ages, it does not dedicate anadequate amount of time to advertising their program for athletes with disabilities compared to their other programs. With a lack of athlete participation and recruitment, Burnaby Caprice has not developed its accessibility for athletes with disabilities therefore limiting the club’s outreach to the athletes with disabilities demographic.

Proposed Solution

A possible solution to increase accessibility for athletes with disabilities within the club is to focus on advertisement within recreational facilities that offer programming for athletes with disabilities. This will allow families who are in search for athletic programming for their child to gain better access to the club and learn more about the program being offered. Additionally, Caprice can contact the City of Burnaby and partner with them to offer lessons at different aquatic centers in the city at a reduced cost to allow families who are in lower financial brackets accessibility to an expensive sport. Based on feedback from coaches, families, and athletes, additional solutions may be implemented after they have been proposed and assessed by the executive board.

Scope

To assess the best option for increasing accessibility of training for athletes with disabilities, the following questions will be explored:

1. What are the current advertising methods being used by the club to reach families with athletes with disabilities?
2. Are there any locations that the club can target its advertising to increase awareness about the programs being offered?
3. What are the costs associated with participating in the sport for families?
4. Are there any grants or organizations that are able to partner with the club to make the sport more affordable for families?

Methods

Primary data sources will include obtaining numbers of registrants in the programs offered for athletes with disabilities and consultations with coaches and families to determine the access that the club has to families within the community and in which locations. Outside of primary data sources, research on athlete support programs, and effectiveness of various marketing techniques will be conducted.

Qualifications

I have been a part of the Burnaby Caprice community for over eleven years. Initially, I was an athlete at the club, and upon retiring became a coach of various programs. I have now been hired as the head coach of the club and am responsible for program development, athlete recruitment, and club administrative work on top of coaching the in the national program. My various roles in over a decade of being with the club have given me intimate knowledge about its philosophy and budgetary restrictions. I developed strong relationships with the executives, athletes, families, and coaches of the club. My association and position with the club gives me unlimited access to information about the club and provides an opportunity to conduct and in-depth study of its programming.

Conclusion

Burnaby Caprice has taken great initiative to make sport accessible for athletes of all abilities and age groups. However, it is falling short on providing accessible training opportunities for families who have athletes with disabilities. The club’s involvement within the community to provide training opportunities for athletes with disabilities is crucial to maintain its philosophy of providing a supportive community for all athletes of all abilities. Increasing accessibility for athletes with disabilities will not only help engage more athletes and provide them with healthier living options, it will result in an increase in athlete recruitment and cut down on program costs.