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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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Cirque du Soleil: Bridging the gap between athletes and artists

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 du Soleil, shared insights into the fascinating process of talent acquisition and development, where elite…

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How 2 sports came together to enhance player development in the North

October 6, 2021
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Adam Steiner and Veronica Allan, SIRC
From February 23 to April 4, 2021, in Hay River, Northwest Territories, 7 minor hockey goalies traded in their hockey sticks for table tennis rackets. In an exciting collaboration between Table Tennis North, Table Tennis Canada, Hockey NWT, Hockey North, Hay River Minor...

Is technology a coach’s ally or Achilles’ heel? 4 questions to ask

September 22, 2021
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Johann Windt and Ben Sporer, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Over a coffee, we recently reminisced about different sporting environments we’ve worked in and how many times we’ve seen expensive technological solutions sit in a corner, collecting dust. Perhaps you can relate to the pattern. A new technology hits the...

Building a culture of excellence in high performance sport

July 19, 2021
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SIRC with Own the Podium
Highlights In sport, culture can determine a team’s focus and how members communicate and deal with conflict. Culture also establishes norms of acceptable behaviour and directly influences functioning and performance. Own the Podium, alongside partners the Canadian Paralympic Committee and...

Next Steps in the Safe Sport Journey: From Prevention of Harm to Optimizing Experiences

April 19, 2021
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Gretchen Kerr, University of Toronto
Highlights At its core, the Safe Sport movement is about optimizing the sport experience for all—athletes, coaches, sport administrators, officials, support staff, and others in the sport environment. Broader societal changes have influenced the Safe Sport movement:  Changing approaches to...

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...

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport: What Coaches Need to Know

January 11, 2021
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Megan Kuikman, Registered Dietitian
Mary Cain, a former record-breaking phenom, made a different type of headline when she spoke up about the pressure she faced to lose weight that caused her to disappear from the running scene (Cain, 2019). Cain’s willingness to speak up...

Maximizing Social Learning Spaces in Sport Organizations: A Story about Creating Value

January 11, 2021
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Diane Culver and Tiago Duarte, University of Ottawa
The global knowledge society is one in which we can never know everything we will need to know to be successful – something the pandemic has brought into sharp focus. Sport leaders need an agile method capable of gathering knowledge...

Giving Due Deliberation to Masters Athletes: The Time has Come

January 11, 2021
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Bradley Young, Scott Rathwell, and Bettina Callary
Paradoxically, Masters sport is equally celebrated and ignored. Masters athletes are celebrated because they are motivated, goal-oriented, and determined to thrive at ages when sport participation has traditionally waned – they defeat stereotypes and allow us to rethink possibilities. Yet...

Self-Compassion in Sport 101

January 11, 2021
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Nathan Reis, Kent Kowalski, Amber Mosewich, and Leah Ferguson
If you have been involved in the coaching or administrative side of competitive sport, chances are you have seen athletes experience emotionally difficult setbacks. These setbacks can range from devastating performance failures (e.g., “choking” during an important competition), to facing...

Community parasport – The experiences of female youth

December 15, 2020
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Mikaeli Cavell, Nick Wattie, and Meghann Lloyd
The upcoming Tokyo Paralympics will be an opportunity to inspire the next generation of Canadian Paralympians. However, without strong development pathways, young Canadians may not have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. An important first step along any development pathway...
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