Knowledge Nuggets

Trying to get a sense of the current landscape regarding cannabis legalization and sport? Learn more about the issues in these SIRC articles and blog: The implications of cannabis legalization for athletes The legalization of cannabis: Implications for sport organizations Cannabis and sport: Perspectives from a seat in the Canadian Senate

Fathers have a unique and powerful influence on their children’s physical, social, emotional and mental health. The DADEE program developed by researchers at the University of Newcastle in Australia targeted the father-daughter relationship to improve girls’ self-esteem and physical activity. After the program, daughters were more active, had better sport skills, and improved their resilience...

The Toronto Raptors made history last night after winning Canada’s first NBA Championship. Game 5 viewership on Monday reached 13.4 million Canadians and averaged 6.4 million viewers – it was the biggest audience for an NBA game in the country, and the most watched program ever for Rogers Media. No doubt last night’s Game 6 audience was...

For Rugby Canada, Rowan Stringer’s death in 2013 was a call to action to address the prevention and management of concussions. Paul Hunter, Director of National Development, talks about athlete safety and the importance of consistent concussion protocols across all sports in the SIRC blog.

For newcomers, informal sport can be an initial (and long-term) source of friendships and social networks that help with settlement, integration and belonging. However, in Sydney, Australia, the commercialization of public outdoor space, whether for rentals or redevelopment, is threatening this type of participation. Learn more in this article from The Conversation.

The sport sector has been abuzz about the potential risks of early specialization, including physical injury, athlete burnout, and dropout from sport. However, the link between early specialization and burnout is not well supported by the evidence. Research from the University of Alberta discovered coaches can help avoid burnout and dropout by supporting athletes’ sense...

Today, members of the Canadian sport sector are rolling up their sleeves to examine innovative ways to prevent concussions in sport at the Concussion Prevention Workshop hosted by SIRC, with support from Sport Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Discussion will focus on rules and policies, training practices, and behaviours and sport culture...

Research from a sample of elite youth tennis players in the Netherlands showed that girls with low to moderate self-regulation skills (i.e. planning, self-monitoring, evaluation and reflection) were 10.8 times more likely to miss training or competition due to overuse injuries. Although this is a new area of inquiry, evidence to date suggests that improving...

Under the age of 12, Soccer Canada’s Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) model is built around small-sided games. A large body of research has demonstrated the benefits of this approach for players’ skills and confidence. However, little was known about the affects for goalies – until now. A new study has shown that goalies have more...

Research exploring elite athletes’ experiences of clinical depression sheds light on symptoms that may be unique to high performance sport, including demotivation, drops in performance, and risk-taking behaviours. Stigma surrounding mental illness may delay the time it takes for athletes to seek help, but an understanding of these symptoms could help reduce the time to...