Knowledge Nuggets

New research on Canadian strength and conditioning coaches has shed light on demographics. The study found that the mean age of coaches was 34 years. 77.% of participants were male and 90.7% did not identify as a visible minority. This demographic data can inform future targeted recruitment and mentoring within the field.

Not many athletes can claim both summer and winter Paralympian status. Liam Hickey is one of those rare athletes. He represented Canada at the 2016 Paralympics in wheelchair basketball and the 2018 and 2022 Paralympics in Para ice hockey. Ultimately, financial pressure and time constraints compelled him to focus solely on Para ice hockey. The...

A mastery motivational climate is one in which the success of an athlete is determined by their own perception of skill development and satisfaction. An ego motivational climate emphasizes winning, with success being defined by who is the best. The benefits of a mastery as opposed to ego climate in youth sport include: decreased feelings...

Athletes’ relationship with food can be complicated. This is especially true for women in sport, who tend to have higher rates of disordered eating. The role of sport participation in athletes’ relationship with food is not straightforward. Some studies suggest that sport participation itself can make disordered eating more likely. Other research highlights the many...

Physical education (PE) can play an important role in promoting activity and lifelong sport participation amongst youth. However, there is debate regarding how teachers should best assess students in PE. This study explores students’ attitudes towards different areas related to assessment in PE, including curriculum, grading, teachers, and fitness testing.

Sport participation has many benefits for one’s well-being. However, sport is not always a welcoming environment for LBGTQ+ people. Research consistently demonstrates that homophobia can be pervasive in sport contexts like gyms, arenas, and locker rooms (Anderson, 2017; Cleland, 2018; Frederick et al., 2022; Hartmann-Tews et al., 2021). In this blog, researchers from Brock University...

Safety huddles bring together both teams before the start of a game for coaches to discuss the importance of speaking up if a concussion is suspected. A study with youth soccer teams found that safety huddles increased the likelihood of athletes reporting concussion symptoms. This may be a promising low-resource option to improve concussion safety...

Training outdoors when air pollution is high is risky for athletes. SIRC and Health Canada have partnered to create resources, including an eLearning module, to teach participants and coaches about best practices when it comes to air quality and outdoor training.

The Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) is a cross-sector network of partners working together to enhance community participation among Canadians with disabilities. Since 2014, the CDPP sport and exercise team has created over 100 resources, including the “Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children, Youth and Adults with a Disability,” and the “Blueprint...

Parents play an important role in creating positive sports experiences for their children. Through interviews with athletes, researchers have learnt what behaviours children look for from their parents at competitions. Preferred behaviours included having parents show respect to others in sport, focus on their child’s effort rather than outcomes, and provide positive yet realistic post-competition feedback.