Boxing Ontario

Quest for Gold – Ontario Athlete Assistance Program 2009-2010

ATHLETE SELECTION CRITERIA

Quest for Gold – Ontario Athlete Assistance Program 2009-2010 (OAAP) is funded by the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Health Promotion (MHP), and operated through the Sport and Recreation Branch.The overarching goal of the Quest for Gold – OAAP is directly related to the Enhanced Excellence goals of both ACTIVE2010 and the Canadian Sport Policy – to improve the performance and number of Ontario athletes performing at the national and international level; thereby contributing to the improved performance of Canada at international competitions. Specific objectives of the program are:

a)To help athletes continue their pursuit of athletic excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition;

b)To encourage athletes to stay in Ontario to live and train;

c)To compensate athletes for earnings lost while training;

d)To enable athletes to successfully pursue excellence in sport whilefulfilling their educational goals;

e)To increase athlete access to improved high performance coaching; and

f)To enhance training and competitive opportunities available to athletes.

The program will provide direct financial assistance to Ontario junior-aged athletes through an “Ontario Card” designation.”Junior-aged athlete” is defined as those athletes who fall within the eligible age range for the Canada Games – 11 to 22 years of age.(Consideration will be given to older junior-aged athletes if a PSO/MSO’s NSO-approved Long Term Athlete Development model (LTAD) identifies older athletes in the “Train to Train” and “Train to Compete” categories). The intent of the OAAP is to provide funding to individual athletes based on their demonstrated commitment to high performance sport, allowing them to pursue athletic excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition.

How does it work?

In accordance with the OAAP guidelines, the BOXING ONTARIO is responsible for developing sport specific selection criteria and forming a Selection Committee that will apply the criteria to select those athletes who will be awarded Ontario Card status in 2009-2010.The Selection Criteria is approved by the Board of Directors and reviewed by MHP staff.Nominated athletes will be required to sign an Athlete Agreement between the athlete and BOXING ONTARIO.Carding status will be for one year starting April 1, 2009 ending March 31, 2010.

In 2009-2010, the Ministry of Health Promotion allocated a certain amount of OAAP Ontario Cards to each eligible Provincial Sport / Multi-Sport Organization (PSO/MSO). BOXING ONTARIO has been allotted a total of 15 Ontario cards (split evenly as 10 male and 5 female Cards).

A minimum of 70% of the Ontario cards will be allocated to what the Ministry of Health Promotion defines as junior-aged athletes (11 to 22 years of age).A maximum of 30% of the Ontario cards may be allocated to athletes no longer eligible for “junior athlete” status, (athletes 23 and over).

Cards will be specifically allocated to the following categories/disciplines:

Category

Number of cards

Female Youth

1 Full Card

Female Senior

4 Full Cards

Male Youth

5 Full Cards

Male Senior

10 Half Cards

If no athletes qualify for half cards in the junior and senior male categories they will revert to full cards.

In accordance with the OAAP guidelines BOXING ONTARIO is responsible for forming a Selection Committee and sport specific selection criteria to nominate the athletes for Ontario carding status in 2009-2010. This selection criteria has been approved by the BOXING ONTARIO Board of Directors.

The Selection Committee is comprised of the following members: (all members of Boxing Ontario)

Charlie Stewart, Chair

Tom Hennessey, President

Sonny Wong, Director of Officiating

Gord Apolloni, Director of Coaching

Mary Spencer, Female Athlete Representative

How much funding is available?

The exact level of funding for the 2009-2010 carding year will be determined by the Ministry after the total number of athletes nominated for Ontario Card status has been determined.Funding will be released prior to March 31, 2010.

How will the BOXING ONTARIO Selection Committee decide who receives funding?

The BOXING ONTARIO Selection Committee will use both the Ministry of Health Promotion Eligibility Criteria and the Sport Specific selection criteria detailed below to determine which athletes will be nominated by the BOXING ONTARIO for Ontario Card status in 2009-2010:

Ministry of Health Promotion Eligibility Criteria:

All athletes must also meet the Ministry of Health Promotion’s minimum athlete eligibility criteria:

·Athlete must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant;

·Athlete must be a resident of Ontario for one year prior to his/her nomination for carding status, with the following exception;

The residency requirement will be waived if the athlete is a direct family member of:

·a regular force member, or

·a reservist as defined in subsection 1 (1) of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 who is deployed under a circumstance described in clause 50.2 (1) (a) or (b) of that Act, or who is deployed or in any other way placed on active duty under a circumstance described in regulations made for the purposes of clause 50.2 (1) (c) of that Act.

