Knowledge Nuggets

Sports-related injuries among youth are on the rise. According to research, declining physical literacy levels put youth at an increased risk for preventable injuries. Resistance training for youth can help prevent against sports-related injuries and improve physical literacy levels.

People across the world live in areas affected by natural disasters, conflict and persecution. Sport can be used as a positive tool in these areas to promote positive change and give individuals the opportunity to be included in something meaningful. Through their Sport for Protection approach, the UN Refugee Agency uses sport for children and...

Before implementing new technology into your program, first ask yourself, can the technology be believed? Assessing the validity and reliability of a new technology is one way to determine its credibility. Validity assesses if the technology is measuring what it promises to measure, while reliability speaks to its consistency and degree of error when providing...

Sport coaches aim to build confidence in their athletes, but coaches need self-confidence to optimize the support they can provide. Mentorship offers a way to develop confidence in Black women coaches, fostering professional development and personal growth and encouraging coaches to be their best selves.

Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) can negatively affect an athlete’s performance in many ways. For example, associated iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia can decrease athletes’ aerobic work capacity. RED-S can also interfere with an athlete’s ability to consistently train and compete due to the increased risk of illness and injury.

‘Playing-up,’ or competing at a higher age level than a player’s actual age, can be both challenging and rewarding for youth athletes. According to new research, athletes who play up find the experience more positive when their teammates include them in group activities and coaches provide constructive feedback and encouragement.

Youth who participate in multiple sports may be able to improve their performance in a given sport more quickly than their specialized peers. For example, in a study of 12-year-old soccer players, those who participated in multiple sports demonstrated greater improvements in match-play performance over the next 2 years than youth who were already specialized...

Peer-led education programs, such as You-CAN, can help high-school students better understand and deal with a concussion. Because youth are strongly influenced by their social networks, peer education can shape students’ knowledge (what they know about concussion), attitudes (what they think about concussion), and intended behaviours (how they would act if they experienced a concussion...

The mental health of athletes and key leaders supporting them is essential for performing consistently at the highest levels and achieving success in sport. The Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada provides a new roadmap for improving mental health outcomes for all Canadian athletes, coaches, and staff.

Unexpected competition stressors, such as an injury or unfavourable referee call, are common for athletes. In fact, some athletes report experiencing unexpected stressors not because they are unfamiliar with the stressor, but because they didn’t think it would happen to them. Asking athletes to list the ways that other athletes might experience the competition encourages...