What we’re working toward

The road to recognition

What it takes for functional fitness to become a recognised sport in Canada, where CF3 stands on each requirement, and what you can do to move it.

Who we are

Canada's functional fitness federation

CF3 is the national governing body for functional fitness in Canada, and Canada’s member of the International Functional Fitness Federation. Volunteer-run, non-profit, incorporated in 2017, and funded entirely by athlete and club registrations.

Sanction events
Set standards
Train officials
Select Team Canada

What we're working toward

Sport Canada recognition

Recognition is the unlock.Sport Canada funds national sport organisations through its Sport Support Program, and the athletes those organisations select through the Athlete Assistance Program. It is the only realistic route to CF3 ever covering athlete travel and full kit for the team we send to Worlds, to year-round officials’ training that is free to every official, and to a federation with staff rather than volunteers alone.

Right now, every dollar we have comes from memberships and registrations. The numbers are published: see where the money goes.

In one sentence

Sport Canada recognises “the single national governing body recognized by the International Federation”for a sport, whose programs reach beyond one province. To get there, both halves have to be true: the sport’s world federation has to be recognised, and the Canadian body has to meet the program’s standards.

The scoreboard

What actually counts

Sport Canada’s application guidelines set out who qualifies and what an organisation has to show. Boiled down, recognition is measured on four things. Beside each requirement is where CF3 stands today.

A recognised sport, internationally

Sport Canada looks for one national body “recognized by the International Federation” for the sport. The federation itself has to be recognised too: the route into the Olympic movement now runs through SportAccord and the Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport, whose criteria for a summer sport include two years of operation, non-profit status, 60 approved national federations on at least three continents, signing the World Anti-Doping Code, published statutes, elections and audited accounts, and a world championship calendar. Senior results at those world championships are what a national programme is judged on.

CF3 is the single national body for functional fitness in Canada, recognised by iF3
CF3 is Canada’s member federation of the International Functional Fitness Federation and selects Team Canada for its world championships.
In place
iF3's own recognition by SportAccord and the IOC
iF3 has 67member federations and runs world championships every year. It applied to GAISF in 2018; GAISF has since dissolved and iF3 is waiting on SportAccord’s new membership process. This part is iF3’s to finish; CF3’s contribution is a strong, well-governed national member.
In progress

Registered clubs across the country

A national sport organisation must be “national in scope”, with “programs and services that are nationwide extending beyond a province or territory”. The guidelines also define sport as competition “sanctioned by the recognized governing body” that “requires the onsite presence of officials sanctioned by the sport governing body”. Clubs in every province, provincial bodies, and sanctioned events judged by trained officials are how that is shown.

A National Championship, sanctioned events and trained officials
CF3 runs the National Championships, sanctions local competitions, publishes movement standards and certifies technical officials through a three-level pathway.
In place
Registered clubs and provincial bodies in every province
Registered clubs appear on the club map; provincial federations are being brought into one national season. Coverage is still concentrated where events have been held.
In progress

Registered members

Participation is counted in registered people: athletes, officials, coaches and volunteers whose membership of the national body can be shown. An athlete who competes on a CF3 membership, an official on the certified list and a club on the register are each a line of evidence that the sport is organised nationally rather than event by event.

A national membership and a public profile for every registered person
The Athlete Annual Membership keeps a profile active, counts toward national rankings and qualifies athletes for Nationals and Worlds.
In place
Membership that reflects the whole sport, not just the people who competed this year
Growing the base in every province is the work of the next seasons; every registration moves the count.
In progress

Governance and documentation standards

The guidelines require an incorporated non-profit in good standing that adopts the Canadian Safe Sport Program and the Canadian Anti-Doping Program, and that meets five governance requirements: a strategic plan; a diverse, trained board with athlete representation; internal financial controls; governance documents made public; and discipline and appeal procedures with access to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. An application also needs audited or board-approved financial statements, operational plans and budgets, and compliance with official-languages requirements.

Incorporated non-profit in good standing
Incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act in 2017; the filings are on the register.
In place
Governance documents published
By-law, codes of conduct, committee frameworks, the Delegation of Authority Matrix and meeting records are on the public register at permanent addresses.
In place
Discipline and appeals with access to the SDRCC
The Discipline and Complaints Policy routes appeals to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, with an independent arbitrator until CF3 is eligible.
In place
Internal financial controls
The Delegation of Authority Matrix sets who may decide what and spend what, and the board has adopted it.
In place
Financial statements and budgets
The 2024–25 statements are prepared and with the board for approval; Nationals accounts are published.
In progress
Canadian Safe Sport Program
The codes of conduct are written to the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport; formal adoption of the Canadian Safe Sport Program is the next step.
In progress
Canadian Anti-Doping Program
The Athlete Code already requires compliance with the Canadian Anti-Doping Program and iF3’s rules; formal adoption of the program with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport is next.
In progress
A trained, diverse board with athlete representation
Athletes sit on every hearing panel under the by-law, and an athlete director seat is being added.
In progress
Strategic plan and official languages
A published strategic plan, and French editions of the register and the officials’ materials, are in progress.
In progress

That is what we are building toward, and it is where our time and money go.

The plan

Three levers

Better officiating

Year-round Technical Official trainingand published movement standards, so every event in Canada is judged to the same line. Sanctioned officials on the floor are part of Sport Canada’s definition of a sport, and the officials database is already shared with iF3.

More clubs and members

Accessibility in every province, not just where the events happen. Registered clubs, provincial seasons that feed the national one, and a membership that counts everyone who takes part.

Documented governance

Codes of conduct, sanctioning agreements and published finances, kept on a register anyone can read, and the safe sport and anti-doping programs adopted in full.

Your part

Where you come in

Club registrations directly fund Team Canada.

Sources

Sport Support Program — application guidelines for national sport organisations (Canadian Heritage)
National Sport Organization — Sport Support Program (Canadian Heritage)
AIMS membership criteria for international federations (SportAccord)
International Functional Fitness Federation