Knowledge Nuggets

Parents and other adults can place restrictions on the unstructured play of children, reducing child independence and limiting them to “boring” play spaces. Increasing access to outdoor, unstructured play promotes physical and mental health; improves social skills, creativity and team work; improves learning and attention at school; and improves resilience and risk management skills. Download...

With so many stakeholders and sometimes competing priorities, alignment across the sport sector is a challenge. However, preventing and addressing concussion is one issue where alignment is common sense. From the grassroots to the high-performance levels in ringette, organizations are coming together through SIRC’s #HeadstrongCanada campaign. Learn more in today’s SIRC blog.

Shin splints, runners’ knee, iliotibial (IT) band pain, and Achilles tendinopathy are common injuries experienced by runners. Research suggests that many of these injuries are the result of simple technique errors. Using 3D infrared cameras, researchers identified common biomechanical patterns, such as side to side pelvis drop and greater forward lean, were more likely to...

Healthy eating is about more than just the foods you eat. Being mindful of your eating habits means being aware of what you eat, why you eat, how you eat, and how much you eat. Mindful eating can help you make healthier choices, and reconnect you to the eating experience.

Two new True Sport resources are designed to help sport organizations put values at the centre of coach and player selection processes. The Coach Selection Process resource provides practical tools to support the identification of coaches that are committed to values-based sport. The Player Selection Process resource supports a selection approach that is designed to...

Scanning, or “reading the game”, is an important skill that should be learned from a young age. However, research has discovered that new coaches are more likely to focus on technical skills, at the expense of tactical skill development. The findings support the use of coach education and mentoring to promote the value of scanning...

Designed to apply pressure to the lower legs and enhance blood circulation, compression stockings are a relatively new technology in sport performance. A study measuring agility and lower limb muscular endurance amongst female athletes after a soccer match found the compression tights reduced fatigue-related muscle damage. This suggests compressing stockings could provide a significant performance...

Lack of sleep is associated with numerous physical and psychological health risks. Healthy sleep habits include making sleep a priority, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and setting the stage for sleep by creating a comfortable environment and limiting distractions from noise and light immediately before bed (including electronic devices!).

Ontario’s first legal cannabis stores are scheduled to open today. However, cannabis remains a banned substance for athletes subject to the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP). Learn more about the health and policy implications of cannabis use for athletes in this SIRCuit article.

In today’s video, Olympic medallist Emily Overholt, who recently received the Harry Jerome Award as Sport BC Comeback Athlete of the Year, shared the incredible story of her battle with depression over the past few years.