Knowledge Nuggets

Trauma-informed approaches are policies and practices that work to minimize harm to survivors of violence and abuse, and aid healing and justice. These approaches are essential to addressing abuse, harassment and discrimination in the Canadian sport system. Learn more about the impacts of violence and considerations for policy and practice here. Read about how a...

In 2018, the Government of Canada set a target to achieve gender equity at every level of sport by 2035. Today and tomorrow, SIRC is excited to lead discussion with sport researchers, government representatives and members of the Canadian sport sector to inform the development of a Canadian Gender Equity in Sport Research Hub to...

Researchers in Spain are investigating the link between endurance races and elevated levels of key biomarkers that signal myocardial strain. This is particularly important for “weekend warriors” that participate in marathons without proper training. A high proportion of all exercise-induced cardiac events occur during marathons, especially in men 35 years of age and older.

Many community sport clubs rely on volunteers for management and program delivery, including coaching. One way to support volunteer recruitment and retention is to understand volunteers’ expectations – both of themselves, and of the organization. Learn more about how sport organizations can support strong “psychological contracts” amongst volunteer coaches in the SIRCuit.

“Brain injuries can happen just about anywhere and at any time. We need to prevent situations where one of our athletes gets a knock to the head doing something else but comes to training or competition anyway. Having an athlete on the water with a headache, dizziness, confusion, or poor balance can create a serious...

Dementia is a rapidly growing public health problem affecting around 50 million people globally, and nearly 10 million new cases every year. The disease inflicts a heavy economic burden on societies, with the costs of caring for people with dementia estimated to rise to US$ 2 trillion annually by 2030. According to new guidelines from...

Like many sport organizations across Canada, the Canada Games Council (CGC) has recognized inclusion as a core value within its strategic plan, but what does that really mean in practice? To recognize International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, today’s SIRC blog focuses on how the CGC put this value into practice to ensure the...

According to Dr. Tish Doyle-Baker at the University of Calgary, sweat has little superpower “killing invaders”. “Sweat is designed to guard against infection. It’s like a natural antibiotic and protects us from really harmful pathogens like E.coli and some strains of staph (Staphylococcus aureus).”

Research from the University of Alberta discovered athlete burnout may have more to do with the social environment than early specialization. Athlete burnout depends on many factors, including opportunities to participate in other sport and non-sport activities, confidence and engagement in skill building, the nature of relationships with coaches and teammates, and having a choice...

The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM), coordinated by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, is a call to action that has the potential to positively affect all sport organizations and coaches across Canada by ensuring that athletes, especially minors, are protected from abuse, harassment, and other safety risks. Learn...