Knowledge Nuggets

At the Canada Summer Games 2022 in Niagara, an event for up-and-coming athletes, the power of sport to transform lives was on full display with stories that showcased the pure joy, excitement and fun sport can offer. Teenage wrestler Eekeeluak Avalak became Nunavut’s first ever gold medalist in the Games and an emotional video clip...

The aftermath of COVID has left many of us feeling lonely or isolated. Research indicates that attending live sporting events could help with these feelings. A recent study shows that there are positive associations of subjective well-being and decreased loneliness as a result of attending sporting events. 

Does hosting the Olympics result in a higher medal count for the host country? A recent study examined purported home advantage at the summer Olympics from 1996 to 2021. The findings suggest that assumptions about the “host effect” are exaggerated.

Social media has become an increasingly commercialized space within the sporting industry, with brands and sponsors seeking to reach consumers through athletes’ platforms. So is social media good, or bad, for the sport industry? For athletes? For women and athletes of marginalized communities? The answer seems to be: it’s both. Or, rather, it depends who...

The 2011 film Moneyball was a critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated, box office success. This is quite something, given that the movie centres on debates over baseball strategy and statistics. This article explores sport after Moneyball, meaning sport at a time when Moneyball’s disruptive ideas are widely accepted, and often celebrated. It’s true that the statistical...

Research has shown the post-Olympic period to be a difficult time for athlete mental health. Little research has been conducted on the wellbeing of coaches and support staff during this same period. This study focuses on the latter’s experiences after major games, and provides suggestions for improved wellbeing.

The Summer and Winter Olympics and the World Cup are 3 of the world’s largest tourist events. These events have grown 60-fold over the last 50 years, which is a growth rate 50 times faster that the world’s GDP. What does this mean for the future of these events? Have we reached peak mega event?...

If everyone knows it takes years of practice to develop expertise in sport, why is it that only some athletes will practice with full concentration and effort while others will tend to avoid it? Why do very talented athletes sometimes fail to develop into experts while others, who may be initially less skilled, succeed in moving...

There has long been debate regarding the benefits versus pitfalls of early specialization in sport. A recent study of young basketball players shows that early sport specialization does not provide a physical fitness advantage.

There are limited supports in place for elite athletes returning to sport after pregnancy. A recent Canadian study, based on interviews with elite athletes, identifies key actionable steps for sport organizations to take to support postpartum athletes. Examples of these steps include: screening athletes for psychological and physical readiness in return to training, providing lactation...