Knowledge Nuggets

“There are reasons why Black, Indigenous, people of colour, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ and new Canadians are not picking hockey, and we really needed to hear from these individuals in order to inform and effect positive change,” says Dean Smith, Chair of Hockey Nova Scotia’s Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. More than 800 people weighed...

Thriving is the joint experience of development and success. In sport, thriving is important for athlete well-being. Evidence-based strategies for coaches to facilitate thriving include placing athletes in challenging situations that promote learning, fostering a trusting environment, and encouraging bonds between teammates, coaches and other program staff.

Before implementing a new technology for your sport or physical activity program, consider the burden it might impose on program leaders, participants and support staff. Using technology can often cost time, energy or convenience. For example, using GPS to monitor a soccer team’s training volume could easily take up to 4 hours a day: 1 hour to...

What “works” for advancing women into sport leadership positions? E-Alliance is conducting new research to answer this exact question. E-Alliance is exploring how allyship, mentorship and sponsorship, more “formal” and gender equitable hiring processes, and implementing quotas for women as leaders can help to increase women’s leadership in sport.

Many transgender youth report feeling unsafe in sport environments. To create safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces for transgender youth in sport, best practices include using inclusive language and ensuring that coaches, volunteers and staff have opportunities to learn about trans issues. Learn more in the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport’s Creating Inclusive Environments for Trans Participants...

Competing objectives, such as increasing grassroots participation and selecting the top athletes for high performance programs, can complicate the work of national and provincial/territorial sport organizations. Data-driven decision-making allows sport organizations to solve complex issues in more innovative ways instead of relying on “how it’s always been done.”

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day, a day to raise awareness and combat stigma surrounding mental illness in Canada. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as many as 35% of elite athletes experience mental health symptoms and disorders. Fortunately, conversations about mental health are becoming more normalized in high performance sport. Check out the...

Parents and guardians are frequently left on the “sidelines” watching their children participate in sport. Sport organizations can help families overcome barriers to physical activity through co-participation programs. These programs offer organized, intentional opportunities for family health and well-being.

The Winter 2022 SIRCuit is now available! The SIRCuit is designed to highlight important research and insights to advance the Canadian sport system. With Bell Let’s Talk Day on the horizon, this edition of the SIRCuit takes a deep dive into the topic of mental health. Get up to speed on the new Mental Health...

Physical activity during pregnancy has many benefits for mom and baby, but many expecting moms have concerns about the safety of exercising while pregnant. The Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy is a self-assessment tool that helps moms-to-be determine if exercise is safe for them, and if they should seek medical advice before starting or continuing to exercise.