Sport Solution Clinic
The Sport Solution Clinic is a program of AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s National Team and Olympic and Paralympic Athletes, in conjunction with Western Law School.
AthletesCAN is the only fully independent and most inclusive athlete organization in the country and the first organization of its kind in the world. As the collective voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture.
Sport Solution is the only program of its kind in North America and is available to all members of AthletesCAN. To keep up-to-date with all things Sport Solution, please follow us @sportsolutionclinic on Instagram.
Our Mission
Sport Solution is committed to supporting an athlete-centred sport system and strives to achieve this objective by counselling and advocating on behalf of Canada’s high performance athletes so their voices are properly represented when resolving the sport related issues that affect them.
The Clinic
Sport Solution offers Western Law students the opportunity to assist Canadian athletes in preventing and resolving sport-related legal issues. Each year 8 first-year law students join the Clinic as caseworkers, whose responsibilities range from legal research to drafting of athlete agreements. 4 upper-year students provide mentor support as case managers, facilitating the relationship between athletes and caseworkers. 5 upper-year Program Managers oversee the Clinic as a whole, interacting with athletes and National Sport Organizations (NSOs) while directing the day-to-day operation of the Clinic in a leadership role. Program Managers are hired following their first year and hold the position until graduation, but are able to seek summer employment away from the Clinic following second year.
Supervising Lawyer
Amanda Fowler
Amanda Fowler is the Supervising Lawyer of the Sport Solution Clinic at Western’s Faculty of Law. Amanda started her sports law career when she represented a college baseball player who was drafted to a major league team. Shortly after, she began practicing sports law by representing Olympic, high-performance and amateur athletes in various sport disputes, including team non-selections, improper carding nominations, human rights and doping infractions. Amanda has successfully represented Canadian and international athletes at the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. One of her most memorable cases was being involved with the Caster Semenya appeal. She continues to advise professional athletes, sport organization and teams. In 2017, Amanda was a pro bono lawyer for the Invictus Games in Toronto.
Program Managers
Anthony Crudo
Anthony Crudo is a second-year law student at Western University. He received a Bachelor of Applied Science at Queen’s University in Computer Engineering. During Crudo’s first year of law school, he volunteered as a Caseworker with the Sport Solution Clinic.
Prior to attending law school, Anthony worked at an international aerospace company and a smart technology start-up. Throughout his professional career, he gained valuable experience working to promote clients’ interests and interacting with multidisciplinary teams. Anthony has also worked with many local and international non-profit organizations through which he supported initiatives including combating youth houselessness and promoting diversity and inclusivity within STEM-related fields.
Anthony is very excited to continue his work with the Sport Solution clinic as a Program Manager. He has a passion for advocacy and focuses on using an empathetic lens in understanding the athlete’s perspective when approaching any case. Anthony is committed to serving Canadian athletes and upholding the Clinic’s high standard of excellence.
Samuel Gan
Samuel Gan is a third-year JD/MBA student at Western. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from St. Francis Xavier University before working for two years in a technology start-up. During Sam’s first two years of law school, he volunteered with Project Consent for Pro Bono Students Canada, where he provided consent education to local high school students.
Sam competed in U SPORTS with the Western Mustangs track and field team and the St. Francis Xavier X-Men varsity football and track & field teams. With extensive experience in team and individual sports, Sam values the diversity of approaches to high-performance athletics and understands the challenges of balancing the pursuit of greatness in sport with the stresses of everyday responsibilities.
Sam is excited to be continuing with the Sport Solution Clinic as a Program Manager and eager to contribute to the important work of supporting Canadian athletes. Through his work, Sam hopes to remove obstacles and issues faced by athletes so they can focus on being the best that they can be.
Hannah Herrington
Hannah Herrington is a second-year law student at Western University, after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Health, Society and Policy from the University of Utah. She relocated to Vancouver after graduation, where she served as a key member of the provincial health authority and drove the development of innovative and strategic policies.
Her expertise in health care and human resources equips her with a unique ability to navigate complex and fast-paced environments, making her a valuable resource for clients with time-sensitive or multifaceted matters.
During her first year of law school, Hannah volunteered as a Caseworker with Sport Solution, further fueling her passion for advocating for athletes and eliminating obstacles hindering their success. With an interest in health policy, she is particularly invested in the safe sport movement and is eager to help athletes safeguard their physical and mental well-being. As she transitions into the role of Program Manager, she is excited to continue contributing to the clinic's crucial work in empowering athletes.
Safiya Nanji
Safiya Nanji is a third-year law student at Western University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University and a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University, where she specialized in human rights. Her thesis focused on the exploitation and abuse pertaining to restorative justice in international conflict zones.
Prior to law school, Safiya interned at Parliament and Physicians for Human Rights, where she gained valuable experience instituting change at both the grassroots and macro-policy levels. These transferable skills will be particularly beneficial in serving clients’ interests and communicating with large organizations.
During her first year of law school, Safiya worked with the Sport Solution Clinic as a caseworker and thoroughly enjoyed combining her passion for advocacy and sports. She has been particularly interested in the area of safe sport and ensuring that all athletes have a safe physical and mental training environment. Safiya is excited to be taking on the role of a Program Manager and is committed to upholding the Clinic’s high standard in serving and supporting Canadian athletes.
Dylan Romero-Marshall 
Dylan Romero-Marshall is a second-year law student at Western University with a Bachelor of Arts in Justice, Political Philosophy, and Law from McMaster University. During his first year, he volunteered as a Caseworker with the Sport Solution Clinic and the Community Workshops project with Pro Bono Students Canada.
