Using life skills to promote social justice: Youth sport as a vehicle for social change

As youth sport researchers, we seek to understand how youth develop and transfer life skills. In recent years, cultural issues have urged us to evolve our understanding of life skills. For instance, the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements continue to raise awareness of inequities within sport and beyond. Additionally, the climate change movement has…

Mobilizing knowledge into action:  Exploring sport administrators’ and parents’ perceptions  of the quality of youth sport programs

Introduction and context Although young athletes represent the users of youth sports programs, parents are intricately involved in the decision-making process related to their children’s enrollment and registration in such programs. As such, sport administrators must grasp the elements that shape parents’ views on the quality of youth sport program design, their utilization of youth…

From scarcity to abundance: How Para athlete transfer can broaden development pathways

Highlights The Canadian Paralympic Committee and Own the Podium identified the creation of an “Athlete Transfer System” as a way to broaden Para athlete development pathways Athlete transfer is when an athlete switches sports or takes on an additional sport Currently, athlete transfer happens fairly frequently, but is predominantly athlete-directed Many stakeholders believe a “scarcity…

Sport after Moneyball: Exploring sports analytics and the digital economy

Highlights The rising importance of data and technology in sport over the last two decades reflects the arrival of a wider digital economy There are “twin revolutions” occurring in sport: a change in how we understand the world around us, and a change in the hardware and software available for training and learning The product…

Promoting health through physical activity and inter-organizational partnerships: the Montreal case

Introduction and context  The leading preventable causes of death worldwide (chronic diseases) are usually brought on by a lack of regular physical activity, which can lead to significant health and financial challenges for the individuals and communities. Many municipalities are dedicated to establishing and maintaining healthy environments for all, which requires collaboration and coordination with…

Promoting health through physical activity and inter-organizational partnerships: the Montreal case

Introduction and context The leading preventable causes of death worldwide (chronic diseases) are usually induced by a lack of regular physical activity, which leads to significant health and financial challenges for the individuals and communities they afflict. In this regard, many municipalities are committed to create and maintain healthy environments for everyone. This often requires…

Stakeholder engagement is real-world data

For sport organizations, stakeholder engagement is a real-world data source that can help them to better understand their organization and programs and make adjustments. To engage stakeholders thoughtfully, organizations should make sure to receive feedback openly (without getting defensive), consider the format (for example, anonymous survey) and develop a plan for reporting back (such as…

SIRC’s 2022 year in review

As the year comes to a close, the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) is reflecting on some of its key projects, publications and events over the course of 2022. Here are some of the key highlights: SIRC played a key role in the Canadian Sport Policy (CSP) renewal process throughout 2022. The CSP sets the…

Accessible communications and technologies in sport for people with disabilities

In the pre-Internet world, accessibility focused primarily on addressing physical barriers, such as by installing ramps or adding Braille buttons in elevators.   Over time, an evolution has happened in what’s considered a disability. Changes have also happened in the types of barriers and environments that people face as they live, play and compete. So, it’s…

Combating gender-based violence

Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Gender-based violence is violence that is committed against someone based on their gender identity or expression. Canadian Women & Sport offers 6 ways in which gender equity in sport can help reduce gender-based violence, including clear policies, education, men’s allyship, and mentorship and sponsorship…