OCPSA Lifetime Award Categories
1. Athlete Lifetime Achievement Award
The Athlete Lifetime Achievement Award is given in recognition of an OCPSA athlete who has made a significant and lasting impact in their sport through athletic accomplishments. Athletes must be retired from major competition for three years before they will be considered for a Athlete Lifetime Achievement Award.
Criteria:
- Extraordinary success and distinction in amateur sports at the provincial, national or international elite level for their era;
- Demonstrated the highest level of sportsmanship and fair play;
- Contribution to sport development;
- Inspiration to other athletes.
2. Builder Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame honours individuals who exhibit a historical impact, achievements, and dedication to OCPSA over the course of their career. Individuals may include administrators, board members, officials, trainers, classifiers, managers, coaches, performance partners, doctors, researchers, etc. Nominees may be either active or inactive at the time of their consideration.
Criteria:
- Contribution to the growth and development of sport for athletes with cerebral palsy and related disabilities in Canada, locally, provincially, nationally, or internationally;
- Innovative leadership;
- Ground-breaking ideas;
- Ability to influence change.
OCPSA Annual Awards Categories
1. Senior Male & Female Athlete of the Year – “Edna Peace Memorial Trophy”
An athlete shall be deemed to be one who has demonstrated character, sportsmanship and integrity, as well as outstanding ability in their particular athletic event and brought honour to Ontario and OCPSA. Athletes are 18 years of age and older and have been active in the most recent competition season.
Criteria:
- Performance at International Championships (Youth, Junior, and Senior categories);
- Performance at Canadian Track & Field Championships OR Canadian Boccia Championships;
- Performance at Athletics Ontario Provincial Championships OR Ontario Boccia Championships;
- National (Athletics Canada) or Provincial Records (Athletics Ontario) achieved;
- Standing in the Ontario Boccia Rankings;
- Respectful of the OCPSA Code of Conduct.
2. Junior Male & Female Athlete of the Year – “Lou Legault Award”
An athlete shall be deemed to be one who has demonstrated character, sportsmanship and integrity, as well as outstanding ability in their particular athletic event and brought honour to Ontario and OCPSA. Athletes are under 18 years of age and have been active in the most recent competition season.
Criteria:
- Performance at International Championships (Youth, Junior, and Senior categories);
- Performance at Canadian Track & Field Championships OR Canadian Boccia Championships;
- Performance at Athletics Ontario Provincial Championships OR Ontario Boccia Championships;
- National (Athletics Canada) or Provincial Records (Athletics Ontario) achieved;
- Standing in the Ontario Boccia Rankings;
- Respectful of the OCPSA Code of Conduct.
3. Sport Spirit Award
An OCPSA member shall be deemed to be one who has demonstrated character, commitment, sportsmanship and integrity. This member has consistently contributed to the Ontario program, is friendly towards other members, helps others in any way possible, and embodies true team spirit.
Criteria:
- Respect for fellow athletes, officials, volunteers, coaches, staff, etc. at practices and competitions;
- Respect for the sports’ values;
- Adheres to the OCPSA Code of Conduct;
- Promotes fair play.
4. Club Coach of the Year
The Club Coach of the Year is designed to recognize an OCPSA coach who is a leader in their community and who reflects the ideals of those who work with youth or grassroot programming. The coach demonstrates involvement in the promotion and development of their sport at the club/regional level and is recognized as someone of outstanding character. The recipient of this award must be a member in good standing with OCPSA and have actively coached in the most recent competition season.
Criteria:
- Involvement in the promotion and development of their sport at the club level and within the community;
- Proven interest, concern and ability to provide opportunities and experiences for juniors to learn and train in their sport;
- Nominees must be certified in either instruction or coaching contexts of National Coach Certification Program as well as those engaged in learning and certification through other bodies in the industry;
- Overall image, service and leadership in the sport arena;
- Adheres to the OCPSA Code of Conduct;
- Overall integrity as an individual.