Prior to law school, Dylan was a U SPORTS varsity athlete with the McMaster Marauders men’s volleyball team for five years, helping the team capture multiple Ontario championships and national medals. Outside of sports, Dylan volunteered his time in giving back to the community through a local organization, sparking a keen interest in advocacy.
As a Program Manager at the Sport Solution Clinic, Dylan is excited to combine his passions for advocacy and sports. He is determined to maintain the clinic's high standard of excellence in supporting Canadian athletes. His commitment to service, and passion for advocacy make him a valuable asset to the clinic and the broader legal community.
Laura Wade
Laura Wade is a third-year law student at Western. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and criminology from St. Thomas University (STU). Prior to attending law school, she worked in the field of corporate law policy and operations to which she gained transferable skills in research and promoting client’s interests.
During her undergraduate degree, Laura was involved in the athletics community and administration which sparked a passion for advocating for athletes. She was further involved in the Senate Committee at STU, where she represented the student population and advocated for more regard for students’ mental health in academic affairs.
Laura is quite excited to be involved with the Sport Solution Clinic as a Program Manager. She is committed to upholding the Clinic’s standard of excellence while supporting and advocating on behalf of athletes. This opportunity to utilize her skills combined with her legal education and passion for sports will allow her to empower athletes, which she is very much looking forward to.
Legal Services
Sport Solution responds to the needs of athletes on a full range of issues including:
General Inquiries and Concerns
Call Early! Sport Solution provides athletes with the relevant information to answer any sport-related legal question. This can often have a preventative function – if the athlete is given the proper information regarding a seemingly small inquiry at an early stage, this will reduce the likelihood that the situation will evolve into a more serious issue in the future.
National Sport Organization Procedures
National Sport Organizations (NSOs) are the bodies that govern sports in Canada (for example, Volleyball Canada). When procedural issues between athletes and NSOs arise, Sport Solution students research and analyze established policies to provide athletes with a clear understanding of their claim or the tools to resolve the situation.
Appeals
If an NSO renders a decision that an athlete disagrees with, Sport Solution can assist the athlete in appealing the decision (on procedural grounds). Common appeal issues include team selection, funding and doping. Sport Solution students may assist athletes at all levels of appeal, from the internal appeal within the NSO to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC).
Mediation and Arbitration
The SDRCC is a national alternative dispute mechanism tailored to the fit the needs of the Canadian sport community. If an athlete has an issue that is serious enough to require the services of the SDRCC, Sport Solution students may assist athletes with drafting their documents and advising them on the appeal process. Advocacy for athletes at mediation or arbitration may be provided on a case-by-case basis with direct support from the supervising lawyer and/or pro bono counsel.
Specific Issues We Advise On
- General Inquiries and Concerns
- Athlete Agreements
- NSO Procedures
- SDRCC Procedures
- Safe Sport Procedures
- How to Prepare for NSO Appeals and Arbitration at the SDRCC
The areas of administrative sport law dealt with at the clinic are:
- Team Selection
- AAP Funding / Carding
- Safe Sport
- Discipline
- Other Sport Related Legal Concerns
Sport Solution Publications
Sport Solution students provide regular content to AthletesCAN, the SDRCC and Western Law that reviews common concerns within the sporting community and tips on how to deal with these topics.
Recent Sport Solution publications include:
- A Western Law Blog Post “Making sport safer: the Sport Solution Clinic and the changing nature of sport disputes”
- An SDRCC Newsletter Article on Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter
- Resource to Support Athletes Navigate Potential Anti-Doping Violations
- The 2008 Western Law Alumni Magazine featured an article about the Sport Solution Clinic.
Hours of Operation
2023 Summer Regular Office Hours: [May 1 – August 25]
- Monday to Friday 10am-5pm Eastern Standard Time
2023 Fall Semester Regular Office Hours: [September 18 – December 7]
- Monday to Friday 10am-5pm Eastern Standard Time
2023 Winter Semester Regular Office Hours: [January 8 – April 11, 2024]
- Monday to Friday 10am-5pm Eastern Standard Time
2023/24 Sessional Dates Where the Clinic Will Be Closed
- November 6 – 10 - Fall Study Break
- December 11 – 22 - Fall Term Examination Period
- December 23 – January 8 - January Winter Break
- February 19 – 23 - Winter Study Week
- April 15 – 26 - Winter Examination Period
Contact Information
Email: sportsolution@athletescan.ca
Facebook: @AthletesCAN
Instagram: @sportsolutionclinic
Prospective Students: If you have any questions regarding Sport Solution, or how to get involved, do not hesitate to email us.
Athletes: CALL EARLY! Sport Solution can better address your needs before the problem escalates. At the Sport Solution, you, the athlete, control the dispute resolution process - we're here to give you the tools to resolve the problem.
Before making contact, it is recommended to organize any relevant information you may have available into digital files creating a background of your situation. This will allow the program managers to efficiently investigate the issue and provide you with a timely response.Disclaimer
Sport Solution is a program of AthletesCAN, the association of Canada's national team athletes. The Program Managers, case managers and caseworkers of the Sport Solution program are law students who can provide athletes with legal information and resources on: sport dispute resolution procedures, athlete agreements and contracts, selection and discipline procedures in sport, and related legal and policy issues.
The Sport Solution Program Managers, case managers and caseworkers are not lawyers and they cannot provide legal advice or opinion. AthletesCAN respects an individual's privacy and any personal or confidential information that is provided to the Sport Solution will be used solely to assist the athlete with their issue or concern, and will not be shared with others without the athlete's consent.
