Can you hear me now? The emergence of the athlete voice in Canadian Sport
This article is the third and final piece in a special series that explores how Canadian sport leaders are adapting and innovating to safeguard the well-being of athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major games during a global pandemic. Don’t miss the first and second articles in the series! Highlights…
Spring 2021 SIRCuit
The Spring 2021 SIRCuit is now available! Spring is in the air and summer is on the horizon—and while the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in many parts of the world (including here in Canada), sports enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Looking ahead, this edition of the SIRCuit tells compelling stories about how athletes and sport organizations have adapted and thrived in the…
Using the Values Creation Framework
One way to evaluate social learning spaces is the use of the Values Creation Framework, which focuses on the different types of “value” experienced by participants. This ranges from “immediate value” experienced directly through engagement, such having fun being around like-minded people; to “transformative value,” as insight and learning is used to influence deep changes…
Sport organization adaptation during COVID-19
New research about sport organization resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests adaptability, a clear sense of purpose or identity, strong networks, and good timing have contributed to success during this turbulent time.
Racing towards 2030: Using the Sustainable Development Goals to move inclusion forward in sport
If there was ever a time in our history to consider how to not leave anyone behind, 2020 was that year. As people and organizations seek to reconcile the impact of COVID-19, we need to think about how we build back in ways that intentionally bring people together and collectively work towards a better future. The…
The cost of financial fraud
A CBC Sports investigation revealed that nearly $8 million has been stolen from dozens of sports leagues and associations across Canada in the last decade, almost all of it by someone inside the organization. Learn how sport organizations can reduce their risk to fraud in the SIRC blog.
Resilience Through Adaptation: How Sport Organizations Responded During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Directions from public health organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered the sport sector, causing many sport decision makers to reconsider what their organization does and how they do it. Although the full scope of the short- and long-term impacts are yet to be seen, some organizations have not survived. Others have used this period…
Gold Medal Governance – Setting Direction
For sport organizations, strategic foresight – the capacity to anticipate and act in the present to meet one’s needs in the future – is critical to success. Boards of directors can nurture strategic foresight to inform decision making by regularly making time for future focused work.
Reducing Vulnerability to Fraud in Sport Organizations
Community sport clubs in Canada can be vulnerable to financial fraud, where someone uses their position for personal gain by deliberately misusing an organisation’s resources or assets. According to our research, recently featured in a CBC Sports investigation, the impact of fraud can be deep and last for years, regardless of the amount of money…
Membership engagement
For community sport organizations, understanding what members value, their suggestions for improvement, and desires for future programming, is essential for long-term success. For the Rocky Point Sailing Association, findings from a membership survey helped inform return to play strategies and engaged members in setting the organization’s vision for 2021.