SIRC articles provide evidence-based and actionable insights from sport researchers, athletes, coaches, sport organizations and thought leaders to advance sport in Canada.
The unanimous choice: How a 12-year-old girl became captain of a boys’ hockey team
There is an assumption in sports that leadership is earned through tenure, skill, and a certain kind of presence—the intangible, ineffable quality that separates the good from the great. But every once in a while, a story emerges that challenges those assumptions and more. In Sarnia, Ontario, a 12-year-old girl named Laylah Stokes did just…
Winter is here and skis and snowboards are being polished up for weekends spent on the hill. Both skiing and snowboarding are excellent winter activities for adults and youth to enjoy as a recreational pastime or competitively. Propelling yourself down...
With Christmas approaching the inevitable drop in temperature is upon us. The good news is that this colder weather brings with it a plethora of outdoor winter activities to enjoy. People often have very practical reasons for wanting to avoid...
SIRC Newsletter: Strength and Conditioning/newsletters/November13/index.html Successful performance in sport requires that the athlete possess some combination of strength, power and speed. Strength training is a key component of overall health and fitness, and it provides an important balance to aerobic...
Cardiovascular endurance exercise helps strengthen your heart so that it is able to transport oxygen to your organs and muscles. The heart is the most important muscle in the human body. With proper diet and regular exercise, cardiovascular diseases such...
Every athlete during their career has experienced the frustration of illness which often temporarily derails their training. Many times the length of time off is determined by the severity of the illness and the rate of recovery, however, there are...
by Trent Weir Algonquin College Sport Business Management Intern Kieran Behan made his first Olympic appearance at the 2012 London Games as the first gymnast from Ireland to qualify based on his results. While it’s an impressive feat, it is...
The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that children and youth participate in moderate to vigorous activity for an hour each day. Being active helps children and youth decrease their chances of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases associated with a sedentary...
It is the dying seconds of a basketball game. Your team is down. Making the next basket would lift your team to victory. What do you do? Some players live for the high-pressure moments and want the ball in their...
As athletes train they are constantly thinking of new ways to build more muscle to improve their performance, but are they taking into consideration what type of muscle they should be developing? Skeletal muscle actually consist of two different types;...
When you walk into most gyms, you will immediately see many different machines and various weight equipment laid out. Each one of these has a specific purpose. As a gym rat, you have the ability to choose between lifting light...
News travels fast. Stay connected to sport and physical activity-related knowledge, news, jobs and resources through SIRC’s daily newsletter — The Canadian Sport Daily — delivered straight to your inbox.
