Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

MERIT Sports Platform Inc. (“Merit,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the Merit Sports platform, including the website at meritsports.ca and our mobile applications (collectively, the “Service”). We are a Canadian company and our data is stored on servers located in Canada.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Account information: name, email address, and password when you register.
• Player profile data: date of birth (encrypted at rest), jersey number, position, and sports registration number where applicable.
• Performance data: game statistics, evaluation scores, and season history recorded by coaches and evaluators.
• Roster and team data: team memberships, roles (coach, manager, parent, etc.), and availability.
• Financial information: registration fees and payment records are processed by our third-party payment processor. Merit does not store full card numbers or banking details.
• Volunteer information: volunteer credentials, certifications, and availability windows.
• Communications: messages sent through in-app team chat, emails, and feature requests submitted through the platform.
• Device information: push notification tokens for sending game and event alerts to your device.
• Usage data: pages visited and features used, collected through our error-monitoring service to improve platform reliability.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected:

• To create and manage your account and authenticate your identity.
• To operate team and league management features, including rosters, schedules, and evaluations.
• To process registration fees and record payment history.
• To send transactional emails (invitations, schedule updates, reminders) and push notifications you have opted into.
• To calculate and display career statistics and milestone achievements.
• To coordinate volunteer assignments and send duty reminders.
• To maintain coach safety records in accordance with applicable sport-governing body requirements.
• To improve the platform through anonymized usage analytics and error reporting.

We do not sell personal information to third parties. We do not use personal information for targeted advertising outside of the Merit platform.

4. Children’s Privacy

Merit Sports is used by sports associations that manage programs for minors. Where an association is designated as a minor association, player profiles, statistics, and evaluation records are accessible only to authenticated members of that association. Minor player profiles are not publicly searchable. Date of birth information for minor players is encrypted at rest and is used solely for age-group verification and registration eligibility.

Parents or guardians may contact us at any time to request access to, correction of, or deletion of their child’s personal information.

5. Disclosure of Information

We share personal information only in the following circumstances:

• Within your association: Coaches, managers, and association administrators can view roster and stat information for the teams they are authorized to manage.
• Service providers: We use trusted third-party service providers for database hosting, email delivery, payment processing, push notifications, and error monitoring. These providers are contractually prohibited from using your information for any purpose other than providing services to us.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of our users or the public.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal information may be transferred, with notice provided to affected users.

6. Data Storage and Retention

All personal information is stored on servers located in Canada. We retain personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Coach safety records (including incident logs and suspension records) are retained for a minimum of seven years in accordance with sport-governing body standards. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time; requests will be processed within 30 days.

7. Security

We use industry-standard security measures including encryption in transit (TLS), encryption at rest for sensitive fields (including date of birth), role-based access controls limiting who within your association can view your information, and regular security reviews. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to protecting your information using commercially reasonable practices.

8. Your Rights

Under PIPEDA you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Withdraw consent for non-essential communications (such as marketing emails) at any time using the unsubscribe link in any email.
• Request deletion of your account and personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
• File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at meritsports.ca/contact.

9. Push Notifications

If you use our mobile application, we may send push notifications for game reminders, RSVP requests, roster updates, and other team events. You can disable push notifications at any time through your device settings. Disabling push notifications does not affect your ability to use the platform.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify users by email or through a notice on the platform at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us: