Club Sports

• Participants and leadership membership base has been evaluated and has been determined that there will be a long term interest in forming a club sport.

• A timely, well-communicated, self-sufficient, and well-organized plan to complete and submit an application for a Club Sport is the first essential piece. After submission and approval, a Club Sports needs to have the resources in place to effectively administer their club.

• Club Sports have no operating budget offered by the University. It is up to each club to build a ‘pay-as-you-go’ budget plan through student-athlete membership fees, university campus recreation enhancement funding (where applicable) and fundraising initiatives.

• A Club Sport cannot replicate or duplicate existing university programs and services.

• The welfare of the Club Sport members must be safeguarded. Evidence should be presented showing well-qualified club leadership, the existence of safety equipment, the supervision of practice and competitive sessions, and Emergency Response Plans through a club-specific Risk Management Plan.

• A Club Sport must ensure their club sport fits within the Club Sports Classification model criteria.

The Club Sports Program has been developed with the purpose of allowing students to engage in physical activity at a variety of levels. Three classification tiers exist to categorize the level of physical activity offered by each Club Sport. Club classification status is reviewed annually by the Club Sports Program Staff and all club classification changes must be approved by the Club Sports Program Staff.

All Club Sports beginning or resuming operations following the 2022-23 academic year must have a membership base composed of 100% University of Alberta students. The only exception to this policy will be for coches/choreographers who have completed all their required onboarding tasks and documentation submissions.

Please see Club Sports Handbook for a detailed explanation of the Classification System.

• The Club has a commitment to participation for its membership base. The Club has a plan in place which will allow them to ensure they are offering programs and services to their members that are specific to their Club Sport goals and objectives.

• The Club including participants, coaches, choreographers, team staff, student Executive, and/or other team affiliated personnel shall continually abide by the Club Sport Handbook inclusive of the Code of Conduct policy.

• The Club has committed to build its club within the Campus & Community Recreation values. Principles, Mission, Vision, and Goals all are interconnected with our CCR Values system as well.

• The Club must acknowledge and respect that the Club Sports Staff are dedicated and thorough in attempting to secure approval for all club requests/activities. Understanding and professionalism in regards to declined/unapproved requests is greatly appreciated.

Expression of Interest must be submitted to Club Sports by January 1. An Expression of Interest can be sent via email to clubsports@ualberta.ca. The Expression of Interest email should include responses to initial research questions and each of the necessary club demonstrations:

Research Questions

A group of students with a common interest in a sport that is not currently represented in programs and services should do the following to explore the possibility of being recognized by the Campus & Community Recreation Club Sports Program. Before you begin the process of applying for club status for your proposed club, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Does your proposed club duplicate any other club, program, or service already in existence at the University of Alberta?
2. Is your proposed club able to have enough student leadership (executive) in place to support your application?
3. Is your proposed club inclusive to all students?
4. Does your club have adequate student interest in what you're proposing?
5. Can you club fit into the requirements set out within the Club Sports Handbook?
   • Which club classification would you like your club to start in? 
   • Would your club like to move from one classification to another in the future?
6. Do you have enough resources to sustain your club long-term?
7. Do you have enough time to work through your application?
8. Have you taken the opportunity to read through the Handbook requirements to formalize your club application?

Demonstrations

To be considered a Club Sport, a club must consistently demonstrate their viability in the all10 areas

After a prospective club completes their Expression of Interest and submits via email by January 1. Club Sports will review the email contents and reply back to the new application. Club Sports reserves the right to decline Expression of Interest inquiries based on resource limitations (e.g. space, staff, etc.).

If Club Sports feels a new application Expression of Interest may be a fit or have follow-up, they will also reply back to the email. If both Club Sports and the prospective club feel there is an opportunity to pursue a new club application into the next stages, Club Sports will create a google shared drive with the necessary documentation required for the next stage of their application.

Documentation completion will be created by Club Sports through the use of a Google Shared Drive organization system. All documentation must be completed by March 31. Documentation for the new club application will be reviewed by Campus & Community Recreation. Templates for documentation can be found here. Documentation will include the following, but not limited to:

• Club Classification

• Find out where you’d like to be when you apply and what your long term club goals might be.
• Regardless of which Classification Tier is pursued, all clubs experiencing their inaugural year after 2022-23 will be required to be composed of 100% current University of Alberta students.

