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,…
A concussion is a common head injury, also known as a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI). It is an injury that is caused by the brain being shaken around inside the skull after a direct blow to the head, or...
Concussion is one of those topics in sport that has been increasing in prevalence over the last few years. It is most likely that concussion injuries have existed for a long time, however, the awareness of their symptoms, presentation and...
In December of 2011, 10 medical organizations led by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) along with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the then Think First (now...
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital & the Greater Toronto Hockey League
The growth in knowledge of the potential impact of concussion in recent years has prompted a demand for sports organizations across Canada to work with experts in health and health care to enhance the safety of athletes. One example of...
The 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) will be hosted by Toronto from July 16-23, with venues across the Greater Toronto Area. This will be the 10th NAIG to be staged, the first having taken place in 1990. Travelling from...
How do experts differ from novices? In sport, success in both low-strategy sports and high-strategy sports relies on having a solid knowledge base: knowledge may be what determines who is a true expert when athletes have similar skills and experience....
The Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Framework was developed by Sport For Life to address several problems and gaps affecting low participation and excellence in Canadian sport, such as lack of fun, burn-out, poor skill development, and failure to reach optimal...
Key Points: For sedentary populations, HIIT is the most time efficient – not necessarily the best – training type to increase aerobic and anaerobic capacity Elite athletes can include HIIT training to improve their lactate response and improve performance even...
The Flawed Model of Running Shoe Selection Magazines, shoe stores, and shoe manufacturers have long prescribed running shoes based on an individual’s arch type. Normal levels of supination are needed to generate force upon push off, while pronation helps to...
A physically active lifestyle begins to develop early in childhood. Almost 31% of Canadian children and youth 5-19 years of age are overweight or obese and if the current trends continue, by 2040, 70% of 40-year-olds will be overweight or...