About Spark Solutions
Find out more about who I am, what I do, and how I work.
About Me
Lara Schroeder, Principal, Spark Solutions
I (she/her/hers) grew up playing sports in one of Saskatchewan’s many small towns, and over the years have been involved in just about every possible way: as an athlete (recreational and competitive), coach, referee, volunteer, and administrator. I’ve seen the positive impact sport can have on people in communities and it inspires me to work in the field and do what I can to elevate it.
Beyond participating, I have studied sport management, recreation, and leisure studies. I’ve obtained a diploma, a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and I’m a lifelong learner who keeps my finger on the pulse of what’s happening—and what’s coming up.
From the court to the classroom to the boardroom, I have been involved with several Saskatchewan sport organizations: Golf Saskatchewan, Sask Volleyball, and most recently, Saskatchewan Soccer. I’ve also been involved with regional, national, and international sport competitions: Innsbruck 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Winnipeg 2017 Jeux du Canada Games, and Swift Current 2019 Western Canada Summer Games.
In addition to my work with Spark Solutions, I am an Associate with Sheffe Consulting Inc., a facilitation firm based in Ottawa, Ontario. As well, I currently sit on the board of directors for the Saskatchewan Association of Recreation Professionals.
About Spark Solutions
Each day I get to work directly with folks delivering sport is my best day ever. Offering sport management consulting and facilitation services has allowed me to expand my reach and expertise beyond one sport, which is a huge win for me.
I’m here to help sport organizations respond to the increasing ever-changing demands to provide excellent sport programming. I take the time to understand your organization, so I can create a realistic plan that is tailored to your needs.
Consultants like me are usually called in when an organization is in a tough spot, so I make sure to listen carefully and without judgement to help move out of struggle and shame—and into action. I draw on my educational background, professional knowledge, and over 15 years of experience to inform my work and achieve my aim:
About My Approach
All my work is rooted in my values:
Collaboration & Engagement
Working together with all relevant stakeholders is an essential element of how I operate. Engaging with stakeholders is key to making decisions that will serve everyone in your organization.
Passion & Enthusiasm
I’ve dedicated my education and career to sport, which means I bring both knowledge and passion to our work. That enthusiasm motivates me to do the best work I can for my clients and the communities you serve.
Research-Grounded & Evidence-Based
I draw on best practices and methods from various sports and industries to find and share the best solutions to the task at hand.
Inclusion Statement
Consistent with existing human rights legislation and in alignment with evolving best practices around truth and reconciliation and inclusion, Spark Solutions supports the full participation of all individuals in sport and physical activity in the gender in which they identify. In addition, Spark Solutions affirms that sport must not and cannot exclude participants based on differences, whether this is gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, marital status, family status or disability. Inclusion for the majority at the expense of any minority cannot be justified. Spark Solutions’ work will always support this positioning.
This statement has been adapted, with permission, from Canadian Women & Sport’s Position Statement on Trans Inclusion in Sport. For further exploration of trans inclusion, Spark Solutions refers organizations and individuals to the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport’s trans inclusion guidance.
Land Acknowledgement
Spark Solutions is situated on Treaty Six Territory, which encompasses the traditional territories of numerous First Nations, including the Cree, Dene, Nakota, Saulteaux, and Ojibwe, and the Homeland of the Métis Nation. My ability to work and live here, in Saskatchewan and Canada, is a direct benefit of policies of expulsion and assimilation of Indigenous peoples during the time of settlement and Confederation, and since. The harms of these policies continue to ripple in society and in Indigenous communities today. I work to acknowledge and understand this history and the current experiences of first Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and for this understanding to inform the work that we do, so that we can stop perpetuating the damages of colonization and white supremacy, and second, to begin to repair them.