Multi-sport collaboration

Compared to early specializers, youth who participate in multiple sports early in their development often experience fewer injuries, enhanced movement skills and a greater likelihood of long-term sports participation. But in Canada’s North, sport participation opportunities for youth can be few and far between. Discover how table tennis and hockey came together to enhance player…

Concussion risk

Did you know that some athletes are at a higher risk of sustaining a concussion than others? Recent research found that female soccer players are 1.8 times more likely to sustain a concussion than male soccer players. Coaches can work with female athletes on risk reduction strategies, such as proper heading techniques in soccer, to help reduce…

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…

Process of change

The Safe Sport journey involves a cultural change in sport. Such a change can challenge traditionally accepted assumptions and practices, such as having coaches share hotel rooms with athletes to save costs or using exercise as punishment. For sport leaders, understanding the process of change and associated emotions (i.e., denial, resistance, exploration, commitment) is important…

Perfectionism

Many top performers experience perfectionism, the need for their performance to always be perfect. While striving for flawless performance may seem like a good thing, research shows that perfectionism positively predicts burnout among competitive athletes. Burnout is also more prevalent among athletes who perceive their coaches as perfectionistic.

Understanding your role in sport and why it matters

When talented athletes come together to represent a nation, some must inevitably accept different roles than they have on their respective league teams. This was the case when Steve Yzerman, the architect of Canada’s 2014 Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey roster, based role assignments of selected athletes on positional need, player style and teamwork, rather than…

Self-compassion and performance failures

Mistakes and failures are part of sport, but athletes are highly susceptible to emotional suffering that stems from harsh evaluations of their sport performance from themselves and others (e.g. teammates, coaches, spectators, parents). Performance failures in sport can lead to decreased mental health, a diminished sense of self, and emotional distress. Self-compassion can enable athletes…

A real-life Moneyball: How to identify, select and integrate members into your team

Whether people are baseball fanatics or just Brad Pitt fans, they’ve most likely seen the film Moneyball. It’s based on the true story of Billy Beane, the former General Manager of the Oakland A’s in Major League Baseball (MLB). Beane changed sport recruitment forever with his use of statistics to scout talent, choose players, and establish…

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…

Unexpected, but not a surprise: Anticipating stressors in competition

An athlete’s ability to cope with stress is crucial for performing well in competition. Many stressors can arise for athletes, including training demands, pressure to do well, conceding points, and discomfort. Most of the stress that athletes experience during competition stems from unexpected stressors. In fact, research shows that between 69% and 92% of stressors experienced by…