Knowledge Nuggets

Leadership  “Leaders are formed in the fire of experience” epitomizes an experience-driven approach to leadership development. Research from three Australian professional teams revealed the importance of leadership development practices through involvement and exposure to experiences, and associated networking. An experience-driven approach to leadership development requires identifying people with potential, giving them challenging assignments, and holding...

Mental Health Many university and college athletes struggle to balance academic and athletic demands, often sacrificing rest and sleep. Shorter sleep duration and poor sleep quality contribute to disordered sleep in many student athletes, including sleep paralysis and hallucinations while falling asleep or waking up. Preliminary research findings revealed the degree to which athletes reported...

NUTRITION Gel, drink or bar? The age-old debate about the best “on the go” fuel has new findings…kind of. A peer reviewed study found minimal differences in performance peak power between carbohydrate sources, but some participants did find that bars led to gut discomfort and nausea.

Blog Sport experiences can provide a foundation for career choices. This week’s SIRC blog provides a first-hand account of the transition from athlete to future first responder

Did You Know? Individuals with intellectual disabilities and their loved ones are faced with challenges, both big and small, every single day of their lives. For 50 years, Special Olympics Canada has been giving its athletes the strength, determination and confidence to accept those challenges in sport – and in life. From July 31 –...

Athlete Development Losing is hard work! Research with soccer professionals found losing a match was associated with higher ratings of perceived exertion, poor sleep quality, stress, and fatigue. In contrast, winning a match was associated with decreased strain and higher ratings of pleasure and wellness.

Tri-level mentoring is a model in which coaches mentor youth leaders who then mentor their peers or younger youth. In this way, the benefits of effective mentorship cascade to influence positive developmental outcomes for all youth involved in programming. Learn more about tri-level mentoring and effective strategies to support youth leadership development in the SIRCuit.

Athlete Development Self-regulation is an undeniably important to achieving athletic excellence. However, in endurance sports such as middle distance running, self-regulation is particularly important for the development of pacing skills within a race. To develop this skill and ultimately improve performance, coaches should support athletes to reflect, plan, monitor, and evaluate their races on a...

Blog Effective alumni programs are a critical component to any organization’s long-term success. In today’s blog, learn how to enrich your organization’s relationship with this key stakeholder group, whether they are athletes, coaches, staff or volunteers.

Insider Perspective Do you ever wonder what’s needed to create and support an Olympic men’s hockey team? The Summer edition of the SIRCuit provides an insider perspective from a member of the Integrated Support Team (IST). From scouting missions to Canadian themed accommodation, the IST considered every detail.