Knowledge Nuggets

The Rainbow Resource Centre has compiled a resource kit for sport organizations seeking to create inclusive and welcoming environments for 2SLGBTQ+ participants. Some of the recommendations include collaborating with 2SLGBTQ+ organizations, considering how language is used in your sporting space, and ensuring that employees are offered inclusivity training.

Coaches report many barriers associated with certification in Canada including the time-consuming process, inaccessibility of locations and expense of courses. Many coaches do not perceive certification to be career advancing. SIRC interviewed Joseph Gurgis, Assistant Professor at Nipissing University, about what promotes versus what deters coaching certification in Canada.

A holistic ecological approach (HEA) to athlete development focuses on thinking beyond solely the confines of a training session, and instead taking into account all the settings, relationships and networks of an athlete’s life. Coaches seeking to implement HEA can try taking into account other stressors in athlete lives (for example, exam schedules), manage training...

Trillions of microorganisms, known as microbiota, live inside our digestive tract and regulate key aspects of health and disease. Recently, a connection between the gut microbiota and physical activity has been discovered. Research now shows that these microorganisms may be leveraged to enhance athlete performance, in particular endurance.

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...

Sport policies and programs have placed increased emphasis on encouraging diversity within clubs and organizations over the last several years. Yet, change has been slow. In this article, researchers examine the mindsets at play underlying conscious or unconscious resistance to increased diversity in sport organizations, and include practical tips to address resistance.

Coaches play an important role in supporting athletes’ mental health. Researchers found that providing positive reinforcement to athletes seeking mental health care can promote a team culture that supports athletes’ mental health. Additionally, coaches can foster positive mental health environments by encouraging athletes to take breaks from training as needed and by connecting athletes to...

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...

Youth elite athletes are under-researched despite being faced with the challenges of puberty in addition to pressures to perform in high performance contexts. New research advocates that intervening early is critical to promoting mental health among youth elite athletes.

Paralympian Brianna Hennessy sees her combination of sports (wheelchair rugby and Para canoe and kayak) as inherently compatible. One sport relies on pushing, the other on pulling, making her an all-round better athlete. Experiences like Hennessy’s are part of the reason that the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Own the Podium are collaborating to develop an...