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Three Tips to Excel at Volunteer Appreciation

To clebrate National Volunteer Week, we’re sharing three tips to excel at volunteer appreciation and ensure your volunteers are celebrated.

4 Questions for Discussing Long Term Vision

Aside from strategic planning, it’s rare for sport and recreation organizations to engage in discussing its long term vision. This article offers four specific questions to help sport organizations engage in these discussions.

Get to Know Spark Solutions

Get to know Spark Solutions, Lara, who we work with, how we work with our clients, and what you can expect when you work with us.

A black background with words in white that say, "Come Run with Us".

5 Ideas to Recruit New Participants To Your Sport

Read 5 ideas a sport organization could try to recruit new participants to their sports.

A black spiral notebook with 'Twenty-Twenty-Two' written on the cover. The notebook sits on a light wood table.

Notable Moments of 2022

I share Spark Solutions’ notable moments of 2022.

Lara stands, smiling at the camera, on the right side of the room. She holds some papers in her hand. There are a group of participants focused on work sitting at the tables.

Why Hire a Facilitator for Your Strategic Plan

If you are a sport organizer, this article shares 6 reasons why you should hire a facilitator for your strategic plan.

A man stands with his back to the camera on a path in the forest. The path Vs off in front of him, indicating two different paths. Clear is Kind. Spark Solutions.

Clear is Kind – A New Path Forward

I discuss how the philosophies of radical candour and clear is kind will create psychological safety on our teams to forage a new path forward.

A satisfaction scale with three measures - an unhappy face sitting on a fushia background, an ok face on a teal background, and then a happy face on a navy background. An arrow points to the happy face. Underneath, it says 'Treating Members as Clients'. Spark Solutions

How to Treat Members as Clients

This article identifies several ways we can treat members as clients to ensure that we deliver top customer service to keep our members satisfied.

Lara stands with one elbow on a table and her fist under her chin. She looks out the window, reflecting. Opportunities. Spark Solutions.

Identifying Opportunities, Even in the Darkness

We can find opportunities anywhere we look, even in the darkness. I describe how we can turn the Hockey Canada scandal into an opportunity to improve how we deliver sport.

Lara stands in her home office, in front of her desk.

Freelance – The Answer To Your HR Challenges?

Many sport organizations are experiencing human resources challenges. I explain why that is and how Spark Solutions could freelance for you.

Lara stands in her volleyball referee uniform in front of a vertical banner that says 'Calgary 2015 Nationals'. Sport Officials. Spark Solutions.

Improving the Participation Experience for Sport Officials

Learn about two projects I’m working on with clients that aim to improve the participation experience for sport officials.

Lara, stands in the center of a room, while participants stand in groups around the perimeter, answering questions on flipchart paper.

Should Your Strategic Plan Facilitator Be a Subject Expert?

Does a facilitator have to be a subject expert in order to facilitate a strategic planning process? I share 5 reasons why the answer is no.

#VolunteersBringHeart to Sport

This week is National Volunteer Week 2022 and we’re sharing 3 tips that you can use to appreciate your wonderful volunteers.

Three documents laying on a table covered in a table cloth. A strategic plan, a governance review, and table card that says "Lara Schroeder, Facilitator, Sheffe Consulting". Spark Solutions.

The Process of a Governance Review

This article details the process I take to conduct a governance review for sport organizations, so that they have what they need to make informed governance decisions.

Nine Canadian Paralympic ski athletes in various skiing positions. Three athletes are sit skiing and six athletes are stand skiing. Spark Solutions.

Classification and Paralympic Competition

This article describes the process, barriers, and solutions to classification, which is a process para athletes must go through to compete internationally.

Someone in a light blue dress shirt, with rolled up sleeves, types into a laptop. A five ranking scale hovers over the image, the 1 star ranking has the most ratings, by far. Spark Solutions.

How to Respond When Your Sport Club Receives Negative Feedback

We try our best but sometimes, as sport club volunteers, we receive negative feedback. How should you respond? This blog shares a step-by-step process for responding to negative feedback.

Notable Moments of 2021

This week, I review my, and Spark Solutions’, most notable moments of 2021.

