Coaches & Officials

Earth Day 2021

Today is Earth Day, part of an international movement to increase engagement on climate action. Canada Games Council President and CEO Dan Wilcock believes the Canadian sport sector can work collaboratively to help tackle the issues surrounding climate change. Having...

• Leadership and Governance

Can you hear me now? The emergence of the athlete voice in Canadian Sport

April 19, 2021

This article is the third and final piece in a special series that explores how Canadian sport leaders are adapting and innovating to safeguard the well-being of athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major games...

• COVID-19
• High Performance
• Leadership and Governance
• Major Games

Next Steps in the Safe Sport Journey: From Prevention of Harm to Optimizing Experiences

April 19, 2021

Highlights At its core, the Safe Sport movement is about optimizing the sport experience for all—athletes, coaches, sport administrators, officials, support staff, and others in the sport environment. Broader societal changes have influenced the Safe Sport movement:  Changing approaches to...

• Athlete Development
• Coaching
• Leadership and Governance
• Safe Sport

Now Available: Spring 2021 SIRCuit

The Spring 2021 SIRCuit is now available! Spring is in the air and summer is on the horizon—and while the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in many parts of the world (including here in Canada), sports enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Looking...

• Athlete Development
• COVID-19
• High Performance
• Leadership and Governance

Competing with concussion symptoms

A study of former collegiate athletes in Ontario discovered 44.9% competed despite experiencing concussion symptoms. Consider how changing group norms can support effective concussion management in the SIRC blog, and access concussion prevention and management resources on SIRC’s concussion hub.

• Coaching
• Concussion
• Youth

For or Against? The Pros and Cons of Early Talent Identification in Sport

April 13, 2021

Early Talent Identification (TID) describes the process of identifying, evaluating and selecting athletes for sport programs in early adolescence (ages 10-14). This practice has created a contentious issue in sport. On one hand, early selection may eliminate late bloomers from...

• Athlete Development
• Coaching
• Talent Identification
• Youth

Trauma-sensitive play

Children acting out on the field or in the pool may lack the skills to regulate their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours; rather than the will to respond in prosocial ways. Trauma-sensitive play can help build children’s skills and resilience.

• Coaching
• Mental Skills
• Physical and Health Education
• Youth

Verbal feedback

Verbal feedback from a coach during practice can direct an athlete’s focus internally (on body movements) or externally (on the intended movement effect). Research participants instructed to focus externally (e.g. “accelerate the dart” or “hit the target”) outperformed peers who...

• Athlete Development
• Coaching

Playing through injury

Athletes playing through injury and pain are often celebrated. However, these stories influence how youth (and their parents and coaches) define what it means to be a “real” athlete, increasing the risk of injury and short and long-term health impacts....

• Coaching
• Injury
• Youth

Sodium supplementation beliefs

Many ultramarathon runners believe the consumption of sodium supplements during competition will prevent the symptoms of exercise-associated hyponatremia, including dehydration, muscle cramping, and nausea. However, accumulating evidence suggests supplementing sodium intake above what is consumed in food and drink is...

• High Performance
• Injury
• Nutrition and Hydration