Scott Julé, the Council’s Manager of Sport Medicine Programs and Services, recently announced his intention to retire after 30 years (1993 – 2024) of outstanding and dedicated service to the Council, our clients, the athletes, and coaches of Saskatchewan. Scott started his career within the Sask Sport Inc system in 1988, and was hired in 1993 as the Sport Medicine Council’s first Programs Coordinator, on a part-time basis. That year he established our first promotional program/display, as well as managing the Event Coverage Program and the Sport Safety Program. We then hired him on a full-time basis in 1994. Throughout the past 30 years, Scott has been the driving force behind the development and implementation of new programs as well as the expansion of numerous projects, programs, and services the Council has offered throughout the years, and in most cases is still offering today.
To list all of his accomplishments and achievements would be impossible but I do want to touch on just a few that have left a lasting mark on the Council and amateur sport in Saskatchewan.
The area of Sport Safety was one that he campaigned hard on. His endless commitment of communication to provincial sport governing bodies to ensure they had proper sport first aid training as well as 1st aid kits and supplies for the safety of their athletes. This resulted in the establishment of our Sport 1st Aid Kit and Supply Sales program, as well as the development of the Sport Safety Program. He continues to be the provincial ‘go-to-guy’ when it comes to the medical policies and requirements for multi-sport games. He also acts as a consultant to Host Medical Committees for various provincial, regional, and national championships. It was Scott who oversaw the development of our multi-sport games medical coverage policy manual that has been used for years by Major Games Host Medical Committees. He was the key player in the revisions of the Council’s Medical Coverage of Events Program policies that is now used today as the standard system for all PSO hosted events.
Another area of Scott’s major and long-lasting achievements was the establishment and management of our Drug Education and Awareness Program which initially started in the early-1990’s after the Ben Johnson Steroid Scandal at the Seoul Olympics. One of his early accomplishments with this program was the development of an award-winning educational Body-Image video and lesson plans that became part of the Saskatchewan Education grade 6 – 9 curriculum. Scott’s involvement in drug education initiatives didn’t end there. He was the lead person in the development of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Lebret Eagles Drug Education and Testing Program, and was recognized by the SJHL at a media conference for his efforts. Scott also chaired the Sask Health SCN Drugs and Sport Training Workshop that was televised to 27 sites across Saskatchewan. Scott’s passion in this area was never more evident than when the Council was short on workshop facilitators. He took it upon himself to attend a National Doping Control Officer training workshop so he could meet the requirements to be one of the Council’s workshop instructors. He estimates that over the years he reached over 5,000 athletes, coaches, and parents with his message of fair play and competing ‘drug-free’.
Another area where Scott has left his mark on the Council is our Professional Development Program. He initiated a review of this area with our membership which resulted in the establishment of our current Professional Development Committee and Program. In years past, Scott managed our Sport Med Rounds professional development program which later evolved into our Sport Med Saturday’s professional development program. Scott has also always played a lead role in all the professional development conferences we have hosted. This was never more evident than in 2013 when he essentially organized and hosted our 25th Anniversary two-day conference on his own.
To list Scott’s major committee involvement would take an entire page, but a few must be noted. He was instrumental in organizing the Luncheon and Silent Auction featuring Donovan Bailey that raised $4,500 for KidSport and the SMCS. He was the Assistant Vice-President for the Medical Services Division with the 2005 Canada Summer Games Medical Coordinating Committee. He was also involved with the 2014 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) as part of the Management Committee and was a consultant and project manager for the games medical committee. He acted as the medical consultant for the World Children’s Baseball Fair when it was hosted in Regina back in 2000.
Within the Councils’ Concussion Education portfolio, Scott represented the Council on the Provincial Government’s Concussion in Sport Committee in an advisory and resource provision, and acted in the lead role in the development of the Council’s Concussion Education Program developing resources, hosting workshops, program promotion, and working with the PSGBs to ensure they all have concussion management plans in place.
The last three to four years saw Scott at his ‘passionate’ best as he made it a goal to have meetings with all 65 Provincial Sport Governing bodies in the hope that every one of them would use, or at least consider utilizing some of the Council’s services and programs.
As you can see Scott has been a major contributor to the Council and has had an outstanding career. Please join me in congratulating Scott on his 30 years of service and wishing him good luck in his retirement. (He can be reached at s.jule@sasktel.net).
Sincerely,
Mark Henry
Executive Director