• Club Executive Information  

• Club Sports requires 5 mandatory positions: President, Vice President, Risk Management Office, Treasurer, and Communications. Additional supplementary positions can be added as the club feels necessary.

• Club Overview

• Include scope of activity details

• Goals and Objectives

1. 1. • What does your club hope to achieve both in the short-term and the long-term?
      • Why do you want this club to exist?
      • What objectives will your club strive to meet? 

• Constitution

1. 1. • Club Sports will provide you with a template to assist you in getting started.
      • The Constitution outlines the club’s proposed scope and limitations, as well as how the club will be run on a day-to-day basis.
      • Each club’s Constitution describes the purpose and structure of the Club. This document shows how the club’s purpose will be defined, developed and verified.
      • Each Club’s Constitution will provide a documented basis for making future decisions regarding the club and it’s structure; as well as confirming/developing a common understanding of the mission, vision and club values among the club members.
      • Clubs applicants will consult with Club Sports Staff to ensure that their Constitution has been completed with an appropriate amount of detail to support the operations of the club. 

• Facility Requirements
  • Please state required facility type (outdoor field, indoor studio, large gymnasium), length of sessions (5 hours per week; 2 x 3-hour sessions, 1 hour biweekly) and any other information regarding what the facility needs in order to make your proposed club successful (pool lane separators, three 6’ tables).

• Budget Plan

1. 1. • How will your club be fiscally responsible? 
      • What revenues will your club generate?
      • Are you aware of any sponsorships, grants or donations that may be available for your club? 
      • Club Sports members should also factor in facility fees and Club Sports administration fees into their budget planning
      • What equipment – and how much/many – will your proposed club need to purchase? Are there any costs associated with proposed games, tournaments, trips that the club anticipates participating in?
      • If your club is associated with an NSO or a PSO, are there any insurance costs associated with becoming a member? Are these fees per team/group, or individual? Will any of these fees be included in the membership dues?

• Proposed Coach/Choreographer (if applicable)

1. 1. • Is your club planning on having a coach or instructor? 
      • Will this coach/instructor be paid or volunteer? 
      • If paid, how much will the coach/instructor cost? 
      • Does the coach/instruction have any credentials (i.e. what is required in order to be a coach/instructor for your club?).

• List of Interested Participants

• Please include a list of interested participants. The required minimum for a club to be approved is 10 individuals. This does not include the proposed Executive Team Members.

• Risk Management Plan

1. • Please list any potential emergencies your club may encounter and include an action plan on what your club will do should any of these emergencies occur.
   • Club Sports will support any necessary additional templates, provide edits, and feedback as you work through your application. The Club Sports Coordinator will create a Google Drive account for your new Club Sport application to promote an interactive and collaborative application process with the Club Sports Staff.

Complete the application documents and submit under the premise that the Club Sports Staff will review and send back for edits, where applicable. The formal proposal must be submitted prior to March 31 for a possible Fall term (e.g. September) start.

Documentation submission does not mean club approval. Clubs may be declined for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:

• Conflict / duplication of program or service;
• Late submission;
• Incomplete documentation;
• Lack of a student Executive Team or an unstable Executive Team;
• Staff and/or program capacity;
• Facility demands and/or availability;
• Lack of interest;
• Funding demands;
• Risk management concerns;
• Non-alignment with guiding principles, mission, vision, and/or values;
• etc.

Upon completion of the above items, Club Sports will accept the application submission for each prospective club. No further edits on any documentation will be permitted after official application submission. Club Sports will request a meeting to discuss the finalized application with each prospective club.

Prospective clubs may be approved or declined; it should not be an expectation that application submission and review will guarantee approval.

Upon approval, each new Club Sport must undergo a one-year probationary status to substantiate adequate administration and maintain the minimum participation requirements for the program. This probationary status also serves to justify that the club has the necessary organization and ability to create a sustainable program.

Campus & Community Recreation reserves the right to refuse or revoke recognition to any club who fails to adhere to the Campus & Community Recreation Club Sports Handbook, misuses facilities, misuses funding, misrepresents the University of Alberta, and/or uses the University of Alberta community for personal monetary gain and/or promotion of a private enterprise