Jennifer Bennett, Director of Safe Sport and Integrity
Tennis Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Bennett as the Director of Safe Sport and Integrity. Bennett will spearhead Tennis Canada’s commitment to create a safe and positive environment for the tennis community at every level of the sport.
In collaboration with Eva Havaris, Vice-President of Tennis Participation and Partnerships, Jennifer Bennett will provide leadership and expertise in safeguarding best practices, and risk management considerations in the tennis ecosystem through leading and engaging the development of quality safe sport that ensure organizational compliance to its safe sport policies, protocols, and relevant legislation. She will also respond to, and support, the needs of Tennis Canada Members and key stakeholders in the identification and deliver of safe sport training and education, policies and processes, to foster a safe environment within which participants, athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and all those involved have positive tennis experiences.
“I am very excited to welcome Jennifer to Tennis Canada as our new Director of Safe Sport and Integrity, said Eva Havaris. “She is an established leader that has a wealth of experience to continue the great work that Ilan Yampolsky has done to create a safe sport education and training environment at Tennis Canada. Working with internal and external stakeholders, Jennifer will champion several initiatives that continue Tennis Canada’s objective to be a leader in Canadian sports emphasizes and establishes a safe and inclusive culture on and off the court at all levels.”
Bennett joins Tennis Canada with an impressive and dynamic background in sports that includes the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Pan Am Games, Ministry of Health Promotion, and the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations. She has also been a professor at Humber College in Sport Management and Sport Business Management since 2012. As Chef de Mission (2017, 2019) and Assistant Chef de Mission (2022) at the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Bennett was responsible for developing and implementing a safe sport strategy for Team Ontario.
“I am excited to join Tennis Canada in this incredibly important role,” said Bennett. “Tennis Canada is committed to fostering a sport environment that is safe for all participants and I look forward to working with everyone involved to advance our safe sport initiatives.”
Over the course of three years, Tennis Canada has developed programs under the guidance of former Director of Safe Sport and Integrity, Ilan Yampolsky, to ensure a safe sports environment. Yampolsky established and made available resources for youth, parents, officials, and the organization, including Safe Sport Workplans, Support Resources and Educational Resources that have all contributed to Tennis Canada’s inclusive environment. Yampolsky implemented guidelines and a foundation for Tennis Canada to continue to be proactive and educate about creating a safe environment for everyone. Under his leadership, Tennis Canada worked with the Provincial Tennis Associations (PTA) to introduce a new Safe Sport Code of Conduct in 2021; and laid the foundation for a cross-country alignment in safe sport and mandatory requirements for screening and education for coaches and instructors in every member tennis club. His expertise and impact have been invaluable to the organization, and Yampolsky’s new company ITP Sport & Recreation will continue to work with Bennett and Tennis Canada promoting safe sport, inclusivity, and integrity.
Fostering a sport environment that is safe for all participants, at all levels of competition, is everyone’s responsibility. For information about Tennis Canada’s policies and commitment to safe sport and creating a safe and healthy environment, please click here.
