Game Plan welcomes new Mental Health Manager

TORONTO (May 10, 2021) – The Game Plan partners – the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network (COPSI Network) and Sport Canada – are pleased to announce Krista Van Slingerland in the newly created position of Mental Health Manager, Game Plan. 

“We are extremely happy to welcome Krista to our team as we evolve our services to athletes,” said Cara Button, Senior Manager, Game Plan.  “Our Steering Committee recognized the need for this role and the impact it could have for athletes and national sport organizations. I commend them for supporting this new position. It is another initiative that cements Game Plan as a world leading program.”  

The Game Plan Mental Health Manager is responsible for the implementation and communication of the Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada.  The objective of this position is to ensure that the Canadian sport system has world-class mental health programming and support. 

Krista is one of the Co-Founders of the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport and served as its Executive Director for two years. During that time, she significantly contributed to the Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada.  She is finishing her PhD in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa and has also worked on policy development at the Canadian Medical Association. Krista was an Academic All-Canadian varsity basketball player with a solid understanding of the sport system in Canada.  She is a gifted communicator and an expert in the field of mental health.  

“I feel incredibly privileged to step into this role and to be joining the Game Plan team,” said Van Slingerland. “It’s a signal to athletes, coaches, and support staff that their mental health matters, and that the sport system cares about their physical and mental health. I look forward to contributing to a thriving Team Canada.”  

Krista is based out of the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario and will be working closely with stakeholders from across the sport system to align mental health services and education available to athletes. 

About Game Plan
Game Plan, which is proudly powered by Deloitte, was developed in collaboration with Sport Partners at the Canadian Olympic Committee, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Sport Canada and Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network (COPSIN). Game Plan’s stakeholders continue to work together to provide athletes with the support and resources they need to thrive on and off the field of play.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Cara Button
Game Plan Senior National Manager
cbutton@olympic.ca