Knowledge Nuggets

Evidence suggests that a number of preconditions are necessary to achieve at the highest levels of sport, including a family culture of striving and achievement, positive sport-related experiences during early development, late sport specialization, and an ability to “push yourself to the maximum” in competition and practice. But what differentiates elite athletes (those that compete...

The sport sector has been abuzz about the potential risks of early specialization, including physical injury, athlete burnout, and dropout from sport. However, the link between early specialization and burnout is not well supported by the evidence. Research from the University of Alberta discovered coaches can help avoid burnout and dropout by supporting athletes’ sense...

Research from a sample of elite youth tennis players in the Netherlands showed that girls with low to moderate self-regulation skills (i.e. planning, self-monitoring, evaluation and reflection) were 10.8 times more likely to miss training or competition due to overuse injuries. Although this is a new area of inquiry, evidence to date suggests that improving...

Under the age of 12, Soccer Canada’s Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) model is built around small-sided games. A large body of research has demonstrated the benefits of this approach for players’ skills and confidence. However, little was known about the affects for goalies – until now. A new study has shown that goalies have more...

Research exploring elite athletes’ experiences of clinical depression sheds light on symptoms that may be unique to high performance sport, including demotivation, drops in performance, and risk-taking behaviours. Stigma surrounding mental illness may delay the time it takes for athletes to seek help, but an understanding of these symptoms could help reduce the time to...

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...

Parents and caregivers can have a deep and meaningful impact on the development of a child’s physical literacy. To celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend, this Active for Life blog shares insights from elite Canadian athletes about their mother’s influence on their athletic journey.

A focus on winning at all costs has created sport programs in which building psychological, cognitive, social and emotional skills are largely ignored, yet these are essential ingredients for successful high performance athletes. Today’s blog provides an overview of the development of executive functions and social and emotional learning through sport.

Excessive pitching is one of the main risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries among adolescent baseball pitchers. While some organizations have policies in place that limit the number of innings or pitches, these policies may not consider the additional pitches in the bullpen or during warm-up.

The Spring 2019 SIRCuit is now available! Check out our newest collection of articles, providing timely and relevant research and insights relating to leadership, athlete development, and high performance sport: Cannabis and Sport: Perspectives from a Seat in the Canadian Senate A Positive Environment for Volunteer Coaches: The Role of Psychological Contract Gender Equity is...