In recognition of International Women’s Day, York University Athletics & Recreation will host the fourth annual Women and Girls Leadership and Sport Conference (WGLSC) on Friday, April 28.
Following a successful online conference last year, the 2023 conference promises to be outstanding, with a number of speakers presenting under the theme “Aim High, Play Safe.” The in-person setting will allow for important, meaningful conversations to be fostered.
Registration for this conference, taking place at the Second Student Centre, is now open with tickets for general audience priced at $125; students can purchase tickets for $75.
“We are proud to present the fourth annual conference here at York, and to be live in person,” said Jennifer Neilson, Chair of the WGLSC organizing committee and head coach of the Lions women’s volleyball team. “The high-performance sport environment is growing, changing and evolving and the discussion around safe sport policies, implementation, and practices is at a critical juncture, one I know the topics and incredible speakers will engage with this April.”
Canadian gymnast Ellie Black will take a break from preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to lead off the conference schedule with her opening keynote, “Defying Gravity the Landscape of High-Performance Sport.”
The schedule will then shift to an interactive discussion with the mid-day powerhouse panel. Moderated by York’s own Sarah Bay-Cheng, dean of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design, the panel will engage attendees in cutting edge research and best practices in the safe sport world and features the brilliant minds of Jessica Fraser-Thomas (Faculty of Health), Gretchen Kerr (University of Toronto), Hilary Findlay (Brock University), Sabrina Razack (University of Toronto), and Shauna Bookal (OUA EDI director).
Allison Forsyth, former Canadian olympian and safe sport advocate, will close out the day by sharing her experience as a survivor of abuse. Her closing keynote, “The Future of Safe Sport in Canada,” will articulate the need for action towards safe sport and safe sport education.
For more information and to register for the event, visit the official WGLSC webpage. Tickets are available here.