Get Involved

OBSA works year-round to provide sporting opportunities for people in Ontario who are blind or visually impaired. On a competitive level, we operate with six main sport pathways: Judo, Wrestling, Goalball, Swimming, Athletics and Powerlifting though this is not an exhaustive list.

There are many sports in which we provide semi-competitive and recreational opportunities for athletes across Ontario, including but not limited to: canoeing, sailing, hockey, skiing, tennis, trampoline, bowling, golf, and tandem cycling.

Programs we offer to our athletes are multifold, including various levels of training camps, leagues and tournaments in which to compete, as well as mentorship opportunities. For more information on any sport or program offered through Ontario Blind Sports Association, or if you are interested in a sport that is not listed above, contact us! We love to find new and innovative opportunities and help people get active in something they can enjoy.

To benefit from OBSA programming, become a member! Fill out the online membership registration.

OBSA depends on dedicated coaches who are responsible for making our programs possible. We appreciate how essential coaches are and the impact a knowledgeable coach can have on an athlete. It is because of this that we view coach development as a priority. We provide training and certification opportunities for all our coaches and subsidize the costs associated with those courses, including travel expenses.

If you are interested in becoming an OBSA coach, please contact the office. For all other inquiries about involvement, become a member by filling out theonline membership registration.

Our coaches are the first line of support for every program offered by the OBSA. In conjunction with Canadian Sport For Life, we have provided resources focusing on the specifics of training and coaching athletes with a disability.

• Quality Sport Checklist for Communities and Clubs (PDF) – This checklist is composed of a number of elements that lead to quality experiences in any sport program. It has been designed with everyone in mind, including participants with a physical disability, and newcomers to Canada. This checklist can be used as a tool by community and club leaders to assess and improve the quality of programming.
• Long Term Athlete Development for Athletes with Disabilities (PDF) – This document informs how the Canadian sport system can best accommodate individual needs for increased activity and greater achievement through Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD).
• Canadian Sport For Life: Athletes with Disabilities (PDF) – Canada’s adoption of Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) models for all sports may be a contributing factor of success in adapted sport, as well as making National Sport Organizations (NSOs) responsible for the integration of persons with a disability into their sport development. This is outlined and explained in the following document.
• Training Athletes with a Disability (PDF) – A guide through some specific parameters of training disabled athletes. In simplifying the staged of the LTAD for disabled sport, coaches are provided with the unique needs of their athletes. From anatomy, pathology and biomechanics to optimum ages for training, this guide will provide coaches with the tools to successfully create well rounded, healthy athletes.
• LTAD Stages (PDF) – A chart that breaks down each stage of the LTAD. Coaches are given the information needed to classify athletes and train them accordingly.

  

Officiating is an important component to OBSA programming. We recognize the crucial nature of having committed, certified, and well-trained officials be a part of Ontario’s Parasport delivery system. As a Provincial Sport Organization, we support our officials in their training and provide opportunities for officials to gain experience by officiating in our leagues and tournaments; these are credible experiences to which they can log in their coaching portfolios. If you are interested in becoming an official, please contact the office. If you are an official and wish to take part in our training and certification opportunities, we kindly ask you to join our membership by following the link below and take advantage of the multitude of benefits attached to being part of our movement.

Become a member fill out the online membership registration.

OBSA is always on the lookout for committed volunteers who are looking to make a difference in sport. Our volunteers dedicate their time for a variety of reasons, from fulfilling Ontario Secondary School required volunteer hours or to simply be involved in a unique sporting environment.

Our programs depend on volunteers for roles such as:

• Officials
• Support people (ex. guide runners)
• Coaching assistants
• Event organizers

Simply fill out our Volunteer Application Form (PDF) and contact us if you wish to be added to our list of volunteers and be notified when opportunities arise! We appreciate the effort of everybody already involved in the programs we offer and are always excited to welcome new people to the team! No prior experience is required – simply bring a passion for sport and a positive attitude.

Looking to volunteer as a coach or official? Training and certification opportunities for volunteer coaches and officials are a large part of what we do. If you are good with people, love sport, and are driven towards athlete development, let us know!

Interested in being a recreational guide runner in the GTA? Please visit achillescanada.ca.

Email randa@blindsports.on.ca for more information on volunteer opportunities.