Same Game: A Step-By-Step Toolkit to Bring Your Gender Equity Vision to Life

The Need:

While organizations have much to gain by committing themselves to achieving gender equity, the work it takes to get there can be daunting. Many organizations struggle to understand their gender equity gaps and identify the root causes. Some may lack clarity and confidence in what to prioritize and what steps to take to create real change.

The Solution:

Same Game is a step-by-step online toolkit to help sport leaders at all levels bring their gender equity vision to life. Participants walk through a systematic process for embedding gender equity into their organizations – from creating a vision, to implementing initiatives, to reflecting and revising, and all the steps in between. 

This free, evidence-based model builds upon itself to maintain the connections needed for organizational change. Once completed, participants of the Same Game toolkit will be able to:

  • develop effective solutions to engage more women and girls in sport over the long term;
  • collect and analyze data to help make strategic decisions;
  • get buy-in from key stakeholders like board, staff, coaches, and volunteers, who are instrumental in helping move gender equity projects forward; and,
  • communicate goals and assess performance.

The Impact:

Same Game works to help solve the capacity challenges within sport organizations that are navigating gender equity. Many participants report learning new information about gender equity that they can immediately apply to improve their organization.

“Being involved in the Same Game Challenge has been a tremendous experience for our club as we embark on a journey to promote diversity and inclusion. Through the Same Game Challenge, our organization has been given the resources, support and guidance to implement meaningful change at our club. There is power in community and collaboration which is an invaluable opportunity the Same Game Challenge has given us as we network and share best practices with our Alberta sports community.”

Raine Paul, Head Coach Edmonton Tsunami Water Polo Club

“Same Game has given us the tools and support to focus on and improve gender equity in our organization. The Same Game Toolkit has been invaluable in providing a road map to success and the support has given us a safe space to learn and grow. This has been a fabulous process and has already created sustainable change in our organization.”

Paula Mackenzie, Executive Director CALTAF

Not sold yet? Learn more about the benefits of gender equity.

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Access Same Game

Before you proceed, we would appreciate your contact information to let us know who is using the toolkit. We will only contact you for evaluation purposes if you consent below.

  • Fill in the form to view the Tool!

As you get started, don’t forget:

  • One person can lead the Same Game process, but the toolkit is best used in collaboration with multiple people from the same organization.
  • Patience is key.  The toolkit could take a few months to a year to work through.
  • To save all downloaded templates and worksheets to your computer so you can review and revise them as needed

Same Game was developed by Canadian Women & Sport with support from Women and Gender Equality Canada. We developed Same Game and piloted the process with 17 local soccer and basketball clubs in Ontario, with the support of a research team from Brock University’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences led by Shannon Kerwin.

The Same Game project was funded by a grant from Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada.

Same Game would not be possible without our partners:

  • Ontario Soccer Association
  • Ontario Basketball Association
  • Brock University’s Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (Sport Management)