Let them lead: The benefits of shared athlete leadership
In its inaugural season, the Las Vegas Golden Knights, a team of so-called “misfits” patched together from 30 other National Hockey League (NHL) teams, reached the Stanley Cup finals. One reason for their success was that they didn’t assign traditional on-ice captains. Instead, the team philosophy was that there were “23 captains.” According to Golden Knights forward…
COVID-19 program adaptations
Sport organizations were challenged to adapt their programming during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering unique opportunities for program evaluation. While organizations that paused their programs had a chance to step back and formulate new evaluation questions, organizations that changed their programming reported an increased value of evaluation due to shifts in program goals or delivery.
How fraud occurs
Did you know that today is International Anti-Corruption Day? Protect your sport organization from financial fraud by proactively addressing the risk factors. This infographic presents four common indicators to help organizations understand how and why fraud occurs: pressure, rationalization, capability, and opportunity.
Thin Ice
Due to warming temperatures and diminishing amounts of snow, winter sports are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Research from the University of Waterloo suggests ski resorts in Ontario and Quebec could be faced with winters too short to remain economically viable within 50-60 years if current emissions trends are not curbed. Learn…
Student-led evaluation
Partnerships between universities and sport organizations are a great way to build capacity for activities such as evaluation. For instance, under the mentorship of academic and community leaders, students can put their knowledge and skills into practice to support evaluation practices in sport organizations while achieving their academic requirements. Learn more about engaging students in…
Athletes as stakeholders
“Engaging (athletes) and treating them as the important stakeholders that they are will not only be good for the athletes but also good for the viability and the long-term longevity of sport.” Beckie Scott, 2002 Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing and a stalwart in the international anti-doping movement, reflects on the value of having…
Evaluation through storytelling
Engaging stakeholders in the communication of evaluation data can offer a relatable and culturally relevant lens to ensure that the findings are meaningful for diverse audiences. One way to do this is through storytelling. Learn more about how to share data through stories in the SIRC Blog.
Are “social learning spaces” for you?
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…
Psychological safety in sport
Psychological safety is believing that you won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up about ideas, questions concerns or mistakes. Psychologically safe sport environments pave the way for greater teamwork, improved resilience, enhanced athlete satisfaction and an ability to reduce athletes’ burnout.
Pandemic swimming
With 1000 participants and thousands more spectators expected to attend, Swimming Canada had the biggest Olympic and Paralympic Trials in its history scheduled for April 2020—until COVID-19 forced it to be postponed. Fortunately, and with the help of a 35-page safety plan, a scaled-down event was held during spring 2021 to determine athletes for Olympic…