Competitive and High Performance sport
Explore training factors that contribute to podium performances and how to help athletes achieve success and excel in sport. Our resources provide insights on the training and high performance arenas where athletes find competitive success.
Search Competitive & High-Performance Sport Resources
Top 10 resources
- SIRCuit Article: Taking a person-first approach to high performance sport in Canada
- SIRC Article: For or Against? The Pros and Cons of Early Talent Identification in Sport
- Spring SIRCuit 2024: The Transformative Power of Sport
- SIRC Article: The art of breaking: Strength, style, and storytelling
- SIRC Article: Canadian high performance athletes’ use of retirement resources
- Transformative Power of Sport: A Gold Medal Experience with Madison Mailey
- AthletesCAN Sport Solution Clinic
- 2019 Canadian High Performance Sport Strategy
- Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada
- Momentum: A Team Canada Podcast
Featured resource
Natalie Durand-Bush and Krista Van Slingerland
Featured resource
Government of Canada
Quick Facts
What is high-performance sport?
High-performance sport refers to the pursuit of excellence in competitive sports at the national and international levels. It involves athletes, coaches, and support teams striving to achieve peak performance through rigorous training, competition, and a commitment to continual improvement.
How can mental performance be enhanced in competitive sports?
Through techniques like goal setting, visualization, mindfulness, and working with sports psychologists to build resilience, focus, and confidence under pressure.
What factors are important for talent identification in sport?
Talent identification involves recognizing potential athletes based on physical abilities, psychological traits, and sport-specific skills. Factors like age, training environment, and early performance indicators are crucial in identifying future high-performance athletes.
How do varsity sports contribute to high performance sport in Canada?
Varsity sports serve as a key development pathway for high performance athletes, offering competitive opportunities, high-quality coaching, and access to sports science resources, which help athletes transition to national and international competition.
What support services are available for competitive high-performance athletes?
There are a range of support services, including sports psychologists and mental health resources available to athletes that are designed to help optimize training, manage stress, recover from injuries, achieve performance and mental wellbeing. Many sports organizations also offer mentorship and career development support. Canadian athletes may benefit from mental health and wellbeing resources provided by, for example, Game Plan created by the Canadian Olympic Committee, resources available through the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport and Coaching Association of Canada, and Athlete365 offered by the International Olympic Committee.
What is COPSIN?
COPSIN stands for the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network. It is a collaborative network of seven high-performance training centres across Canada, designed to provide elite athletes with the resources, facilities, and expertise needed to excel on the world stage. These institutes are located in Victoria, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, and Atlantic Canada. They offer comprehensive support including coaching, sport science, medical services, and athlete development programs.
Video Resources
Poster Presentations – SCRI Conference 2013
- University of Lethbridge, University of Ottawa, Dalhousie University, University of Saskatchewan, University of Sherbrooke, Laurier University, McMaster University, University of Toronto, University of Southern California, York University, University of Regina, University of Windsor, Fair Parenting Project, Western University, University of Waterloo, University of Alberta, and SIRC
- 2013
CFRA Interview – Natasha Johnston, Executive Director at Ringette Canada
- Ringette Canada, SIRC, and Bell Media
- 2019
Transformative Power of Sport: Athlete Retirement Experience
- SIRC
- 2024
Imagining Community: Women’s ice hockey, high performance, and rural survival in Southern Alberta
- University of Lethbridge and SIRC
- 2013
Canadian Sport Concussion Workshop June 2018 Mercedes Nicoll Elite athlete
- SIRC
- 2018
Coach’s Voice: Athlete Safety First | La voix de l’entraîneur: La sécurité de l’athlète avant tout
- Canada Soccer and SIRC
- 2021
Knowledge Nuggets
knowledge nuggets
Communities’ responses to sport inclusion in the Olympic Games
The inclusion of sports like skateboarding, BMX freestyle, and sport climbing in the Olympics has sparked mixed reactions within their communities. This study explores how
The inclusion of sports like skateboarding, BMX freestyle, and sport climbing in the Olympics has sparked mixed reactions within their communities. This study explores how these athletes and enthusiasts feel about joining the Olympic fold. It reveals concerns about losing their sports’ unique identities and traditions, especially as the emphasis shifts towards competition.
knowledge nuggets
Muscle cramps and damage in marathon runners
Muscle cramps are a common issue in marathons, often affecting runners’ performance. This study compared muscle damage and dehydration between marathoners with and without exercise-associated
Muscle cramps are a common issue in marathons, often affecting runners’ performance. This study compared muscle damage and dehydration between marathoners with and without exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC). Runners with EAMC had higher levels of muscle damage markers but similar dehydration and electrolyte levels compared to those without cramps.
knowledge nuggets
Challenging the comeback effect
It was once believed that being slightly behind in a game could boost winning chances in basketball, but new research challenges this idea. Tests across
It was once believed that being slightly behind in a game could boost winning chances in basketball, but new research challenges this idea. Tests across other sports like football and rugby found no similar effect.
knowledge nuggets
Body dissatisfaction in gymnasts
In aesthetic sports, athletes often perceive pressure to be thin to maximise performance. A recent study of elite-level gymnasts in Sweden showed a relationship between
In aesthetic sports, athletes often perceive pressure to be thin to maximise performance. A recent study of elite-level gymnasts in Sweden showed a relationship between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of disordered eating over time, suggesting that monitoring of behaviours driven by body dissatisfaction, such as exercising for weight control, is important to identity athletes at risk of developing an eating disorder.
knowledge nuggets
Perfectionism in high performance athletes
Many high-performance athletes scrutinize their own performances and often aim for perfection. A recent study delved into how perfectionistic athletes view success and failure in
Many high-performance athletes scrutinize their own performances and often aim for perfection. A recent study delved into how perfectionistic athletes view success and failure in sports. Through interviews and season-long diaries, researchers found that an athlete’s ability to deal with failure depended on the type of perfectionism they exhibited.
knowledge nuggets
Mental health and performance in elite tennis players
Elite athletes often grapple with keeping their mental health in check while striving for peak performance. Digging into the experiences of Swedish elite tennis players
Elite athletes often grapple with keeping their mental health in check while striving for peak performance. Digging into the experiences of Swedish elite tennis players and exploring how they manage this up and down balancing act of mental health and performance throughout their careers shows the importance of support from sports psychologists.
knowledge nuggets
High intensity training and upper respiratory infection
While physical activity typically strengthens the immune system, high-intensity training can weaken it, leaving some high performance athletes more susceptible to upper respiratory infections. Discover
While physical activity typically strengthens the immune system, high-intensity training can weaken it, leaving some high performance athletes more susceptible to upper respiratory infections. Discover key nutritional strategies to stay healthy and perform at your best!
knowledge nuggets
Mental health problems in elite athletes
Being an elite athlete comes with many stressors throughout training and competition. A study done on various Swedish national teams found that lifetime prevalence of
Being an elite athlete comes with many stressors throughout training and competition. A study done on various Swedish national teams found that lifetime prevalence of mental health problems was reported by more than half of the athletes, with 19.5% of athletes meeting the diagnostic criteria for anxiety and/or depression.
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