Knowledge Nuggets

While accessible sport activities, venues, and services are necessary for people of all abilities to participate in sport, accessibility does not guarantee positive sport experiences. A positive experience is about more than access: it’s about meaningful activities that provide participants with feelings of belonging, choice, challenge and success. For this reason, researchers from the Canadian...

Perfectionism is related to numerous motivational, performance, and mental health-related outcomes in sport – both positive and negative. New research examined the influence of parents and coaches on the development of perfectionism among athletes aged 16-19 and discovered that while both coach pressure and parental pressure were positively correlated with perfectionism, only coach pressure predicted...

Unconscious biases are learned stereotypes that are automatic, unintentional, deeply engrained, and able to influence behavior. Within sport organizations, these biases can negatively impact diversity amongst staff and volunteers by undermining recruitment and retention strategies, and employee development. This infographic from Catalyst provides steps to combat unconscious bias as a leader in your organization.

Overuse injuries are common in volleyball. Research reported in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy discovered that women collegiate volleyball athletes performed twice as many overhead swings, serves, and hits during practice, compared to volumes during games (with both games and practices lasting approximately 2 hours). This has important implications for managing training, especially...

Research reported in the International Journal of Sport Coaching explored athletes’ perceptions of what coaches can do to build athlete confidence. Through surveys with collegiate student-athletes, five key categories were identified: creating a positive environment; responding to athletes productively; developing effective practices for training; developing interpersonal relationships with athletes; and coach possession of effective intrapersonal...

Most Canadians would not consider artistic swimming a contact sport, but athletes and coaches know the risks. The physical demands, technical components and water environment of the sport require unique concussion policies and practices, especially related to athletes’ “Return to Sport.” Learn more in today’s SIRC blog.

During Wimbledon, 53,000 tennis balls will be used. According to International Tennis Federation rules, every ball is hand-tested for its bounce, weight and compression, stored at 68°F, and replaced during a match after the first seven games, then every nine games. Used balls are sold, with proceeds going to the Wimbledon Foundation. Click here for...

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...