Athlete thoughts on high performance sport culture
Listening to athletes is an important part of enacting cultural change in sport. Canadian researchers interviewed athletes to get their perspective on when the feel safe versus unsafe in high performance sport settings. Inappropriate coach behaviour, an inattentive system, lack of resources and exclusion by teammates make athletes feel unsafe, while knowledgable and supportive coaches…
Technology in officiating
Research shows that video assistance referee (VAR) technology in professional soccer has helped with officials’ decision-making, but has disrupted the flow of the game. To improve speed and accuracy, FIFA debuted a new technology at the 2022 World Cup that automates the detection of offsides. Using multiple cameras and artificial intelligence software, officials were able…
Navigating motherhood in high performance sport
“As an athlete, you’re always thinking about yourself. Then my daughter, Kate, comes along and that whole perspective totally changes. I had to make every moment count, whether I was being a mom with Kate, or training at the gym,” says 2-time Olympian, Mandy Bujold. The Canadian boxer discusses her fight to earn a spot…
Managing the competing tensions of social media as a high performance athlete
Highlights Social media has had an enormous impact on the sport sector, economically and culturally Athletes may use social media as a platform for personal updates or activism, or as a venue to work with sponsors in a financial relationship, however, it may also be a space in which athletes face abuse and harassment, and…
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…
Move over menstrual cycle: Ovulation monitoring is the new gold standard to monitor REDs in female athletes
Highlights Low energy availability (LEA) arises when there is not enough energy (calories) consumed to support critical body functions as well as extra physical activity, such as training Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) is a result of longstanding LEA and is associated with a variety of negative health and performance outcomes Until recently, menstrual…
Exercising outdoors in Canada: What the research tells us about exercising safely and effectively in extreme cold
Highlights Our bodies experience cold as a physiological stressor, meaning that one’s body must work hard to keep itself in thermal balance It is important for athletes and coaches to be aware of ways to mitigate the risks of cold exposure, which can include tissue injury and diminished cardiovascular capacity This article summarizes the research…
Exercising outdoors in Canada: What the research tells us about exercising safely and effectively in extreme heat
Highlights While Canadians are used to severe winter weather, 9 of the 10 warmest years on record in Canada have occurred in the last 25 years. This has real world implications for outdoor sport events. For example, even the best triathletes in the world struggled with the extreme heat in Edmonton in July, with Paula…
How personality relates to athlete development
The development of expertise, defined as the ability to show high level performance with relative consistency, is a complex multi-determined process. In 1993, Ericsson and colleagues proposed that practice is a key piece of this puzzle, based on their seminal studies on the development of expertise among musicians. They argued that in order to develop…
Investing in women’s sports
In 2021, FIFA recently released their first analysis of high performance women’s soccer and the results are still relevant today. The report highlights opportunities that can encourage clubs to invest in their women’s teams. For example, having a written strategy for women’s soccer helps clubs increase revenue, have more facilities for the first team, and…