Game Plan 2028: Sports & Recreation (S&R) Strategic Plan

Our Shared Vision

• Creating communities of belonging where all Western Mustangs thrive.

Our Mission

• We provide holistic, inclusive, and enriching recreation and sports experiences that support Mustangs in their physical, mental, social, emotional and leadership development.

Our Greater Impact

Thriving Students

• Are proud to be Western Mustangs, ready to make a difference in the world
• Pursue their sport and recreation passions and interests in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment
• Develop the skills and competencies they need to lead and make positive change
• Experience places of belonging and engagement, where thy have a voice
• Feel valued, supported and empowered to excel
• Build lifelong connections and friendships

Thriving Communities

• Alumni are proud to be part of the Mustangs community and passionate about giving back and sharing their stories of impact
• Diverse communities experience an open door to a wide array of exceptional S&R facilities, programs and events
• Coaches have lasting impact on the lives of student athletes
• Children and youth are inspired to be future Mustangs
• London and surround areas count on Western S&R to be a vital part of the regional sport ecosystem and a preferred destination for signature events

Activating our Greater Impact

High Impact Recreation Experience

• Deliver a world-class recreation service model, ensuring that all programming, intramural and sports clubs are student-centred, accessible and enriching
• Engage with diverse and equity-deserving student groups to inform the design and curation of all recreation programs, services and experiences
• Work with campus partners to identify and dismantle barriers to inclusive student participation
• Expand access to transformative work and leadership experiences for student staff
• Continually strengthen student staff on-boarding and mentorship processes
• Amplify our presence in Black, Indigenous and racialized communities, meeting and connecting with students and groups on campus and in their neighbourhoods

Transformational Student Athlete Experience

• Execute a high-performance, sustainable and transparent sport model that lays the foundation for all student athletes and sports teams to thrive
• Design and facilitate an exceptional leadership, training and personal development curriculum in student athletes
• Elevate student athlete career planning and mentorship programs
• Connect student athletes to a range of first-rate mental health, sports psychology, strength and conditioning, rehabilitation, sports medicine and nutrition resources
• Partner to advance knowledge creation and innovation in areas, such as kinesiology, sports medicine and physiotherapy and sports science
• Attract outstanding student athletes to Western through our bold, scalable and intentional recruitment strategy

Community Spirit & Engagement

• Position our brand promise to ensure all Western students see themselves as a Mustang, feel understood
• Deliver innovative eSports strategy that celebrates the diversity of interests and enhances opportunities for student participation and competition
• Utilize multimedia, digital marketing and communication strategies to attract and connect student, community and online fan bases and audience to events, teams and the Mustangs brand
• Create immersive and engaging fan experiences that unite spectators around a passion for competition, teamwork and the Mustangs
• Amplify opportunities for alumni to inspire, mentor and connect with student athletes, coaches and other members of S&R
• Strengthen our outreach to K-12 communities and expand our Junior Mustangs program

Accessible Spaces & Places for Everyone

• Operate, renew and build safe, accessible and inclusive world-class recreation, training, competition and event facilities and amenities
• Create and implement at 10-year S&R Facilities Master Plan that re-imagines how we use and access facilities and outdoor spaces in alignment with student and community needs and university growth
• Optimize S&R branding and wayfinding across all facilities and outdoor spaces
• Embed Indigenous and diverse identities across S&R spaces and places through visual images, signage, naming and ceremonies
• Set the standard in facility management, operations and ongoing maintenance
• Expand S&R program and service delivery through campus satellite and pop-up locations

Enabling Our Impact

Culture of Inclusion

• Place students at the centre of our pursuit for excellence
• Listen with purpose and curiosity to the diverse voices of students, staff, coaches and the communities we serve
• Bring out the best in one another through encouragement, empathy and empowerment
• Cultivate the conditions that encourage mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being
• Create a trust-based and safe environment for everyone to engage, make decisions, learn and grow
• Prioritize innovative ways to perform our work and advance S&R's vision and mission

High Performance S&R Team

• Create a sustainable organization structure with appropriate staffing levels to meet demand and unlock higher levels of agility and impact
• Intentionally diversify our workforce to reflect Western's student body and communities
• Mentor, train and empower the next generation of S&R leaders, staff and coaches
• Communicate often, transparently and collaboratively with staff and coaches
• Embed ongoing EDID training, awareness and mentoring across S&R
• Recognize and celebrate staff, coaches and team contributions and accomplishments

Enabling Infrastructure & Technology

• Spearhead a robust and innovative technology plan to power our strategic vision and goals
• Improve and expand website functionality and digital capacity
• Strengthen staff acumen to fully leverage technology across the portfolio
• Ensure staff workspaces are flexible, productive and welcoming
• Assess and improve S&R facilities' energy efficiency and strive for net-zero emissions

Sustaining our Impact

Resources

• Grow and diversify revenue-generating programs and revenue sources
• Invest in allocate resources to advance our strategic priorities and meet demand
• Actively engage with alumni, sponsors and donors to expand their philanthropic support for S&R
• Work with Alumni Relations to achieve our donation goals
• Respond to funding opportunities for one-time or special projects and needs
• Mobilize data to promote efficiencies, optimal facility utilization and capital improvements

Partnerships

• Accelerate S&R's outreach to children, youth and facilities to increase reciprocal engagement with our sport teams, events and programs
• Scale our partnership model across Western University and our external communities
• Champion and promote S&R's value promise by sharing stories of impact with Western leaders and the communities we serve and partner with
• Create inspirational promotion campaigns that showcase the benefits of sport and recreation

Accountability & Continuous Improvement

• Empower a Steering Committee to guide the implementation of the S&R strategic plan over the next five year and realize its full impact
• Monitor and analyze S&R implementation progress across the strategic plan pillars
• Use performance metrics and data to create actionable insights into student needs and behaviours and to inform opportunities for improvement and innovation
• Regularly scan our environment and stay ahead of evolving trends, opportunities and risks

Our Guiding Values

• Learning and Sharing
• Modelling the Way
• Accountability
• Inclusion and Equity
• Playing, Winning and Growing Together
• Change and Innovation

View Western Strategic Plan: Towards Western at 150

Download a PDF copy of the Sports & Recreation Strategic Game Plan: 2023-2028 (PDF)