5. Performance Coach of the Year
The Performance Coach of the Year Award is designed to recognize an OCPSA Coach who is outstanding among the ranks of the Ontario membership. This award is based on a professional’s overall performance in coaching; unusual, innovative and special coaching programs initiated or implemented; as well as outstanding athletes the professional has coached. The recipient of this award must have coached in their given sport for a minimum of 3 consecutive years.
Criteria:
- Unusual, innovative and special coaching programs initiated or implemented;
- Outstanding athletes the professional has coached;
- Preference will be given to nominees who are trained or certified within their sports National Coach Certification Program Competition stream;
- Adheres to the OCPSA Code of Conduct;
- Overall performance in coaching at their club, provincial and National levels.
6. Official of the Year
The Official of the Year Award is presented annually to an official who has made an outstanding contribution to their sport during the current season.
Criteria:
- Preference will be given to nominees who are trained or certified as a Provincial-level Referee within their sport:
- Continues their own professional development by attending trainings/mentorship opportunities;
- Adheres to the OCPSA Code of Conduct;
- Looked upon as a “leading” official within their community;
- Dedicated to the development of officiating by assisting with supervision, mentoring and/or training of younger and lower level officials.
7. Weatherall Award of Distinction
The Weatherall Award of Distinction recognizes an organization/corporation/donor that has made a meaningful contribution to amateur sport as a leader, advocate, change agent or builder. Recommendations for this award will come from OCPSA Staff to the Board of Directors.
Criteria:
- Has made a significant contribution to sport in Ontario, related to OCPSA;
- Has kept sport alive within the OCPSA communities through promotion and awareness;
- Has enhanced or improved sport development.
OCPSA Lifetime Award and Annual Award Goals
- To recognize, honour and showcase OCPSA athletes, teams, coaches, officials, volunteers and builders who have had extraordinary achievements in their sport in Ontario and beyond;
- To recognize, celebrate and honour individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development and advancement of sport for athletes with cerebral palsy and related disabilities in Ontario and beyond;
- To further develop and highlight sport for athletes with cerebral palsy and related disabilities by sharing these outstanding achievements with the rest of the province.
Eligibility For Awards
To be eligible for consideration, nominees must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or a resident of Ontario for a minimum of five years within their lifetime (Lifetime Awards);
- Each year, a maximum of one person, pair or team in each category will be awarded with the Athlete Lifetime Achievement Award (Lifetime Awards);
- Each year, a maximum of one person, pair or team in each category will be inducted into the Hall of Fame (Lifetime Awards);
- OCPSA reserves the right to choose not to induct anyone in a category in a given year (Lifetime Awards);
- Be a Canadian citizen or a resident of Ontario for a minimum of five years (Annual Awards);
- Be an OCPSA Member in good standing for a minimum of 2 consecutive years (Annual Awards);
- Athletes are evaluated based on performance and placing in their events for Senior and Junior Athlete of the year awards (Annual Awards);
- Coach and Official awards are based only on outside and member nominations (Annual Awards);
- Weatherall Award of Distinction is recommended by the OCPSA Staff and reviewed by the Board of Directors (Annual Awards);
- Posthumous nominations will be considered.
Selection Process
Once nominations have closed, the Awards Committee will review all nominations put forward by the deadline. The Awards Committee will be an Ad Hoc group brought together by OCPSA.
If successful, both the nominator and recipient will be contacted by OCPSA by phone. The recipient and their nominator will be invited to attend the 2023 OCPSA Awards Banquet where the recipient will be honoured.
If unsuccessful, only the nominator will be sent a letter of decision.
Nominations will be kept on file and considered for the next two years.
The Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (OCPSA) was founded in 1981 as a registered charitable organization for the delivery of sport to persons with cerebral palsy. Today, OCPSA is a leading sport organization in the province for persons with a disability, focused on sport development, participation and performance for athletes in Para-Athletics (Track and Field) and Boccia.
Organization Contact for Inquiries:
Juliana von Cramon, Program Manager
Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association
juliana@ocpsa.com