Lara stands in front of a winter landscape, out of focus. Her hair is chin length, red, and slightly curled. She is wearing a black dress jacket and is holding a card that says Solution Focused.

3 Reasons Small Sport Organizations Hire Consultants

Small sport organizations often believe they cannot afford a sport management consultant or that they don’t have enough going on to hire one, but consultants can help. This article discusses 3 reasons small sport organizations hire consultants to support their work.

16 flip chart papers hanging on a wall. The flip charts are covered by colourful sticky notes. Quadrennial Debriefs. Spark Solutions.

What I Learned from Quadrennial Debriefs

This fall, I supported the facilitation of quadrennial debriefs, the process that Olympic and Paralympic sports go through to evaluate their plans and performance results. I share three things I learned from going through this process.

Four people sit at a table holding up their LEGO models. Team Building with LEGO. Spark Solutions.

Team Building with LEGO – Exploring Our Super Powers

I worked with Athletics Canada to deliver a half day workshop on team building with LEGO where we discussed our super powers. Read more about what we did here.

A dark black and blue chalkboard with Dream Big written on in chalk. Long-Term Vision. Spark Solutions.

Defining Your Organization’s Long-Term Vision

Defining your organization’s long-term vision can anchor the direction of your club and help you appropriately plan for the future. This article discusses why it’s important and how you can do it.

A man and his son sit side by side. The dad has his arm around his son and his son sits with his arm on his dad's knee. Parents in Sport. Spark Solutions

Parents in Sport Week – Sports Parents Weigh In

Celebrating Parents in Sport Week by sharing what parents think is the best and most challenging parts of being sports parents.

A teenage Lara posed, in their jerseys, with her high school volleyball team and her two coaches. #CoachesWeek. Spark Solutions.

#CoachesWeek – 3 Things My Coaches Taught Me

September 18-26 is National #CoachesWeek. I share 3 things that my coaches taught me that have stuck with me through my life.

White text on a black background. The text says "People with disabilities are 15% of the world. #WeThe15". WeThe15. Spark Solutions.

WeThe15 and Sport

This week, we discuss the WeThe15 campaign, a campaign to build greater knowledge of the barriers and discrimination against persons with disabilities, and how sport organizations can start to expand sport programming for persons with disabilities.

Lara smiling, holding up two fingers on her hand. Celebrating 2 Years of Business. Spark Solutions.

Turning 2 – Celebrating 2 Years of Business!

Spark Solutions turns 2 on August 23. I’m celebrating 2 years of business by reflecting on the journey to date and talking about what’s to come.

The Sheffe Consulting team, standing in a line. The 9 team members are all dressed in variations of white, grey, and black. Sheffe Consulting. Spark Solutions.

Celebrating One Year with Sheffe Consulting

I describe how I started working with Sheffe Consulting and the work I have done with Sheffe Consulting over the past year.

A young male stands with his back to the camera, holding a camera. They are wearing a red shirt that says "Volunteer" on the back and a red hat. Converting Youth Athletes to Volunteers. Spark Solutions.

Converting Youth Athletes to Volunteers

Many sport clubs struggle to find enough volunteers but have an untapped resource in youth athletes. This article offers 4 tips for consideration when converting youth athletes to volunteers.

An aerial photo of a baseball stadium with flood water around it so it cannot be accessed.

Sport Ecology: Climate Action and the Need to Take Notice

What is Sport Ecology and how to do sport and the environment impact each other?

A family walks through a forest on a path. The parents push a child in a stroller while two children ride bicycles behind them. Everyone looks to be enjoying themselves. Parks and Recreation. Spark Solutions.

Parks and Recreation – A Key to Wellbeing

June is Parks and Recreation Month – I discuss the benefits when we experience parks and recreation and how parks and recreation benefits my own wellbeing.

Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs

This week, I’m proudly celebrating Women Entrepreneurs Week (May 16-22) in Saskatchewan. As part of this celebration, I’m also thrilled

Celebrating KidSport

The Article Discusses What KidSport Is, Why Sport Is Important For Kids And What KidSport Does So All Kids Can Play.