·Athletes must be training and continuing to train in Ontario. Exceptions (“Residency Exceptions”) will be made on a case specific basis providing that the athlete can substantiate that:

oHe/She cannot receive the required level of training in Ontario and is out of the province temporarily during the year (i.e. due to lack of facilities, coaching, competitions);

The onus is on the athlete to demonstrate that he/she needs to be out of province.The athlete will submit written documentation to their PSO/MSO’s Selection Committee clearly indicating how they meet these exceptions.The Ministry may require that the athlete provide supporting documentation from the athlete’s PSO/ NSO, National Sport Organization (NSO) or other sources to verify reasons for athlete’s absence from the Province of Ontario.

oHe/She must attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province because the course of study is not available to him/her in Ontario;

oIt is more financially feasible to attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province, or other extenuating circumstances that require the athlete to be out of the province.

·Athlete must be a member in good standing with PSO/MSO and NSO where applicable.

·Athlete must demonstrate a commitment and dedication to a proper training and competitive program.

·Athlete must be instructed by a coach who has been trained and certified in the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Level 2 or equivalent.

·Athlete must not be under sanction as per the Canadian Anti-Doping Policy.

·Athlete must be attending an educational institution full-time (i.e. primary and secondary schools)

-Exceptions will be made providing that the athlete can substantiate that his/her training will not allow for full-time attendance or if an athlete requires special needs that preclude full or part-time attendance (e.g. Athlete with a disability (AWAD))

·Athletes who have completed their area of study at the secondary level (i.e. high school) and who continue to train towards participation in major national or international competitions will also be given consideration.

·If eligible, the athlete must compete, and continue to compete for Ontario for one year from the date of the Minister’s letter informing the athlete of acceptance into OAAP program, at Canada Games and other national competitions involving provincial team competitions. Athletes who have achieved Canada Card status are not eligible for Ontario Cards.

·Eligibility will be limited to Ontario junior-aged athletes ((“junior-aged” refers to chronological age, not a sport’s specific age category – only exception is for PSO/MSOs using 30% of Ontario Card allotment for Sr. level athletes not funded by Sport Canada – see below) who have been identified as a next generation national team athlete as demonstrated by:

-Identification within the NSO pool of identified next generation national team athletes for the last two competitive seasons; OR

-Results at regional championships, national championships (junior and/or senior) or other recognized national/international competitions over the last two competitive seasons; OR

-Representation on a Canadian National Team (developmental and/or junior). Athletes training for Canada Games or provincial teams may also be considered.

Important Notes:

  • To be deemed a potential next generation national team athlete, the athlete must be age-eligible to compete on the national team in the year following receipt of Ontario Card funding.

·All athletes under the age of 18 must have their parent or legal guardian sign their OAAP application form. Cheques will be processed in the name of the eligible athlete.

·Athletes who are attending any foreign post-secondary educational institution (including NCAA institutions) and are receiving an athletic scholarship in any sport are not eligible to receive OAAP support.

·An athlete that received Sport Canada Carding between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 and/or April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010 and is no longer in receipt of Sport Canada Athlete Assistance shall not be eligible to receive Quest for Gold funding during fiscal year 2009-2010 (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010.)The intent of this rule is to prevent athletes whose performance levels and rankings no longer qualify them for Sport Canada carding from taking an Ontario Card from a future national-level athlete.However, exceptions may apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.Exceptions may include, but may not be limited to logistical or administrative changes, injuries, etc.

·An athlete can only be nominated to receive Quest for Gold funding in one sport.

·The onus is entirely on the athlete to determine the impact of accepting OAAP funding on current or future NCAA eligibility and to decide whether or not to accept OAAP funding. The athlete will be required to acknowledge this onus and responsibility when signing the OAAP Ontario Card application form and agreeing to the related terms and conditions of the program.Athletes are strongly encouraged to contact the NCAA Eligibility Center to determine the impact of Quest for Gold – OAAP funding on current or future eligibility for a NCAA scholarship or on eligibility to compete in a non-scholarship NCAA sport.

·In the event of a conflict or inconsistency, the selection criteria established by the Ministry and set out the Athlete Handbook provided to each nominated athlete shall prevail over the selection criteria established by the PSO/MSO.

Sport Specific Athlete Selection Criteria:

The sport specific athlete selection criteria will be utilized in the identification, ranking and selection of athletes for Ontario Cards.Boxing Ontario will be using a ranking system based on points as defined below:

oGold Medal Winner 2009 National Championships = 70 points

o2009 Final Team Selection (Senior) with Champion Included = 60 points

oRunner-up to National Champion by least number of points = 50 points

o2009 Final Team Selection (Senior) without Champion Included = 30 points

oGold Medal Winner 2008 Provincial Championships = 20 points

oWin at Nationals = 10 points

oBe a registered member of Boxing Ontario during the 2009/2010 Boxing Season

oAthletes must be active during the 2009/2010 Boxing Season

oCoaches of prospective recipients must provide a letter authenticating the activity of the athlete

oDo program testing at quarterly Intervals

oReport any injuries or lapses in training to Boxing Ontario

In the event of a tie in points, the Technical Committee will consider (in order of priority) previous carding (first time carded), international experience (participation in tournaments outside of Canada) and overall boxing record to make the decision.

Residency Exceptions:

Any athlete living/training outside of Ontario is required to submit written documentation to the BOXING ONTARIO Selection Committee clearly identifying how they meet the following residency exceptions, identified in the Ministry of Health Promotion’s General Eligibility Criteria:

·Athletes must be living and continuing to train in Ontario. Exceptions will be made on a case specific basis providing that the athlete can substantiate that:

oHe/She cannot receive the required level of training in Ontario and is out of the province temporarily during the year (i.e. due to lack of facilities, coaching, competitions);

oHe/She must attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province because the course of study is not available to him/her in Ontario;

oIt is more financially feasible to attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province, or other extenuating circumstances that require the athlete to be out of the province.

This information must be received by the Selection Committee by no later than September 30, 2009 in order to be considered.

Residency Exemption for Military Families:The one-year Ontario residency requirement is waived for any Ontario Card or Canada Card applicant who is a spouse or dependant of a: Regular Force member of the Canadian Forces; or Reservist currently deployed by the Canadian Forces into active service.This means that eligible military family members now qualify for OAAP funding immediately upon becoming residents of Ontario.Please see the 2009-2010 Quest for Gold Athlete Handbook for details of this exemption, including a list of documents needed to verify eligibility for this waiver of the one-year Ontario residency requirement.

Alternates:

BOXING ONTARIO will also nominate alternates to those athletes nominated for Ontario Card status.Alternates will be those athletes who are ranked directly behind those athletes nominated for the allotment of Ontario Cards in a particular category/discipline.The names of alternates will be published along with the names of nominated athletes.If an athlete drops out or is removed from the OAAP an alternate will be substituted into that athlete’s position, provide that:

§Alternate is substituted within 2009-2010 fiscal year

§An alternate is available from the same category/discipline/card level (Full/Half)

§Funding for athlete being substituted is still available within fiscal year (e.g. full funding for card has not already been paid out to athlete no longer in program)

Contact Address and Deadline

All information must be submitted no later than September 30, 2009 and must be sent to:

Doug Hannum, Executive Director, 3 Concorde Gate, 416-426-7221 – [email protected]

BOXING ONTARIO will publish or make known the athletes nominated for Ontario Card status by no later than October 21, 2009.

Appeals

Athletes who have not been nominated and who wish to appeal this decision can do so by filing an appeal in writing only with the Quest for Gold Ontario Athlete Assistance Program Appeals Committee. Appeals will be dealt with by an Appeals Committee comprised of representatives from the sport community and chosen by the Ministry.

Appeals must be submitted through regular post, registered mail, in person or by courier and on the form provided.Appeals that are delivered personally or by courier shall be deemed to be received on the date of delivery.Appeals that are delivered by regular post or registered mail shall be deemed to be received three days after the date of mailing.Appeals submitted by e-mail or fax will not be accepted.

Note: Any/all information provided to the Appeals Committee may be shared with the athlete’s PSO by the Appeals Committee.

Grounds for appeals will be limited strictly to:

  • Whether or not the PSO/MSO has completed the selection process in accordance with their own published selection criteria and related procedures;
  • Whether or not the selection criteria developed and applied by the PSO/MSO were fair, objective, transparent and free from discrimination or conflict of interest.

After hearing an appeal the Appeals Committee will have the authority to:

·Direct the PSO/MSO to redo the selection process using the correct criteria/process and submit new list of nominated athletes;

·Deny the appeal;

·Allow the appeal and nominate the appellant for carding status.

The deadline for athletes to submit appeals to the Appeals Committee is October 26, 2009.

Appeals must be completed on the template below and will be directed to:

Quest for Gold Ontario Athlete Assistance Program Appeals Committee

c/o Sport and Recreation Branch

Ministry of Health Promotion,

18th floor, 393 University Avenue

Toronto, OntarioM7A 2S1

2009/2010 Quest for Gold – Ontario Athlete Assistance Program
– Appeal Template –

The date for athletes to submit appeals to the Appeals Committee is October 27, 2008 for Cycle 1 and February 2, 2009 for Cycle 2.Appeals will only be accepted on the MHP-provided template, in writing through regular post, registered mail, courier or delivered in person.Please refer to the appeals section of the Guidelines prior to completing this form.

Full Name:

Address:City:

Postal Code:Phone: Email:

Sport / PSO:

Reason for Appeal (Check one only):

Whether or not the PSO/MSO has completed the selection process in accordance with their own published selection criteria and related procedures;

Whether or not the selection criteria developed and applied by the PSO/MSO were fair, objective, transparent and free from discrimination or conflict of interest.

Provide a two-line summary of the reason for the appeal:

In the space below (continue on to next page as needed), provide a detailed account of the situation to allow the Appeals Committee to understand the basis of the appeal (please submit additional pages/supporting documentation if necessary):

Print Name AppellantSignature of AppellantDate

Any/all information provided to the Appeals Committee may be shared with the athlete’s PSO by the Appeals Committee.