Athlete Commission - Mandate & Stategic Plan

STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE F.I.S ATHLETE COMMISSION DRAFT The Mission: Who We Are: The F.I.S Athlete Commission is comprised of 12 Athlete members that are elected for a four (4) year term by their Athlete peers. The Commissionʼs aim is to represent the best interests of Athletes from each Ski and Snowboard Discipline. *The Athlete Commission reports to and liaises directly with the F.I.S Council. (*would need to be ratified)



Membership:





















Member Roles & their Voting Rights:

















Alpine: 4 members (2 women - 2 men) Freestyle: 2 members (1 woman - 1 man) Cross Country: 2 members (1 woman - 1 man) Snowboard: 2 members (1 woman - 1 man) Ski Jumping: 1 member (male or female) Nordic Combined: 1 member (male or female)

Chair: Tie Breaking Vote only Vice Chair: *Full Voting Status Secretary: Full Voting Status General Member: Full Voting Status **Honorary Member: Non Voting Status

*Vice Chair relinquish general voting status and gains “Tie Breaking Vote” status when Chair is not present. **Honorary Members may include current or former F.I.S Athletes that act as representatives for the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C) as well as the World Anti Doping Agency (W.A.D.A).

Our Mission Statement: Under the banner: DemocraSki.com - Power To The People; the F.I.S Athlete Commissions Mission Statement reads: “To Engage All Members and Stakeholders of F.I.S in a Manner that is Consistent with the Philosophy: Athlete Centered, Athlete Driven.”

Our Values: Our fundamental values are those aspects of human behavior that we believe are essential to the achievement of personal excellence, self-fulfillment, fair play and protection of individual rights & liberties through the participation of Skiing and Snowboarding at the elite level. They establish an appropriate level of expectations for the conduct of all members in all circumstances and represent a backdrop for the F.I.S Athlete Commission.

Values: • • • • • • • • • •

Athlete Centeredness Solidarity Transparency Leadership Accessibility Accountability Relevancy Integrity Fairness Vision & Ambition

How we Operate: Under the direction of the International Ski Federation (F.I.S), the F.I.S Athlete Commission represents the Official Voice of the Athlete Membership for all matters related to F.I.S as well matters relating to external bodies such as the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C) and World Anti Doping Association (WADA). The Commission equally and in a non-bias manner represents viewpoints from all Disciplines, Nations and Genders. The Athlete Commissionʼs Primary responsibility is to report directly to the F.I.S Council (*needs to be ratified) with specific suggestions and/or direction (motions??) in regards to matters that are considered General in Nature and that are in the best interest of all F.I.S Athletes. The Athlete Commissionʼs scope can be said to be General and Global; it does not represent the specific interests of individual Disciplines and/or Nations. The Athlete Commission also has a Secondary responsibility to provide a voice and a pathway for Athletes and Disciplines to directly engage the F.I.S Discipline Committees and sub-Committees. The Athlete Commission understands that although Discipline specific matters are not handled at the Commission level; members of the Athlete

Commission do, however, have an official pathway to their Discipline Committees and sub-Committees and are given voting rights within the given framework of these committees. This secondary role/responsibility, that we shall call “Athlete Commission Discipline Delegates”, represents a body and/or function that can be said to run below or parallel to the primary roles and responsibilities of the Athlete Commission. Athlete Commission Responsibilities: The Athlete Commission may at any given point be comprised of both active and non-active (retired) Athletes. Actively competitive Athletes are continually striving for personal best performances and thus have committed to prioritizing their Athletic training needs over the responsibilities of the Athlete Commission. Although the roles and responsibilities of the Athlete Commission are of utmost importance to itʼs Athlete representatives; we recognize that in order for membership on the Athlete Commission to remain viable in the long term it must not jeopardize an Athletes performance potential.

Meetings and Business of the F.I.S Athlete Commission: The Athlete Commission, in principle, meets face to face at least once (1) per year in conjunction with F.I.S General meetings and/or major Games/Championships. The Commission will conduct the majority of its business via the online platform “DemocraSki.com - Power to the People”, Email, Skype Conferencing, Conference Calls, Collaborative Online Documents and Wikis.

