Knowledge Nuggets

While many professionals look forward to summer as a time for relaxation, for many in the sport sector, work demands are heating up! As stress levels increase, leaders and staff alike can take steps to ensure their stress isn’t “contagious.” These include pinpointing your true stressors, changing your reaction to the workload, creating pockets of...

Unstructured play contributes to the mental health of children and youth by promoting positive feelings through experiences of joy, thrill and competence; building children’s resilience through challenging or risky play; and improving healthy relationship by building problem-solving and emotional intelligence. Download an infographic summarizing five key findings relating to unstructured play and mental health.

The first Arctic Winter Games was hosted in 1970 engaging 500 athletes from Alaska, Northwest Territories, and Yukon. In March of 2020, an estimated 2,000 athletes from across the Circumpolar North will be in Whitehorse, Yukon as the Games mark their 50th anniversary. Learn more about the Games and its role in athlete development in...

Listening to your friends boasting about their carbon fibre bikes, and wondering what all the fuss is about? Carbon fibre has revolutionized bike frame design, enabling the manufacturing of frames that are lighter, stronger and in more complex shapes. This video from the Global Cycling Network (GCN) explains the science behind the material and takes...

In an Olympic or Paralympic quadrennial, year three is often considered the most important – and with the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo on the horizon, 2019 promises “sizzling” performances across Canada’s summer sports. According to sports journalist Lori Ewing, “2019 marks a chance for athletes to gauge their performances against the best...

The Government of Canada recently announced investments to expand the use of sport and physical activity programming as a means to improve social development in Indigenous communities. The application process for projects designed to improve health, improve education, reduce at-risk behaviour, and improve employability, is now open. The deadline for applications is July 19, 2019.

The Women’s World Cup has amazed, inspired and delighted us…while also providing a platform for players to draw attention to persisting inequities in the sport. Today’s SIRC blog provides an overview of some of the key issues raised by the players, and provides recommendations for influencing positive change in sport, whether you’re committed to achieving...

There is a lot of news and noise around concussions in sport. If you’re looking for one consistent place to find Canadian and international research and resources, the SIRC Concussion Newsletter is your go-to source. Issued once a month, the newsletter features best practices from Canadian and international sport organizations, practical tools, and recommended resources...

Evidence suggests that a number of preconditions are necessary to achieve at the highest levels of sport, including a family culture of striving and achievement, positive sport-related experiences during early development, late sport specialization, and an ability to “push yourself to the maximum” in competition and practice. But what differentiates elite athletes (those that compete...

Wondering what role nutrition played in the Raptors’ NBA Championship? This interview with Jennifer Sygo, registered dietitian and performance nutritionist with the Toronto Raptors, Athletics Canada and Swimming Canada, talks about the nutrition needs of high performance athletes and provides some key takeaways for recreational athletes.