Athletes

Benefits of Masters sport

Participation in Masters sport provides a number of physical, psychological and social benefits for athletes, including strength and conditioning, positive perspectives on aging, and strong friendships. Learn more in the SIRCuit.

• Aging
• Athlete Development
• Health and Wellness
• Masters Sport

Soccer balls and concussion

The average soccer player heads the ball 12 times in a game, and each header carries up to 100g acceleration - enough to cause serious brain damage. New research from Purdue University shows that deflating balls to pressures on the...

• Concussion
• Equipment
• Injury
• Safe Sport

Self-compassion and mental toughness

Research shows self-compassionate athletes rehabilitating from injury tend to be more mentally tough, perceive having more coping resources, and experience less self-criticism. In fact, self-compassion might allow injured athletes to access a healthier version of mental toughness, characterized by acceptance...

• Athlete Development
• Mental Skills

Officiating in combat sports

Judges' decisions are an integral part of combat sports, from boxing and wrestling to mixed martial arts (MMA). However, data collected from more than 500 men's and women's mixed martial arts contests found the rate at which competitors fight (the...

• Officials
• Professional Sport

The Ripple Effect of the Pandemic: Supporting Athletes With a Holistic Approach

February 9, 2021

“Athlete career excellence” is a concept from sport psychology concerned with an athlete’s ability to sustain a healthy, successful, and long-lasting career in sport and life. It means the athlete is striving to achieve meaningful goals in sport and life...

• COVID-19
• High Performance
• Mental Health
• Olympic Games
• Paralympic Games

Tokyo postponement

“I’ve often described a Major Games environment as the world’s largest petri dish…It’s like a quadrennial convention of the world’s active viruses and communicable diseases” says Antoine Atallah, General Manager of Major Games Canada. Learn how Canadian and international experts...

• COVID-19
• Major Games

Preventing muscle loss after injury

New research suggests training one arm can improve strength and decrease muscle loss in the other arm -- without even moving it. Study participants who performed an eccentric exercise on their active arm had just 2% muscle wastage in their...

• Injury
• Training Methods

Health disparities in football

Findings from the Football Players Health Study, which includes self-reports from 3,794 former NFL players, show Black, Hawaiians, Native Americans and Asian players players were significantly more likely than white players to experience diminished quality of life due to pain,...

• Diversity and Inclusion
• Health and Wellness
• Mental Health
• Professional Development

NBA bubble

In addition to helping protect players from COVID-19, the NBA playoff “bubble” in Orlando may be an example of a competitive equalizer by eliminating team travel. Researchers analyzing the results of nearly 500 NBA playoff games over six seasons found...

• COVID-19
• Professional Sport

Black History Month

February is Black History Month, a national initiative to honour the legacy of Black Canadians. Despite facing systematic discrimination, Black Canadians have persevered and triumphed in sport. Ryerson University’s Nicole Forrester talks about the impact of George Dixon, Barbara Howard,...

• Diversity and Inclusion
• High Performance
• Major Games