Our Vision for Athletes of the F.I.S: Achieving excellence in sport requires one to clearly see the future, to challenge oneself and to push oneʼs limits beyond what is generally considered to be the status quo. The F.I.S Athlete Commission has a vision to achieve excellence over the next 4 years; a vision that will challenge the F.I.S and its staff, itʼs member Disciplines as well as its Athlete membership. F.I.S and its Disciplines are recognized as evolving and dynamic; an so it is that the Athlete Commission recognizes that the structure, direction and vision of F.I.S as it relates to the Athletes must also be considered dynamic and evolving. To this end the Athlete Commission seeks to provide a set of guiding principles or framework of its vision for the next 4 years. • At ALL times we are human beings first, Athletes seconds. The individual rights and liberties of Athletes must always be at the forefront of all decision making at all levels. • F.I.S Athletes are viewed as heroes and champions within the International Sports scene. They excel in International competition by winning medals at the Olympic Winter Games, World Championships and World & Continental Cups. • In the capacity of Athlete Heroes; Athletes engage and inspire the public at large via their roles as Sport Ambassadors in various capacities. Engagement in Volunteerism,

Philanthropy, Community Involvement and Leadership represents a belief and adoption of core philosophies that the Athlete Commission holds in high regard. • Elite level Athletes have acquired, through their participation, determination and professionalism in sport; a Unique and Valuable skill set that can and should be leveraged. Elite Athletes represent the pinnacle of personal and professional achievement and it should be recognized that this holds true as an Athlete transitions out of the competitive spotlight. • Skiing and Snowboarding at the elite level is inherently dangerous; a matter that is recognized by both F.I.S and its Athlete membership. All steps must be taken, whether considered challenging and/or “economically optimal”, to protect the safety of Athletes. More importantly, F.I.S and the Athlete Commission must actively protect and support Athletes that have unfortunately been severely injured in training and/or competition. • The Athlete Commission represents the Voice of F.I.S Athletes and is the official platform for Athlete Representatives to engage F.I.S at the highest level. It is not enough for F.I.S to establish an Athlete Commission if this same Commission does not have Voting rights and significant Influence at the F.I.S Council level. The framework and structure of F.I.S must be revised if necessary to ensure the Athlete Commission has a relevant voice and sphere of influence in the decision making process. • Athletes could be considered the backbone of F.I.S, however all members understand that without our Fans the sport would quickly become irrelevant and severely underfunded. It is of upmost importance for the Athlete Commission to engage all of the International fans of F.I.S Athletes and Disciplines in innovative and positive ways. • The future of our sport depends on engaging the next generation of youth. The Athlete Commission recognizes that its Athlete Membership plays a pivotal role in aiding F.I.S in attracting the next generation of Athlete Heroes. The Athlete Commission, above all else in this matter, will strongly consider the rights, safety and future well being of this next generation of Athletes before engaging in any manner of recruitment, outreach and/or mentorship programs.

Strategic Priorities: 1. Rights, Roles, Responsibilities, Limitations and Authority of the F.I.S Athlete Commission 1.

Outline the Athlete Commission structure and Organization Placement within F.I.S

2.

Define roles, responsibilities, limitations and authority of the Athlete Commission as it relates to the F.I.S Council as well as Discipline Committees and sub-Committees. 2.1. Secure voting rights at both Council and Committee levels 2.1.1. Athlete Commission would receive 1 vote at the Council level (vote might be inaccurate; goal is for Commission to be treated at the same level as the Discipline Committees and to have the same sphere of influence as the Disciplines in matters that are brought forward to Council) 2.1.2. Athlete Commission members would receive voting rights within their respective Discipline Committees & sub-Committees. (just one vote per discipline or per rep??) 3. Develop a platform, in the form of “DemocraSki.com - Power to the People”, to transparently communicate with and engage the Athlete membership. 3.1. Work F.I.S to officially communicate this Athlete Commission initiative to All F.I.S members and stakeholders. 4. Aid F.I.S in improving its communication with the Athlete membership about all matters of significance. *It must be noted that in many cases Athletes may be disgruntled simply for lack of information and/or misunderstanding given policies, direction, programs etc. 5. Establish a budget for the Athlete Commission. 5.1. Initial set up and ongoing operational costs for DemocraSki.com 5.2. Hardware and Software that aid in dissemination of information to Athletes and the F.I.S membership 5.3. Web services and communication tools such as Skype video conferencing and collaborative document editing. 5.4. Athlete Commission Summits and Leadership Training Workshops 5.5. Funds for “DemocraSki.com - Athletes Today, Leaders Tomorrow” contest. Winners (1 male, 1 female) represent the most active/engaging Athlete leaders within DemocraSki.com and would be flown out to F.I.S Congress to sit as “Honorary Member” of Athlete Commission to help promote the importance of Athlete Leadership.

2. Protection and Support for Severely Injured Athletes 1.

Under the banner: “DemocraSki Cares - No Athlete Left Behind” establish an endowment fund for severely injured Athletes with a goal of raising $1,000,000.00 by end of the Athlete Commissions first 4 year term. 1.1. Determine the role and scope of the Marc Hodler Fund to determine if this Fund can/should be added to or incorporated with this Athlete Commission initiative. 1.2. Communicate to the F.I.S membership the responsible aspects of Endowment funds: the capital is never spent, the investment continues to grow and therefore the Fund has perpetuity. Only the interest earned will be dispersed.

1.3.

The Endowment Fund has a built in mechanism for “Flow Through” funds in times of urgency or prior to establishing significant capital. Flow through funds allow for donations to be diverted away from the Endowment and are immediately paid out to those applicants in need. (*Flow Through funds do not add to the capital of the fund; rather they represent an exception to address the immediate needs of Severely Injured Athletes) 2. Work with the F.I.S Legal and Medical Committees to develop guidelines and criteria for funds dispersal to severely injured Athletes. 3. Develop long term fundraising initiatives to engage all members and stakeholders of F.I.S to participate in reaching the financial goals of this fund 3.1. Communicate the importance and solidarity of F.I.S making an initial contribution in the sum of $50,000.00 which represents 5% of the goal. A follow up yearly contribution of $10,000,00 should be considered as well. 3.2. Work with F.I.S to encourage every National Governing Body donate $500.00 per Discipline per year (Alpine, Freestyle, Snowboard, Cross Country, Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined) to the fund. 3.3. Encourage the Athlete Commission representatives to donate a small amount ($100.00) of their own funds. This will highlight Athletes Solidarity, Leadership and Compassion in this matter and will serve as an example for all to follow. 3.4. Encourage all F.I.S members and stakeholders to follow the Athletes lead and by donating $100.00 to the fund. 3.5. Work with World Cup organizers to ensure that every World Cup hosted has a fundraiser built-in to help raise funds for this initiative. World Cups that donʼt build-in fundraisers would be required to contribute a minimum of $1000.00 4. Work with F.I.S to develop (or strengthen existing) an Injury Prevention Program that funds injury reduction studies and equipment testing. Work with F.I.S medical committees, equipment manufactures/sponsor pool AND Athletes to develop research programs. Ie: perhaps there should be standards for Aerial helmets.  To determine what the standards should be, first we must conduct research on the type of hits, forces impacting the Athletes and what those long-term effects have on jumpers.   4.1. F.I.S should work with equipment manufacturers and F.I.S sponsors - a percentage of all equipment pool fees or sponsorship money could go towards funding such an initiative.

3. Protection of Athletes Rights Via External 3rd Party Arbitration 1.

Work with F.I.S Legal Committee to establish/identify a 3rd party Arbitration system that will ensure the rights and best interests of the Athlete are the number one priority.

1.1.

2. 3.

This Arbitration system would protect Athletes interests in conflicts and/or disputes with the F.I.S, National Governing Bodies (if not already available in their Country), and various International governing bodies such as the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C) and the World Anti Doping Agency (W.A.D.A) Ensure barriers to utilizing these services are as minimal as possible. This includes financial barriers and thus implies that cost of these services must be subsidized by F.I.S. In the case that these services/bodies already exist in some capacity; work with F.I.S to effectively and transparently communicate to the Athlete Membership.

4. Develop Programs that Assist Athletes as they Transition from Athletic Life into a Non-Athletic Workforce 1.

2. 3. 4.

5.

Under the banner: “DemocraSki Alumni - Athletes Today, Leaders Tomorrow” establish a program that highlights and engages all current and former F.I.S Athletes in significant Leadership roles. 1.1. This may be Athletes involved with F.I.S, I.O.C, W.A.D.A, Non-Profit Organizations, Charities etc. Essentially highlight the Great work many Athletes Ambassadors are engaging in. 1.2. Establish a DemocraSki Athlete Leadership award whereby the most active Athletes (male and female) are awarded $1000.00 and all expense paid trip to attend the F.I.S Calendar Conference or F.I.S Congress as Honorary Athlete Commission members. These Athletes would participate in meetings and would hopefully be inspired to take up a leadership role in the F.I.S Athlete Commission. Outline the unique skill set elite Athletes develop that will help them in their next endeavor and which ultimately make them desirable and valuable additions in many industries Work with the F.I.S Academy to establish mentorship programs that will engage both active and retiring Athletes with external sporting bodies, educational institutes as well as corporations. Highlight the importance for F.I.S to invest in mentorship and transitional programs that assist Athletes in utilizing their unique skill-set in their post athletic endeavors. Athletes that have successfully transitioned will be encouraged to “give back” to F.I.S and itʼs Athletes in appreciation for the guidance they received. (*this may be likened to University Alumni actively supporting their Alma Mater) Work with F.I.S to define/communicate the role of the F.I.S Academy and how it relates to Athletes and how it might be enhanced by Athlete Commission initiatives.

5. Protection of Individual Liberties and Education in regards to All Matters that Relate to the World Anti Doping Agency 1. 2. 3. 4.

5.

Create a position for Honorary Member of the F.I.S Athlete Commission. This position is to be filled by a current or former F.I.S member active as a W.A.D.A Athlete Representative. Work with W.A.D.A to revise the current Athlete Whereabouts program as well as A.D.A.M.S web portal. “Clearly” Outline an Athletes roles and responsibilities as they pertain to W.A.D.A. Work with W.A.D.A to ensure a reasonable amount of flexibility and to ensure the individual rights and liberties of Athletes are always protected. Help to develop, within W.A.D.Aʼs current framework, a more humane and respectable way to implement the Anti Doping protocols. Work with W.A.D.A to develop ways for Athletes that are supportive of the Anti Doping and Clean Sport Movement promote its message to the World. Athletes that are proactive and supportive of the movement should not feel the current burden imposed by the current guidelines.

6. Minimum Standards for World Cup Organizers 1. 2. 3.

The Athlete Commission will work with its Athlete membership to develop a set of Minimal Standards in all areas for World Cup Organizers. Utilizing the DemocraSki.com platform; engage WC Organizers by opening up a dialogue so that Organizers can learn what Athletes need/expect from a WC event. Work to develop ways that Athletes might help to promote WC events and in turn WC Organizers might contribute to causes that are important to the Athletes. (*see Athlete Injury Fund above)

7. Recruit and Engage Youth 1. 2. 3.

Work with F.I.S to ensure that its Athlete Membership is an active member in helping to promote the “Snow Kidz” initiative. Work with F.I.S to ensure that the next generation of Athletes are *protected in regards to their rights, safety and future well being. (* see Strategic Priorities above: Arbitration, Athlete Injury Fund & Transition from Sport) Under the banner: “DemocraSki SnowKidz - Share the Dream” work with F.I.S and the SnowKidz program to develop Athlete Driven methods for engaging youth.

8. Develop Programs and/or Platforms for Athletes to Directly Engage Fans

1. 2. 3.

Recognizing that Fans, above all else, are inspired by Athletes; the Athlete Commission intends to work with F.I.S marketing department to develop platforms and campaigns that will allow Athletes to directly engage Fans. Take advantage of the web and emerging social networking trends such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube to engage these fans. Under the banner: “DemocraSki Fan Central - Feel the Rush” Ski Fans will be able to interact directly with Athletes.