Fostering strong coach-athlete relationships in university sports

University sports’ coach-athlete relationships are complex, with short seasons intensifying the challenge. Based on research findings, coaches should prioritize closeness, encourage trust through vulnerability, clarify commitment expectations, enhance communication, and ensure alignment with their coaching philosophy. Addressing the complexity and power dynamics can help create inclusivity and foster effective and stronger bonds.

The power of mentoring in sports: Who, what, and how? 

Mentorship is a powerful resource with the potential to positively influence the growth and success of people in sport. Mentoring is a relationship where one or multiple mentors (i.e., a senior person in age or experience) provide guidance and support to one or more mentees (i.e., individuals seeking new knowledge and experience) to improve career…

The heart and brain axis

Repeated concussions may disrupt the heart-brain axis, causing irregularities in heart activity and long-term health implications. This new insight emphasizes the importance of measures to reduce the occurrence of concussions in sports. Implementing and strictly enforcing safety protocols can contribute to minimizing the risk of head injuries and subsequent cardiac implications.

Mentorship for women coaches

Mentorship in coaching is a process where experienced coaches act as role models and teachers for new coaches to support their personal and professional development. Running mentorship programs for women coaches can be very beneficial. However, it is important to purposefully recruit mentorship participants. Canadian research suggests that programs should consider using flexible recruitment strategies…

Sport, stress, and mental health

Sport can be an escape from life’s stressors. Researchers who investigated the impact of lifetime stress on male athletes’ performance and their willingness to seek mental health help found that sports-related stressors negatively affected their mental health and performance. Athletes also struggled to identify mental health symptoms. This highlights the need for proactive mental health…

Spreading wellbeing among team members

Understanding the dynamics between athletes, coaches, and support personnel is important. This study was among the first to explore these relationships and how they impact wellbeing. Shared values and the ability to cope with challenges were factors that we found to boost wellbeing. The study also reveals how wellbeing can spread among team members through…

Protecting Athletes from Burnout

Athletes who experience strong support and a sense of belonging within their team are less likely to burnout. Coaches should encourage this sense of belonging to enrich athletes’ experiences and prevent dropout. However, too many team rules can burden athletes, impede support, and exacerbate burnout. Striking the right balance between team unity and support is…

Hydration and performance

There are many factors that can contribute to sport performance such as hydration, energy levels and more. One of the less considered factors is temperature and weather. A recent study finds that for every degree of weather difference, from optimal temperatures of 10°C to 17.5°C, performance in endurance running declined by 0.3% to 0.4%.

Decline in youth sport participation

One of the most useful ways for youth and adolescents to socialize and stay healthy is sport. Despite the positive benefits of sport, sport participation among youth has steadily declined in the past decade. A recent study found that motivation as well as sport experience had the strongest relationships with drop-out. It is suggested that…

Strategies to Enhance Disability Programming

Through interviews with providers of community-based exercise programs for individuals with disabilities, researchers have developed a comprehensive list of 85 strategies to enhance programs. A user-friendly chart offers actionable methods to improve exercise experiences for people with disabilities, serving as a valuable resource for program providers striving to create more inclusive and effective fitness opportunities.