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

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FUN MAPS: Rethinking the joy of sport

For many, sport is synonymous with fun. Its why children sign up for soccer leagues, join hockey teams, and try out for rowing clubs. But what exactly makes sport fun? And how can coaches and program leaders ensure that fun isn’t just an afterthought, but a core component of the sport experience?  Dr. Erin Sharpe,…

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Showing 1-10 of 15 Results

The hidden currents of Canadian sport: A deep dive with SIRC’s new podcast 

April 14, 2025
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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,...

Cirque du Soleil: Bridging the gap between athletes and artists

February 5, 2025
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Paula Baker
Cirque du Soleil is renowned for its breathtaking performances, combining artistry, athleticism, and storytelling to create unparalleled spectacles. But how does this world-class organization find and transform its talent? André Lachance, Senior Director Casting and Artist Contract Management at Cirque...

Beyond the Stats: Understanding Sleeper Athletes with Dr. Joe Baker

January 22, 2025
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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...

Do you see what I see? Understanding talent selection in sport

January 15, 2024
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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...

Identification of “sleeping” talent in elite ice-hockey using psychological characteristics 

February 13, 2023
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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...

For or Against? The Pros and Cons of Early Talent Identification in Sport

April 13, 2021
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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...

Supporting Podium Dreams – Paralympian Search and RBC Training Ground

January 11, 2021
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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...

Exploring contemporary issues in Canadian youth hockey: Experiences and perspectives of peewee players and elite hockey insiders

July 20, 2020
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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...

Coming of Age With Relative Age Research: Origins, Consequences, and Potential Solutions

January 22, 2019
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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...

Issues in Athlete Identification and Selection: Are We Compromising Talent?

October 10, 2018
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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...

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