First Aid Training

Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) can be lifesaving, but only when the public is willing and able to use them. A recent study of community sports clubs in Ireland demonstrated that only one-fifth of club members were willing to use an AED. However, after only 2 hours of training, 77.5% were willing to use the lifesaving…

Strategic planning tips

Strategic planning can be a helpful tool in navigating changing and dynamic environments, particularly as community sport organizations begin the process of COVID-19 recovery. Talking to stakeholders, evaluating club resources, considering the community profile, and examining the competition are important steps to consider when beginning the strategic planning process.

Supporting Black coaches and athletes

Sport organizations play an important role in engaging and empowering Black girls and women in sport. By building stronger relationships with communities and recognizing and addressing existing barriers, such as language, cost and social or cultural norms, organizations can support Black women and girls as coaches and athletes.

Community sport for all

In 2021, the Government of Canada announced it would invest $80 million to support increased participation in organized community sport, particularly among underrepresented groups including Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQQIA+ and new Canadians. Careful planning is required to enhance these groups’ participation opportunities in community sport. Sport leaders can use strategic planning as an important tool for…

The Canadian sport and physical activity community identifies topics for researchers to prioritize 

Highlights  Adoption in practice of research findings is often sub-optimal because of a disconnect between researchers and the individuals or groups overseeing and facilitating sport and physical activity participation.  To help bridge the gap between sport and physical activity research activities and the needs of those best positioned to apply those findings, we conducted a…

Community sports and climate change

As the effects of climate change continue to grow, so do its effects on local sports. A recent study found that community-level sport clubs are particularly vulnerable to extreme climate events through damage to playing fields, increased injury risks, and increased operating costs. Adapting sport management practices to counter these changes will be critical for…

Engaging Black community coaches

This blog post provides a recap of the third webinar in the 4‑part mini-series Engaging Girls and Women in Sport. SIRC and Canadian Women & Sport co-hosted the mini-series, which you can access or learn more about by visiting our SIRC Expert Webinars page. — Black girls and women face significant hurdles as athletes and…

Community sport champions

Tell, teach, and track. Those are the 3 Ts of concussion awareness and education, according to David Hill, a program coordinator at the Castaway Wanderers Rugby Football Club. For more great tips on how to get your organization’s concussion initiatives off ground, check out the stories and ideas of community sport organizations from across Canada in…

Considerations for strategic planning in community sport clubs

Sport leaders can use strategic planning to help identify their organization’s current position, where it plans to go, and how it intends to get there (O’Brien et al., 2019). Strategic planning has been linked with improved organizational change processes as well as enhanced organizational effectiveness, resilience and performance (for example, Hu et al., 2014; Liao…

Activating Safe Sport communities

Earlier this year, SIRC launched Community Activation Grants to help communities across Canada recover from COVID-19 through Safe Sport opportunities. Discover how sport organizations from coast to coast are using the grants to activate Safe Sport and concussion awareness initiatives in their communities in the SIRCuit.