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,…
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...
Reflecting on my life’s journey, I’m profoundly struck by the transformative impact that sport has had on every facet of my life. The journey from a young sport enthusiast to an elite performer was marked by various challenges and triumphs,...
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...
As the calendar turns to a new year, the doors of opportunity swing wide open, especially within the Canadian sport sector. Teams are actively seeking the right individuals to fuel their ambitious objectives, aiming to build momentum in the months...
Organizations deserve exemplary governance. And yet, few boards perform at this level. I believe every board wants to shape a meaningful future for the organization it is governing. If it is do this a board needs to achieve 3 outcomes...
This past winter, the world’s most viewed sport mega-event, the FIFA Men’s World Cup, was held in Qatar. As a “pure” sporting spectacle, Qatar 2022 counts as one of the most compelling sport mega-events in history, with the (arguably) greatest...
Paul Varian is a sport-management consultant and thought-leader with experience at all levels of the sport sector, from community and amateur sport to large national governing bodies. Throughout his long career in sport, Varian has served as the Chief Executive...
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...
Sport is the most watched, celebrated, supported, and engaging social endeavour in the world (Hulteen et coll., 2017). Sport is inherently emotionally and narratively captivating, embodying and upholding principles of positive and sustainable human, social, and environmental development. But the...
Highlights: 2 Loops Theory of Change seeks to describe and model organizations as living beings with life cycles Indigenous sport leader, Dorothy Paul, advocates for 2 Loops Theory as a lens to consider cultural shift within the Canadian sport sector ...
