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Sports Day in Canada on Saturday, September 18 is a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across the country.  Sports Day in Canada is presented by CBC Sports, ParticipACTION and True Sport and is guided by a committee of national sporting organizations and their networks of coaches, athletes and enthusiasts across the country.  It’s an opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the power of sport to build community, fortify our national spirit and facilitate healthy, active living. 

Softball Ontario encourages all Softball Associations to get involved by hosting your own local celebration event anytime during the week leading up to, and including, September 18.  Join thousands of organizations across Canada and plan a party, open house, game, competition, meet-and-greet, try-it day, tournament, spectator event or pep rally.  Create something new, or throw open your doors to a competition, activity or event your organization is already doing—and invite other Canadians to join you:

1. Will your Association still be playing games or holding your playoff tournament during the week of September 11-18, 2010?  If so, great — all you have to do is register your games on the site to take part.  If not, considering holding an event to promote the sport of softball and your Association — you could offer a free ‘Try-Softball Day,’ hold a ‘Softball Skills Day,’ stage a community softball game, or challenge your local mayor to a Home Run Derby or Throwing Competition.  Use your imagination! 
    
2. Contact Softball Ontario to notify us of your event, and to apply to receive promotional items to distribute at your event.  Email Lisa Crompton at lcrompton@softballontario.ca or call 416-426-7150 with your event information and to receive a Promotional Kit Application Form.  Participating in Sports Day in Canada could even help your Association earn a higher Softball Association Fundamental Excellence (S.A.F.E.) Star Rating!
    
3. Post the details of your local event (contacts, description, photo etc.) on the Sports Day in Canada website at www.cbcsports.ca/sportsday as soon as possible.  
    
4. Promote your event to the public.  After August 18, the site will include free promotional tools you can download and customize:  e-blasts to send to your organization’s members, web banner ads to put on your website, free articles about Sports Day in Canada for your newsletter, customizable posters you can print and put up in the community, etc. 
    
5. The event listings registered on www.cbcsports.ca/sportsday will become fully, publicly searchable after August 18.  Individuals can make plans to come to your event, media can find out details and the country can learn more about your sport and your organization!
    
6. You will also be invited to promote your event to the local media in the 2-3 weeks leading up to September 18.  Free PR templates will be available in early September for you to send out to any local contacts you have.  If you know any local politicians or elite athletes or celebrities, invite them to come to your event and tell people about it! 
    
7. Host your Sports Day in Canada event and join a national celebration of sport. 

About the CBC Sports broadcast
The national day of sport celebration will be marked by a compelling two- to four-hour television event airing on CBC Sports.  The Sports Day in Canada on CBC broadcast will profile five to seven standout cities that embody the Sports Day experience, unified by national anchor, Scott Russell.  In the nine weeks leading up to Sports Day, CBC will air two new weekly broadcast vignettes to raise awareness and drive participation of organizations and the general public in Sports Day in Canada, called This Week in Canadian Sport and ParticipACTION True Sport Moments. 

About the Power of Sport and True Sport
In Canada, we call values-based and principle-driven sport ‘True Sport’—sport that is based on fairness, excellence, inclusion and fun with the driving principles of: go for it, play fair, respect others, stay healthy, keep it fun and give back.
As Canadians, we tend to think of ourselves as a nation of sports fans, but research shows that sport participation is on the decline.  Over the past two decades, sport participation rates in Canadian youth aged 15 to 18 dropped from 77 per cent to 59 per cent—and in adults, from 45 per cent to 28 per cent.   Over half of Canadian adults are considered inactive, and only 12% of our children and youth are active enough to meet Canada’s physical activity guidelines.  Only 3% of people with physical disabilities are involved in sport.

True Sport strives to foster a positive, enriching sport experience for all, allowing participants to reap the physical and health benefits that sport offers and increase their likelihood to continue to participate throughout life.

The Sports Day in Canada Steering Committee
ParticipACTION, True Sport, CBC Sports and the Sports Day in Canada Steering Committee, including Canadian Soccer Association, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and Coaching Association of Canada are working together to deliver Sports Day in Canada to the nation.

About Softball Ontario
Softball Ontario is the governing body for the sport of softball in Ontario.  Our goal is to promote and develop the sport of softball for its athletes, officials and volunteers by providing programs and services at all levels of competitions.