SIRC articles provide evidence-based and actionable insights from sport researchers, athletes, coaches, sport organizations and thought leaders to advance sport in Canada.
Superstars or a super-team? Building capacity to play like a championship team
What makes a winning team? Is it raw talent, star power, or an overflowing budget? Think again. The most successful teams—on the field or in the office—don’t just rely on superstars. They thrive on balance, leadership, and a collective drive that turns a group of individuals into an unstoppable force. Take the 1972 Miami Dolphins,…
Introduction The Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) was introduced to the Canadian sport system at the national level in 2022. It may be time to think about its role across the entire sport...
Sports fans are all intimately familiar with the rules of their favourite sports: what’s allowed, and what will get you penalized. Many are less familiar with the behind-the-scenes rules that protect athletes and the integrity of sport itself. Why protect...
Safe sport and safeguarding in sport have become top priorities for the Canadian sport sector. Prevalence studies have revealed that athletes across different levels of sport frequently experience maltreatment (Alexander et coll., 2011; Vertommen et coll., 2016; US Center for...
You’d be hard pressed to visit a large Canadian city these days and not see a billboard for sports gambling. Maybe you’ve noticed a similar trend while watching TV, of athletes and celebrities telling us not only which sports books...
Highlights With the exception of CBD, cannabinoids remain prohibited by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport during the competition phase of the athletic season and therefore are not to be used by athletes Although some cannabis and CBD products...
This article is the third and final piece in a special series that explores how Canadian sport leaders are adapting and innovating to safeguard the well-being of athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major games...
Megan Cumming, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES)
Anti-doping is often thought to be exclusive to high-performance sport. Athletes are whisked away from the public eye after winning events to have urine and blood collected. It’s true that testing athletes at competitions is an important element of a...
In this highly-anticipated SIRC webinar, Politics vs Principle: retaining integrity in sport, and why it matters, Beckie Scott discussed the importance of ethics and integrity in sport and safeguarding the rights of athletes in the face of increasing pressures to...
Canada’s Olympic history is a decorated one. There have been so many moments of note that we sometimes need reminding of what has transpired as the years pass as the medals pile up. For instance, February 2018 marked twenty years...
The legalization of cannabis in October 2018 has significant implications on the Canadian sport system, ranging from anti-doping policy, to athlete and staff safety and wellbeing, to risk management for organizations. In November, Julia Dales, Associate Lawyer with Dentons, joined SIRC...
