how do i set up my club and get it sanctioned with triathlon alberta?

Triathlon Alberta encourages individuals to start up their own club, and we support them throughout the journey! There are a few very important steps to take when setting up your first club and we’ll outline the steps in the set up guide document linked below.

Click here for CLUB AFFILIATION SITE

How to Set Up Your First Triathlon Club

Introduction

A club is a group of athletes who gather together in order to train in a meaningful way. Usually, the members of a club have a similar goal in mind so that they are able to train in an effective group environment. Clubs range in size depending on what works for them, and each club is governed by a Board of Directors with at least one coach involved in the training process.

Please feel free to contact Triathlon Alberta with any of your questions or concerns:

Address: 11759 Groat Road, Edmonton, AB T5M 3K6

Phone: 780-427-8616

Email: info@triathlonalberta.ca

Club Membership Benefits

Triathlon Alberta is a non-profit, member-based organization that is the recognized governing body for the sport of triathlon and multisport in Alberta. Membership with Triathlon Alberta provides benefits to support and assist you in your participation at every level. Registering your club unlocks several benefits:

Listed on the online Triathlon Alberta Club Directory.
Club promotion through Triathlon Alberta Social Media Accounts.
Club promotion through the Triathlon Alberta newsletter.
General Liability and Accident Insurance Coverage for all training events, social events and fundraisers.
Director and Board Member Liability Coverage.

1. Club Affiliation Requirements

To officially register and insure your club with Triathlon Alberta, the following requirements must be met:

Affiliation Fee: The Club Affiliation Fee is $50 (Price do not include processing fees).
Incorporation: New Clubs are required to be set up as a Co-operative business or under the Non-Profit Society’s Act. All Clubs must upload proof of their business license or Seal of Incorporation. Please refer to the Provincial Government website for the latest society information at www.servicealberta.ca.
Athlete Memberships: All athletes training with the Club must be Triathlon Alberta Annual members.
Board Compliance: All board members of clubs must complete their Sterling Background check and Safesport module through coach.ca and upload it to their registration.

2. Coaching Requirements

As per Triathlon Alberta’s Insurance Broker, specific coaching certifications are mandatory. There will be new requirements of our affiliated clubs, with a 2-year lead-in time to ensure everyone is able to comply with the certification requirement.

All coaches will require a coach membership to ensure we are meeting SafeSport guidelines requiring screening such as a criminal record check and SafeSport certification. Memberships can be purchased on our website at https://triathlonalberta.ca. A coach membership will stay in pending until the criminal record check and Safesport requirements are completed in accordance to our minimum coaching requirements policy.
Clubs must list all affiliated coaches in their registration.
Clubs must have at least one Certified Community triathlon coach present at all training and competition events.
New clubs must have at least one trained community triathlon coach present at all training and competition events. The coach will have one year to become a certified community triathlon coach. Full details on community certification can be found on our coaching website: www.triathlonalberta.ca/coaching‍ ‍
Apart from the Head Coach, all other club affiliated coaches must be at minimum Registered coaches at the start of the season and must become Certified Community coaches within one year.

3. Setting Up Club Registration

Depending on how you plan to manage your athletes, there are specific registration guidelines to follow:

For Clubs Using CCN/Uplifter

The Club and Triathlon Alberta registration need to be linked to account for members automatically.
To get started the club admin needs to create the basic foundations of the club registration via the Club Setup Wizard on the CCN homepage (https://ccnbikes.com/) in the upper navigation bar.
Navigate to "Setup online registration" and select "Setup club".
Select “Create a new organization”.
Input basic information for the club, such as the club name, address, website, email contact, phone number and logo.
Select the classification of the club: Recreational, Competitive, Race Team, or Youth focused. A club admin can click all 4 options if that is the objective with the club.
Provide social media handles to help Triathlon Alberta connect on social media and tag in relevant posts.
Once the basic setup is complete, reach out to partnersupport@uplifterinc.com to continue the more advanced configurations and connect your account.

For Clubs NOT Using CCN Bikes

Clubs must list all affiliated athletes in their registration and provide once per month to Triathlon Alberta and must always keep this list current with Triathlon Alberta.

4. Building Your Club Structure

Board of Directors & Bylaws

A Board of Directors generally includes a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors-at-Large.

It is vital to have rules in place that govern the club and ensure appropriate, efficient decision-making. These are called “Bylaws”. A sample set can be found here

Important Legal Disclaimer regarding Bylaws: Sample society bylaws provided by Triathlon Alberta do NOT constitute legal advice. It is advised to have bylaws checked by a professional. Triathlon Alberta assumes no liability for any issues, errors, or omissions in using sample bylaws.

Administration, Venues & Funding

Administration: Designate an individual in charge of club registration, facility scheduling, fee collection, and coach payments.
Training Facilities: Secure venues suitable for different disciplines. Many clubs use discounted indoor facilities for swimming, while biking and running often take place outdoors.
Funding: Explore sponsorships and government-based non-profit grants. When planning your club's finances, there is a file you can reference named "Sample Budget.xlsx".

Understanding Your Target Market

There needs to be a specific set of athletes in mind when forming a club.

Youth (U12): The focus should be on participation rather than specific training programs. Triathlon Canada has specific guidelines indicating maximum distances (e.g., 7 & Under max is 50m Swim / 1.5km Bike / 500m Run).
Age Group: Focus on individual needs since adults compete in various distances, ranging from the Try-It distance (375m Swim / 10km Bike / 2.5km Run) up to the Ironman distance (3,800m Swim / 180km Bike / 42.2km Run).
High Performance: Targeted at Elite or Professional athletes looking to attain the absolute highest level of ability.

5. Operations & Communications

Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

An EAP should be developed for training opportunities within your club for the various venues utilized. Your EAP should include:

What is considered a medical emergency?
Available medical equipment.
Protocol (Identify who is trained in first aid).
Venue Maps.
Location of the nearest hospital and medical clinic.
Important Contact Information.

Promotion & Community Engagement

School and community centres are great for promoting your club with flyers and brochures. However, social media and digital channels are incredibly powerful for pushing your brand to the masses.

Social Media: Posting 3-5 times a week keeps the audience engaged and the audience can expect to see posts. The social media algorithms prefer videos and reels for increased engagement. Resharing posts from the PSO will increase the reach of the PSO posts while also exposing the club to potentially new members.
Newsletters: Newsletters are also a great way to send out bigger blasts of information to a wider audience. Best practice is to keep it to 3-5 news items maximum to avoid scrolling by the recipient.

You can find a sample Communications Calendar template here!