A collection of blue and pink murals. A white circle lays overtop with the quote "The value of one. The power of many." Spark Solutions. Sport Volunteers.

A Dedication to Sport Volunteers

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, a few weeks ago, I write a dedication to sport volunteers for all that they’ve done over the past year.

A golf referee sits, in a golf cart on a golf course, with a medical face mask on. COVID-19's Impact on Sport Delivery. Spark Solutions.

COVID-19’s Impact on Sport Delivery in Saskatchewan – Part 3

In the final part of this 3 part series, we learn about the insights that five Saskatchewan sports have gained as a result of the pandemic.

Six volleyball athletes pose for a picture. All six athletes are masked. COVID-19's Impact on Sport Delivery. Spark Solutions.

COVID-19’s Impact on Sport Delivery in Saskatchewan – Part 2

In Part 2 of this 3 part series, we learn about the impact the pandemic has had on five sports in Saskatchewan.

A crowd of parents sit socially distanced on the side of a football field. COVID-19's Impact on Sport Delivery. Spark Solutions.

COVID-19’s Impact on Sport Delivery in Saskatchewan – Part 1

We’re now a year into this pandemic and sports have had to make massive changes in order to adapt. This week, we look at the changes five Saskatchewan sports have had to make to deliver their sports, which is Part 1 of a 3 Part series.

White and pink words on a navy background. The words say "Happy International Women's Day 2021! #IWD2021". International Women's Day. Spark Solutions.

Celebrating International Women’s Day

This week, we’re celebrating International Women’s Day and discussing the current statistics involving women in sport.

A woman, smiling, rows on a rowing machine. Keep People Engaged. Spark Solutions.

3 Ways to Keep Members Engaged During the Pandemic

Sport clubs continue to remain concerned that they will outlast the pandemic. This article discusses 3 ways to keep members engaged using 4 examples.

A group of 8 women hold LEGO models up on a Zoom screen. The women are smiling. Team Building. Spark Solutions.

Team Building in a Virtual World

This article shares the details of the virtual team building sessions Spark Solutions offers, including the virtual team building parties that celebrated the holidays.

A team of trans athletes stand in a group on hockey ice. They wear blue and pink uniforms, helmets, and hockey equipment. Trans Athletes. Spark Solutions

Creating Better Sport Environments for Trans Athletes

Trans athletes often face exclusionary and discriminatory practices when participating in sport. This week we discuss some of the best practices sport organizations can implement to create more inclusive organizations for trans athletes.

A headline about Safe Sport. It says "National Sport Organization Safe Sport Working Group presents consensus statements on pan-Canadian Safe Sport as the prevention of abuse and harassment. Safe Sport. Spark Solutions.

What’s the Big Deal About Safe Sport

What’s the big deal about safe sport? This article digs into rampant concerns of abuse and hazing in sport and what the sport community is doing to create safe sport.

Notable Moments of 2020

This week, I review my, and Spark Solutions’, most notable moments of 2020.

Teaching Sport Management Consulting

I share about my experience teaching sport management consulting as a university course this fall.

A drawing of a person standing on one side of a cliff. A flag pole with a flag flying stands on the other side of the cliff. Strategic Plan. Spark Solutions.

From Dream to Strategic Plan

A strategic plan helps sport organizations go from dreams to reality. If you’re struggling to take projects from discussion to reality, start here.

A person sits at a table typing on a blue laptop. They are wearing a watch and a navy shirt. Virtual Volunteers. Spark Solutions.

Using Virtual Volunteers

Consider using virtual volunteers to help achieve your organization’s goals, especially now!

Participant-Centred Decision Making

Participant-centred decision making is a values based approach to running a sport organization. Learn more about this philosophy and where to begin with implementing it.

Lara, as a child, and her dad in ice skates on a frozen lake. Parents in Sport. Spark Solutions.

Celebrating Parents in Sport Week!

This week is Parents in Sport Week (October 5-11), celebrated by the organization Active for Life. Where would I be in this world if I had not had the support of my parents in my pursuit of sport? Without a doubt, my life would have looked very different.

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