Knowledge Nuggets

A common concern to starting effective intersectional work is not knowing leaders in the community(ies) affected. When this happens, organizers scramble to find a representational speaker, programmer, or athlete to diversify a particular project. In the SIRC blog, learn about three simple ways for sport administrators to put intersectionality into practice using the E-Alliance Operationalizing...

Surveying volunteers is a great way to elicit their input, understand their roles, and assess their needs. Feedback gathered through surveys can be used to improve volunteer experiences, which may in turn promote volunteer retention. Sport England’s guide to conducting volunteer surveys is a valuable resource to help you get started. 

Youth participation in organized sport has long-lasting positive effects on health. A new 12-year follow-up study shows that people who participated in organized sport throughout their youth continue to have higher levels of physical activity in adulthood, leading to better long-term cardiovascular health.

Weather policies, such as heat, lightning, or air quality policies, help to identify safe conditions for sport and play. Typically, these include thresholds for what is considered safe, and a pre-determined action at each threshold (e.g., “at X air quality index rating, practices and games must be moved indoors or postponed”). Having a weather policy...

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the widespread implementation of streaming technology for youth sports. Beyond allowing family and friends to stream games live, streaming improves game-tape reviews, analytics and evidence for in-game penalties. In the SIRCuit, learn more about how the pandemic has revolutionized technology at all levels of sport.

Do you have a “pump up” playlist to help get you through your workout? According to new research, the benefits of listening to music may differ depending on the type of exercise. Listening to up-tempo music can help to reduce how hard it feels to engage in low-intensity endurance activities like walking more than high-intensity...

At the Olympic Winter Games, there are 93 medals to be won across 31 events in Biathlon, Nordic Combined, Nordic Skiing, and Ski Jumping. Since 1924, Canadian athletes have won only six medals in these events—and none since 2006. Read about how the four Canadian Nordic sports are teaming up to improve their international performance...

In a first of its kind report on the status of elite women’s soccer, FIFA has found that the success of a national team is correlated with the proportion of domestic clubs that offer youth programs for girls. For leagues in which 80% of clubs have girls’ programs, the average national team ranking is 13th—compared...

Transitioning out of sport after standing on an Olympic or Paralympic podium, or after provincial/territorial competition, can be difficult. Tips to support athlete mental health through this transition include: Detrain your body and mind to adjust to the different but challenging demands of life after sport. Find purpose in the day to day by exploring...

For Equestrian Canada, advancements in the use of technology allowed their sport to find novel and cost effective ways to engage with stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included working with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to have some of their events shown on its streaming platform, which has helped to increase the visibility of the...