Search

Articles

SIRC articles provide evidence-based and actionable insights from sport researchers, athletes, coaches, sport organizations and thought leaders to advance sport in Canada.

Pitch an Idea
Featured Article

The bounce-back illusion: Why real postpartum bodies deserve the spotlight

Let’s begin with a familiar image. A woman, newly postpartum, stands in her living room. Her baby is nestled in a sling across her chest, and she’s attempting something between a squat and a stretch while simultaneously rescuing a plush giraffe from under the couch. She is not wearing Lululemon. She has not “bounced back.”…

Mothers
Women and Girls
Read Article

Search Articles

Search
Showing 1-10 of 15 Results
Athlete Development
Health and Wellbeing
High Performance
Mental Health
Talent Identification

The hidden currents of Canadian sport: A deep dive with SIRC’s new podcast 
April 14, 2025
|
Paula Baker
In the world of sports, we often celebrate the visible: the gold medals, the game-winning goals, the perfect routines executed under the bright lights of competition. But beneath the surface of every athletic performance lies a complex web of forces—psychological,...
Read More
Children and Youth
Long-Term Development
Talent Identification

Beyond the Stats: Understanding Sleeper Athletes with Dr. Joe Baker
January 22, 2025
|
Paula Baker
In a sports culture obsessed with early success, Canada may be missing out on some of the best athletes, sleepers, those who develop later, defying the traditional timelines of talent. Dr. Joe Baker, a leading expert on talent development and...
Read More
Sport Participation Research Initiative
Talent Identification

Do you see what I see? Understanding talent selection in sport
January 15, 2024
|
Joe Baker
Introduction and Context  Over the past two decades there has been increasing interest in evidence-based approaches to talent selection and identification. This is often coupled with an emphasis on the early identification of ‘talented’ athletes, based on the assumption that...
Read More
Athlete Development
Sport Participation Research Initiative
Talent Identification

Identification of “sleeping” talent in elite ice-hockey using psychological characteristics 
February 13, 2023
|
Simon Grondin
In sports, some athletes currently under-perform compared to others, but end up excelling later in life, while some who currently perform well, end up under-performing later on. In other words, current performance is not necessarily a good predictor of potential...
Read More
Athlete Development
Children and Youth
Coaching
Talent Identification

For or Against? The Pros and Cons of Early Talent Identification in Sport
April 13, 2021
|
Aaron Koenigsberg, Jesse Korf, and Lou Farah, York University
Early Talent Identification (TID) describes the process of identifying, evaluating and selecting athletes for sport programs in early adolescence (ages 10-14). This practice has created a contentious issue in sport. On one hand, early selection may eliminate late bloomers from...
Read More
Athlete Development
Children and Youth
Long-Term Development
Physical Health
Sport Participation
Sport Participation Research Initiative
Talent Identification

The effects of adolescent physical growth and maturation on selection into sport and the long-term effects on sports participation
March 15, 2021
|
Adam Baxter-Jones
Project summary Sport Canada’s Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model acknowledges that there are limitations to ensuring appropriate development of team sports, especially with regards to selecting into chronological age (CA) bands. Adolescent of the same CA can be 4...
Read More
Athlete Development
Capacity Building
High Performance
Para Sport
Talent Identification

Supporting Podium Dreams – Paralympian Search and RBC Training Ground
January 11, 2021
|
Sydney Millar, SIRC
To support the identification and development of future Olympians and Paralympians, two Canadian programs have been developed to fuel the Canadian pipeline of future hopefuls. RBC Training Ground and the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Paralympian Search are athlete identification programs designed...
Read More
Children and Youth
Sport Participation Research Initiative
Talent Identification

Exploring contemporary issues in Canadian youth hockey: Experiences and perspectives of peewee players and elite hockey insiders
July 20, 2020
|
Sarah Jeffery-Tosoni
Project Summary Hockey has a profound impact on the values, attitudes, and behaviours of Canadians (Earle, 2002; Gruneau & Whitson, 1993; Nixon, 1976). Youth hockey in Canada has been the target of much recent criticism, with attention being called to...
Read More
Children and Youth
Coaching
Physical Health
Program Design and Evaluation
Talent Identification

Coming of Age With Relative Age Research: Origins, Consequences, and Potential Solutions
January 22, 2019
|
Laura Chittle, Jess C. Dixon, Sean Horton, and Joe Baker
On October 17, 2018, Relative Age Effects: An International Conference was hosted at York University where leading international scholars gathered to discuss the implications of athletes’ dates of birth on sport, health, and education. This article highlights the history of...
Read More
Athlete Development
Children and Youth
Coaching
Data and Analytics
High Performance
Program Design and Evaluation
Talent Identification

Issues in Athlete Identification and Selection: Are We Compromising Talent?
October 10, 2018
|
Joe Baker, Nick Wattie, and Jörg Schorer
Despite some important ethical and developmental concerns, early identification and selection is the modus operandi of high performance sport. Most sport systems internationally have limited resources for high performance athlete development and, as a result, have to make predictions about...
Read More

Help us, help you by completing SIRC’s new annual survey!

As Canada’s national Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), we’re here to support those involved in sport at all levels in Canada with the latest insights and resources. We want to know what you find most valuable about SIRC in our new survey!

Complete the survey now!

Through your answers, we hope to learn the best ways to support you by providing the latest insights and resources that have the most impact.

Sign up to Our Newsletter

News travels fast. Stay connected to sport and physical activity-related knowledge, news, jobs and resources through SIRC’s daily newsletter — The Canadian Sport Daily — delivered straight to your inbox.

"*" indicates required fields

Groups*
Skip to content