Knowledge Nuggets

New research reported in the Journal of Athletic Therapy discovered early specialization was associated with unstable hip and knee coordination patterns in female youth athletes. Proprioceptive, agility, and other neuromuscular-training techniques should be used by coaches and athletic trainers to correct the coordination differences to reduce the risk of injury.

Research from the Université de Montréal found that children with low or no participation in organized sport from ages 6-10 showed higher emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, and social withdrawal at age 12 than those who participated regularly. The authors suggest that emotional skills learned through sport can help youth successfully navigate the transition from primary...

Hockey Canada recommends a ratio of two (or more) practices for every game played — claiming that one efficient practice will provide a player with more opportunities for skill development that 11 games combined. This article from The Conversation explores how the competition-oriented structure and win-at-all-costs culture of minor hockey limits opportunities for players to...

Today is “Rowan’s Law Day” – commemorated annually on the last Wednesday of September to raise awareness about concussion prevention and management. Learn more about Rowan Stringer and SIRC’s Four Rs of concussion management, then use #RowansLawDay and #HeadstrongCanada online to share how you, your team, or your organization is taking action.

Bianca Andreescu made history on Saturday as the first Canadian tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles championship. Her success is attributed, in part, to her mental toughness. Learn how athletes manage stress and stay focused through goal setting, self-talk, imagery and arousal control in this article from The Conversation.

“Deselection,” or being cut from a team, can have negative emotional, social and physical consequences for athletes. These include loss of friends and social circles, reduced self-esteem, decreased physical activity, and impacts on long-term engagement in sport. Learn how coaches can improve the experience for athletes, and consider alternative participation models, in the SIRCuit.

Positive experiences in sport provide a foundation for participation, regardless of whether athletes are participating in community sport programs or competing at the Parapan American Games. The Quality Parasport Participation Framework identifies six “building blocks” of positive sport participation: autonomy, belonging, challenge, engagement, mastery and meaning. Learn more in the SIRC blog.

In a series of videos developed by the Canadian Paralympic Committee in partnership with Pfizer, Para sport athletes share the value of sport in their lives, and talk about the mental component of training and competition. Featured athletes include Tess Routliffe (Para swimming) Keely Shaw (Para cycling), Rob Shaw (wheelchair tennis), and Nathan Riech (Para...

New research reported in the Journal of Sport Science examined the impact of a subtle grammatical difference in self-talk. When using second-person self-talk (e.g. you can tolerate the pain, you can keep going), participants completed a 10km cycling time trial significantly quicker, worked harder, yet did not perceive a difference in effort, compared to when...

Coaches can support positive youth development by intentionally supporting #lifeskills transfer amongst youth athletes. Key strategies include the integration of structured opportunities for athletes to reflect on the transfer process; creating opportunities for athletes to apply life skills in other contexts (e.g. volunteering in the community); and engaging others in supporting the transfer process, such...