Articles

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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Beyond the Stats: Understanding Sleeper Athletes with Dr. Joe 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 professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto, says…

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Changing the Culture of Hazing in Canada

January 22, 2019
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Dr. Jay Johnson and Dr. Margery Holman
Allegations emerging in media reports from Toronto’s St. Michael’s College in the fall of 2018 have made hazing top of mind for athletic staff at Canada’s secondary and post-secondary education institutions. Unfortunately, it is not an isolated event. Reports of...

Balancing Psychological Load: New Perspectives on Recovery

January 22, 2019
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Stuart Wilson, Joe Baker, and Nick Wattie
Current views on recovery Recent research by Nash and Sproule (2018) asked coaches for their views on recovery in training. While recovery was widely understood as crucially important, results revealed that few coaches think about psychological and cognitive recovery with...

Cut from the team: How parents can help their kids cope

November 21, 2018
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Kacey Neely, University of Stirling
Deselection (or being cut) from a sports team can be a crushing experience for young athletes. After being cut, athletes often experience a range of negative psychosocial and emotional consequences such as a loss of athletic identity, sense of self, friendships, connectedness...

Taking Athlete Development to a New Level: Understanding the Value of a Trauma-Informed Approach

October 10, 2018
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Tanya Forneris, University of British Columbia Okanagan
Increasing attention in research and practice has focused on the physical and psychological impacts of trauma and violence, for example from living in conflict zones or experiencing family violence. In North America, such work has led to an increased understanding...

Happy birthday? How your birthdate contributes to success or failure due to the “relative age effect”

September 19, 2018
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Laura Chittle, Jess Dixon, Sean Horton and Joe Baker
Have you ever stopped to wonder the difference a day can make? Say, being born December 31st or January 1st? This small 24-hour window could be the difference between competing in elite vs. recreational sport, or being identified as “gifted”,...

Marginal Gains Reconsidered: How Sport Organizations Hold the Key to Boosting Sport Performance

July 11, 2018
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Andrea Wooles, Cycling Canada
The “aggregation of marginal gains” has become such a catchphrase that people have stopped questioning what it means. Science is meant to question, not to follow, and to look for the truth where it otherwise might be missed. What are...

The Car Ride Home

April 17, 2018
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Katherine Tamminen (PhD), University of Toronto
Parents[1] play an undeniably important role in the lives of young athletes. Parents have been described as socializers of athletes’ sport experiences – providing opportunities for participation, serving as role models, and helping athletes make sense of their sport experiences....

Breaking the Silence: Championing Psychological Help-Seeking in Sport

March 7, 2018
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Zarina A. Giannone, M.A.
Sometimes it seems like athletes have magical powers. As they plunge in the water and soar in the air, it can feel as though they are invincible. Their physical superiority, focused demeanour, and competitive spirit often radiate confidence and strength,...

Sport and Physical Activity to De-Stress the Holidays

December 20, 2017
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From our team to yours, wishing you all the best of the holidays and a Happy New Year! We look forward to empowering sport through knowledge in 2018. The holiday season is a wonderful time of year when family and...

Body-related emotional experiences in sport among adolescent girls: Participation outcomes over time

October 3, 2017
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In adolescence, girls are less likely to participate in sport, are more likely to drop out of sport, and report more poor sport experiences compared to boys. Concerns related to appearance, body shape, size, and weight disproportionally affect girls during...
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