Knowledge Nuggets

Playing sport video games could encourage people to follow and participate in real-life sports. In a study of American college students who played sport video games, 72% became a fan of a real-life sport team and 87% said that playing video games increased their interest in playing the sport in real life.

Today we observe Remembrance Day and reflect on the sacrifices our Veterans have made, past and present. Take some time today to learn more about the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Sports Program, a program that plays an important role in promoting sport and physical activity in the military community.

When analyzing the number of “likes” on the Instagram pages of popular women athletes, images that depicted athletic brilliance had the highest like counts. The ability to highlight athletic ability through social media is useful for promoting gender equity in sport and sport media coverage, providing opportunities to combat gender stereotypes surrounding athletes.

“Often we say, ‘Don’t do this’ or ‘Don’t do that’ but we rarely say, ‘What does that Safe Sport environment look like?’ and ‘How do we make it safe?” says Kristin Noonan, Manager, Coaching and Safe Sport at Softball Canada. Learn more about the creative and engaging strategies that national sport organizations are using to...

Mistakes and failures are part of sport, but athletes are highly susceptible to emotional suffering that stems from harsh evaluations of their sport performance from themselves and others (e.g. teammates, coaches, spectators, parents). Performance failures in sport can lead to decreased mental health, a diminished sense of self, and emotional distress. Self-compassion can enable athletes...

Playing pick-up sports, ranging from hockey to basketball to soccer, can have a positive impact on players’ wellbeing. In a case study of a weekly pick-up basketball game, researchers found that regular players developed a sense of belonging, community and kinship through their weekly games.

For persons with disabilities, a ‘return to business as usual’ in the sport and physical activity sector post-pandemic isn’t ideal. Instead, members of this community are encouraging sport facilities to use this opportunity to address ongoing accessibility issues. For example, facilities should consider features such as wider doorways or more space between equipment in a...

Girls aged 5 to 7 years old with at least one parent that reports high stress levels are less active than girls with parents who report lower stress levels, research shows. Providing parents with resources to help manage their stress and develop effective coping skills may help to promote their daughters’ physical activity engagement.

A “social learning space” is a mechanism for learning and change that enables participants to create knowledge and formulate new ways of doing the things they care about. However, to be effective, they require active leadership and intentional facilitation. Wondering if this approach could help you address your organization’s most pressing issues? Learn more in...

Research shows that the accuracy of draft selections in professional sports is poor, and yet many youth sport teams are making selections at increasingly younger ages – with athletes who have yet to fully develop. This begs the question: How early is too early to be making selections in sport?