SIRC articles provide evidence-based and actionable insights from sport researchers, athletes, coaches, sport organizations and thought leaders to advance sport in Canada.
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,…
All athletes know that participating in sport is a learning process, no matter what level you play at. We asked some of Team Canada’s top athletes across a variety of sports for the best advice they’d ever been given–and almost...
Within the Canadian sport system lies a black box of power imbalance, a black box the Future of Sport in Canada Commission will need the key to address. Our research offers insights into: cost benefits and savings to a power...
For men and boys, caring about sport typically conjures images of passionate competition and fighting for the win. This understanding of care leaves little room for self-care, health and safety, and emotional vulnerability — topics that are fraught with risks for boys...
Only 8% of school age Canadian students meet the recommended daily goal of more than 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Youth mental health problems have doubled over the past 2 decades. As family life represents a primary vehicle for child...
Weight cutting in sport sounds harsh because it is. As a U19 national champion wrestler with international experience and a mixed martial artist, I have first-hand experience losing weight in a short amount of time to compete in my desired...
View the summary of this research here. This project aimed to understand the development of environmental stewardship through gameplay in Indigenous societies. The South Pacific has many similarities to Canada in terms of Indigenous-settler relations, colonial histories and a resurgence...
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...
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