Coaches & Officials

Community parasport

Female youth involved with community parasport programs identify four benefits of their participation – social development, physical development, self-perceptions (feeling more confident), and athlete development (a desire to continue with parasport). Learn more in the SIRC blog.

• Coaching
• Disability
• Para Sport
• Women and Girls

Return to Play Post-Concussion

The Collège des médecins du Québec and the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec have endorsed a mulitdisciplinary approach to concussion management that enables team physiotherapists to play a role in return to play decisions. Learn more in the...

• Concussion
• Injury

Helmet fit

The way a helmet fits can change if an athlete changes their hairstyle (e.g., from a braid to a bun) or gets a haircut. To ensure athletes are well protected, consider re-checking their helmets’ fit at regular intervals during the...

• Coaching
• Concussion
• Equipment
• Injury

Sport specialization beliefs

Youth athletes may experience increased pressure to specialize when involved in club-level sport. Research discovered club coaches were more likely to possess attitudes in favor of sport specialization, when compared with high school coaches. Early sport specialization has been associated...

• Athlete Development
• Coaching
• Youth

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