Looking Back – 2020 SIRC Content Highlights
Although 2020 was a challenging year, it was rich with learnings and silver linings for the Canadian sport and physical activity sector. Featured below are highlights of SIRC’s top content from the last 12 months. Whether you’re looking for insightful reading during a quiet moment over the holidays, or a quick video to get your…
The growth of esports
Did you know the worldwide esports industry revenues are expected to top $159 billion by the end of 2020, and to have engaged more than 2.7 billion gamers? Within these staggering numbers, virtual cycling has carved out a not insignificant piece of the pie. Learn more about the benefits and possibilities of virtual cycling in…
Pandemic Silver Linings in Canadian Sport
This article is the second in a special series that explores how Canadian sport leaders are adapting and innovating to safeguard the wellbeing of athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and other Major Games during a global pandemic. Read the first article here. The challenges facing Canada’s top summer athletes have never…
Esports and Cycling: A Match to Stand the Test of Time
On December 9, 2020, the inaugural UCI Cycling Esports World Championships will be hosted on Zwift. For more information on following the Canadian team at this event, and Cycling Canada’s multi-platform virtual cycling calendar for the 2020/2021 winter season (including all-level group rides and public races!) click here. Esports have experienced a meteoric rise in…
Athlete Identity and Transition Out of Sport
Athletes often tie their self worth to their accomplishments, improvements, and outcomes in sport. Transitioning out of sport, due to retirement or injury, can compromise their sense of self worth. Feelings of having nothing to offer, being inadequate, and feeling unsure of their value in life can negatively affect the individual’s mental health.
Mental Health Considerations of the Athlete Transition out of Sport
Eat, sleep, train, recover. It is a familiar pattern for elite athletes who dedicate days, years, and even decades to their sport and the pursuit of excellence. But at some point, no matter the successes and failures that have occurred, the athlete’s sport career comes to an end. This transition out of sport can trigger…
“Necessity is the mother of invention”
Canadian athletes have embraced Plato’s contention that “necessity is the mother of invention” during the COVID-19 pandemic, being creative with their training plans and tapping into the physical and mental resources needed to stay at the top of their game. In the SIRCuit, athletes, team leaders, and top medical experts explore the challenges and silver…
Cycling Footwear
Do the shoes make the cyclist? New research from the University of Colorado found stiff-soled cycling shoes combined with clip-in pedals delivered a maximum sprint power during high-power, uphill sprints that was 16.6 ± 10.2% greater than flexible soles with a pedal attachment (i.e. running shoes with toe clips).
Impact of Climate Change on Professional Athletes: Q&A with Craig McMorris and Geneviève Lalonde
In December 2019, the Canada Games Council (CGC) signed on to the UN’s Sports for Climate Action Framework and is now developing a new sustainability strategy. To better understand how climate change is impacting Canadian athletes, CGC reached out to two former Canada Games participants, pro snowboarder Craig McMorris and Olympic steeplechaser Geneviève Lalonde. From…
Experts in the House – Q&A with Beckie Scott on Integrity in Sport
In this highly-anticipated SIRC webinar, Politics vs Principle: retaining integrity in sport, and why it matters, Beckie Scott discussed the importance of ethics and integrity in sport and safeguarding the rights of athletes in the face of increasing pressures to generate revenue and the expectations of International sport bodies. Below is a video recap of…