State of the Union Address Annual Report to the Membership of Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada 2008 Annual Congress

1. State of the Union Address Annual Report to the Membership of Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada 2008 Annual Congress

2. Mission Mission To represent, develop and promote all types of water skiing and wakeboarding. Business Plan November 2003

3. Current Business Plan Goals • Enhanced Excellence: That by 2012, as the number and quality of towed water sports participation increases, Canadians are achieving consistent international podium results through a fair and ethical means. • Enhanced Participation: That by 2012, a significantly higher proportion of Canadians from all segments of society are involved in quality activities governed at all levels and in all forms of towed water sports.

4. Current Business Plan Goals 3. Enhanced Capacity: That by 2012, the essential components of an ethically, athlete-centered towed water sport development system are in place and supported with adequate human and financial resources. 4. Enhanced Interaction: That by 2012, the components of a towed water sports system are more connected and coordinated as a result of the committed collaboration and communication amongst the stakeholders.

5. Governance • Strategic planning process well along towards effecting change needed to remain relevant and effective • Some inherent structural issues being addressed via strategic planning process • Talent and collective skill set of current Board is exceptional • Ongoing inclusivity efforts, notably to ensure wakeboarding is engaged within and understands it’s important role and place within WSWC; most programs are discipline-inclusive (i.e. NCCP, LTAD, Rip ‘n Ride, Hall of Fame, Awards,) • More official language services than ever before, more needed • Openness and transparency: plans, policies, budgets, financial statements, meeting minutes are all ‘on public record’

6. Finance Association currently in a healthy financial situation: • 2007-08 annual revenues of $970,000, highest ever • 2007-08 deficit of -$10,000, outperforming approved budget deficit of -$20,000 • Accumulated surplus of $257,000

7. Annual Revenues1996 to 2008

8. Finance

9. Finance Caution – future is not as financially rosy as it might appear: • Programs are still resource starved • Canadian Olympic Committee funding will end this year, loss of $70,000 per annum • Over dependence on Sport Canada government funding (61% of total budget) • Sport Canada funding levels for 2009-2013 will soon be established, possible decreases as per their formula and clear Olympic bias • Increased targeting and restrictions of Sport Canada funding, tied to social agenda (i.e. official languages, gender equity, persons with a disability, aboriginal sport)

10. Membership • Highest ever total membership in 2007: 36,533 including schools • Ski/wakeboard school growth • 2008 school numbers not available, only 49 of 84 activity reports received

11. 2008 Membership • Collection of 2008 membership data has been slow and painful • Considerable 2008 membership data are still outstanding or incomplete • Inability to get member emails and full contact info from provincial associations • 5371 Active, Associate and Event members (up 7% from 2008) • Of those, 4137 are Active members at $9.00 per member or $20 per family; up by 10 members from 2007 • Some provinces showing different trends

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27. Membership Revenue

28. Membership Revenue • Flat lined to decreasing • Represents only 2.7% of total revenues, a very small percentage for any sport or membership based organization • No membership fee increase since 2000 • Membership not paying share of the ‘freight’…: • Each Active member has $9.00 remitted to WSWC on their behalf for membership; comparatively WSWC invests $980,000 of annual expenditures in the sport, which as amortized across 4646 Active members equals a $211 investment per Active member • WSWC currently spends more than $9.00 per member in ‘hard’ costs for two membership services alone (liability insurance, membership magazine production and distribution to members) • Membership discussions needed…

29. Marketing & Communications • $83,000 in sponsorship revenue • Insurance program revenues continue to increase (up 6% last year) • New Fundraising Committee and Fundraising Coordinator position established, focus on 2009 Worlds • 3500 copies of WakeSports Canada Magazine published and distributed • Web page with more content than ever, timely, bilingual • Canadian results used to generate ‘free’ promotional coverage – 46 media releases circulated

30. Marketing & Communications • 116 Water Ski Online’s produced in 2008, over 1500 on distribution list; but can’t access • Content developed for multiple mainstream magazines and web pages • Hall of Fame inductions held – inspiration, camaraderie and publicity • WSWC Annual Awards distributed

31. Sport Development High Performance Programs Canadians in all disciplines continue to achieve excellence on the waters of the world: • Canadians take 3 of top 4 spots at 2008 WWA World Wakeboard Championships, World champion Rusty Malinoski; other Canadians on podium in age categories; • Consistent Wakeboard Pro Tour, World Cup, World Series podiums in 2008 • 13 medals at 2008 Pan Am Water Ski Championships, 4 at World U21 Championships, 3 at World University Championship, 3 at World Senior Trophy • Ryan Dodd World Cup Jump champion, medals by Jaret Llewellyn, Whitney McClintock and others at World Cup Pro Tour events • Addition of Adaptive Development Team, two Adaptive National Team training camps • Canadian Barefoot records continue to be broken, major preparations for 2008 Worlds

32. Sport Development Adaptive • Secured ongoing government funding ($50,000) • SkiAbility delivered to 446 participants in 2008 • Training session held to upgrade 13 SkiAbility facilitators • Staged 3 athlete development clinics • Integration with able bodied programming: LTAD, NCCP, sanctioned competitions, Nationals, officials development • Growth area for WSWC, largely attributable to Adaptive Towed Water Sports Committee

33. Sport Development Rip ‘n Ride • Delivered to 2889 youth in 2008 • Formal agreements with 3 provinces (BC, ON, AB) • Implementation Team formed and acting upon further delivery of program • New support materials developed (DVD, web, sales materials)

34. Sport Development Coaching Development • 204 new Learn To Instructors trained in 2008, 13 courses • Coaching Foundation course material developed, 2 pilots conducted, serves as initial course for both of the next two levels: Competition Introduction and Technical Instructor • all-discipline inclusiveness, including adaptive, touted as model by Coaching Association of Canada, CAC contribution to WSWC doubled for 2008-09 • SkiAbility Facilitator converted as a recognized NCCP course, two pilots staged in 2008, credentials now possible

35. Sport Development Long Term Athlete Development Project • New simple handouts to Waking Up Champions produced, further communication, LTAD web page development • Re-alignment of some age categories in water skiing implemented and well received • Implementation Team formed and met in Ottawa to plot further implementation steps • Further work and input seeking on competitive structure and calendar

36. Sport Development Insurance Program • 30 member schools within Club Development Program • 84 member schools within School Development Program • 6 provincial associations covered by WSWC Director & Officers Liability coverage • General comprehensive liability coverage for over 3900 individual members • Over 1200 TowSmart policies bound • Threaded with other programs – increased revenues & activity: membership, provincial affiliation, NCCP certification requirement, communications

37. Sport Development Events • With support of host committees, 4 successful national championships staged, over 300 collective participants • First ever integrated able bodied and adaptive water ski nationals • 3 regional championships • 83 sanctioned competitions

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39. Sport Development International Hosting • 2009 World Water Ski Championship Festival is on a path for delivery of a successful ‘event’, towards achieving its Legacy Fund and marketing/awareness objectives • Discussions occurring on ‘what’s next’ utilizing a similar model

40. Priorities for the Year Ahead • Strategic Plan: discussion, plan completion and adoption • Begin implementation of Strategic Plan, tackle issues • LTAD – further implementation • 2009 Worlds – fundraising, continued planning, execution • Revenue generation – explore fundraising and other non-traditional streams • Rip ‘n Ride – increased implementation • Communication with stakeholders – needed across many governance, planning, program design and delivery lines

41. Thank you for your contributions!