SIRC articles provide evidence-based and actionable insights from sport researchers, athletes, coaches, sport organizations and thought leaders to advance sport in Canada.
Concussions in Sport: What Parents Need to Know About the Youngest Athletes
Each year in Canada, more than 200,000 athletes experience a concussion. The numbers are striking, and so is the fact that until recently, the youngest athletes were almost absent from research and public conversation about these injuries. Dr. Miriam Beauchamp is a professor at the University of Montreal, a researcher at Sainte-Justine Hospital, and Canada…
The Spark In January 2025, She is Active New Brunswick launched Behind the Whistle, a storytelling series that showcases women officials from across the province. What began as a routine social media post celebrating 3 basketball officials for their recent...
A leading sport administrator, with over 3 decades of experience working with some of the biggest sport bodies in the country, says the kind of abuse faced by referees at all levels of sport in Canada has reached a “crisis”...
Project Summary This study examines the prevalence, causes, and responses to parental violence, aggression, and abuse in minor hockey in Canada. It draws on 122 semi-structured, qualitative interviews with minor hockey stakeholders across Canada, and the textual analysis of media...
Highlights “They’re not yelling at you. They’re yelling at your shirt,” is the refrain that Nicole Pagliaro, a Harassment Officer for the Huronia District Soccer Association, repeats to her young referees, so that they’re armed with mental defenses for dealing...
Project abstract In general, sport is seen as a powerful contributor to social and personal development (Sport Canada, 2002). The benefits of physical activity and sport have been the subject of numerous studies (Gendron et al., 2005; Parfitt & Eston,...
Project Summary Research focusing on the development of psychological skills in sport, has been conducted primarily with athletes and coaches. However, we know little on how to assist officials to enhance their performance. Thus, the general objective of this research...
Sport officials play a vital role within sport and should be viewed along the same lines as coaches within the sport system in regards to participation and development. Officials should not be viewed as just service providers, but rather as...
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