Provincial sport organizations and multi-sport organizations

Overview

The primary function of provincial sport organizations and multi-sport organizations (PSO/MSOs) is the development of athletes, coaches and officials. They are not-for-profit organizations and formally recognized by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Recognized PSO/MSOs play an important role in the sport system by encouraging participation in recreational and competitive sport programs.

They are self-governing organizations responsible for:

• developing their respective sports
• providing a competitive pathway for athlete development
• selecting provincial teams
• recruiting and training coaches, officials and volunteers
• conducting provincial championships
• ensuring they operate within their National Sport Organization rules

Provincial sport organizations

1. A
   • Alpine Ontario
   • Archery Ontario
   • Athletics Ontario
2. B
   • Badminton Ontario
   • Baseball Ontario
   • Biathlon Ontario
   • Boxing Ontario
3. C
   • Canoe Kayak Ontario
   • Cricket Ontario
   • Cross Country Ski Ontario
4. D
   • Dive Ontario
5. F
   • Field Hockey Ontario
   • Freestyle Skiing Ontario
6. G
   • Golf Ontario
   • Gymnastics Ontario
7. H
   • Hockey Eastern Ontario
   • Hockey Northwestern Ontario
8. J
   • Judo Ontario
9. K
   • Karate Ontario
   • Kickboxing Ontario
10. M
    • Muay Thai Ontario
11. O
    • Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers Association
    • Ontario Amateur Wrestling Association
    • Ontario Artistic Swimming
    • Ontario Ball Hockey Federation
    • Ontario Basketball
    • Ontario Blind Sports Association
    • Ontario Bobsleigh Skeleton Association
    • Ontario Cerebral Palsy Sports Association
    • Ontario Council of Shooters
    • Ontario Curling Council
    • Ontario Cycling Association
    • Ontario Equestrian
    • Ontario Fencing Association
    • Ontario Football Alliance
    • Ontario Grappling Association
    • Ontario Hockey Federation
    • Ontario Jiu-Jitsu Association
    • Ontario Lacrosse Association
    • Ontario Lawn Bowls Association
    • Ontario Para Network
    • Ontario Sailing
    • Ontario Snowboard
    • Ontario Soccer
    • Ontario Speed Skating Association
    • Ontario Table Tennis Association
    • Ontario Tennis Association
    • Ontario Volleyball Association
    • Ontario Water Polo
    • Ontario Weightlifting Association
    • Ontario Women’s Hockey Association
12. R
    • Racquetball Ontario
    • Ringette Ontario
    • Row Ontario
    • Rugby Ontario
13. S
    • Skate Ontario
    • Softball Ontario
    • Special Olympics Ontario
    • Squash Ontario
    • Swim Ontario
14. T
    • Taekwondo Ontario
    • Triathlon Ontario
15. W
    • Water Ski and Wakeboard Ontario
    • Wushu Ontario

Multi-sport organizations

• ParaSport Ontario

School athletic sport organizations

• Ontario University Athletics
• Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
• Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations

Safety and standards

PSO/MSOs oversee all aspects of a designated sport and offer programs for people of all ages and abilities, and at all levels of competition.

The ministry works with PSO/MSOs to ensure safety is a top priority. PSO/MSOs aim to have the highest safety standards applied and continue to monitor throughout all programs and events to provide a safe environment.

For the public, a provincially recognized PSO/MSO provides assurance that the organization:

• follows national standards when developing athletes, coaches and officials
• offers programs to their members that are developmentally appropriate
• has qualified coaches and officials
• has established policies (discipline, harassment, anti-doping, etc.) for its members

Sport recognition policy

Ontario’s sport recognition policy sets out mandatory requirements that all PSO/MSOs must meet to be recognized by the Government of Ontario as the governing body for the sport in the province. These requirements help ensure sport activities offered by Ontario’s organizations meet a high standard of quality, safety and effectiveness.

The policy clarifies the steps organizations must take to attain recognition. If you have questions about the application form and guidelines for recognition, please email sport@ontario.ca.

Partner organizations

The Government of Ontario is committed to a strong sport system that supports grassroots development to high performance for participants to enjoy the benefits of sport.

We partner with these sport organizations to provide fair and inclusive opportunities for every athlete, coach and official to reach their goals and potential in sport:

• Canadian Sport Institute Ontario provides top-quality training and development to emerging or existing Canadian Olympic or Paralympic Team members and many of Ontario’s provincial sport organizations.
• Coaches Association of Ontario delivers programs, including the National Coaching Certification Program, and supports the development of top-quality coaches who support the training and development of athletes.