Sport 4 Life Cochrane (S4LC) is at a crossroads and is calling for new leadership and more funding opportunities to continue its work. The organization faces difficult decisions about its future at its annual general meeting on Tuesday, April 22.
The meeting will be held via Zoom beginning at 7 p.m.
“Ultimately, what we’re facing is a full turnover of the board,” says chair Karen Dommett. “We’ve been working on recruitment and different funding opportunities over the past year, but just not having a lot of success.”
She says the entire volunteer board has served several terms and can no longer continue in their roles.
“It’s going to take a whole new group of folks to step in, and of course, we’re well packaged for a transfer of knowledge and would love to help through a transition phase to ensure future success. But unfortunately, all the folks sitting around the table are tapped out.”
At a minimum, the organization says it needs a new chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer to continue. It is also seeking volunteers to serve on committees, including communications and promotions, education and resources, programming, and starting in 2026, facilities and infrastructure, and sport tourism and major events.
“This year has been a very challenging year for Sport 4 Life Cochrane with capacity and funding constraints. As such, we are facing some difficult decisions on the future of the organization. If you or others in your network are passionate about youth sport in the Town of Cochrane, we ask you please attend the AGM,” the organization states.
Since its creation in 2009, the volunteer non-profit has worked to provide quality sport experiences for all, with a focus on supporting everyone on their physical literacy journey.
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S4LC has served as a connector, catalyst and capacity builder in Cochrane’s sport, physical activity and recreation sector. Its volunteer board has dedicated time, expertise and resources to initiatives such as the Cochrane Sport Network, annual Try It Day, Sport Hub in schools, empowering women and girls in sport, and volleyball for Cochrane newcomers.
The organization also led Cochrane’s successful push to be proclaimed the most active community in the ParticipACTION Community Challenge.
After the pandemic, S4LC returned to full operations and quickly found that demand for programming had increased, with many programs reaching full capacity. This growth coincided with a decline in funding, further adding to the challenge—a trend not unique to Cochrane.
“There are very few funding opportunities and public grants available for strategic administrative work, coach development, safety standards, volunteer training and recruitment, and maintaining databases and resources for families,” says Dommett. “We’ve needed to be that administrative backup and host resource to elevate those opportunities.”
Last summer, Sport 4 Life approached the Town of Cochrane for support in becoming a sport and recreation council. It proposed a council that would streamline communication between local sport and recreation groups and the town’s parks and recreation committee, while raising the bar for service delivery.
At the July 2 committee-of-the-whole meeting, the organization presented a five-year plan to establish the council, set goals, engage organizations and address capacity gaps in Cochrane’s sport and recreation community. It requested $100,000 annually over five years to implement the plan.
No funding for the proposed sports and recreation council was included in the town’s 2025 budget.