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,…
Introduction and context The leading preventable causes of death worldwide (chronic diseases) are usually brought on by a lack of regular physical activity, which can lead to significant health and financial challenges for the individuals and communities. Many municipalities are...
Coach mentoring in Para sport In many ways, coaching athletes with and without disabilities is comparable as their training, dedication, and motivation to succeed are the same. However, there are contextual differences that make coaching in the Para sport setting...
As leaders of amateur sport in Canada, national sport organizations (NSOs) are tasked with addressing gender equity and increased engagement of women and girls. NSO leaders may focus their efforts through new policies, initiatives or programs, but their ability to...
By Jean Côté, Mia KurtzFavero, Haley Hunter Smith, Stuart Wilson, and Alex Murata
Parents as promoters of positive youth sport experiences One of the key social agents within the youth sport environment is the parent. They are commonly called upon to facilitate critical components of youth sport participation, such as providing material (registration...
From a U of A varsity ski club to the Canadian Birkebeiner and the Olympics, women have always been part of the landscape of winter sport. When Lyndsay Conrad dove into her archival research on early 20th-century ski history in...
Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey legend, is famous for the quote “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” Behind this saying is the thought of instead of chasing what’s already happened, try to get a...
Over the last 50 years, significant progress has been made in access and opportunities for girls and women to participate at all levels of sport in Canada. Despite this progress, the number of women in coaching remains alarmingly low (Banwell...
Too often we hear older generations, especially in sports, use put downs like “snowflake,” “entitled,” “soft,” sometimes accompanied by swear words and homophobic slurs. All forms of bullying. What many coaches and parents do not realize is that from a...
Francis Routledge, Runqun (Helen) Zheng, Callum Denault, and Rebecca Renwick
Belonging has been understood in many ways across lived experiences and fields of study. The sense of belonging, or lack thereof, can feel different for everyone. Carter (2021) explored 10 dimensions of belonging described by people with intellectual and developmental...
SIRC’s Paula Baker sat down and interviewed the Canada Basketball team spearheading the organizations EDI strategies and advancement to share their innovations. In recent years, Canada Basketball has embarked on a transformative journey towards equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), reflecting...
