How youth athletes can support their own life skill development through sport
Sports help to develop crucial skills on and off the court, field, or ice. Participating in sports can help youth athletes stay physically healthy, build positive relationships with coaches and other players and learn valuable skills. While coaches often play a critical role in supporting athletes’ development, it is also important to consider how athletes…
Youth sport can benefit moms too
With approximately 75% of Canadian youth involved in organized youth sport, it’s uniquely positioned to promote mothers’ mental health and wellbeing. Learn more about how youth sport administrators, program leaders and families can create positive experiences and outcomes for youth sport moms in the SIRCuit.
Girls and women in hockey
Women hockey players in Quebec often report needing to travel long distances or move away from home to play in women-only leagues. When girls or women’s teams aren’t available at the desired competitive level, many turn to boys or men’s teams. New research shows that a lack of access to girls and women’s hockey programs…
Key considerations for Para athlete recovery
Para sport has grown substantially in the past decades with increases in athlete participation as well as training intensities and sport performance (Patricios & Webborn, 2021; Fagher et coll., 2016). Yet, there is still limited research to help inform practice, especially concerning sport physiology and health in Para athletes (Gee et coll., 2021). Recently, more…
Exercise and the heart
Exercise has many beneficial effects on the heart. Regular exercise reduces body weight, blood pressure, improves muscular function and strength of the heart and improves the body’s ability to take in and use oxygen. Research shows that adults should engage in at least 30 minutes of modest activity every day for heart health benefits. Modest…
Identification of “sleeping” talent in elite ice-hockey using psychological characteristics
In sports, some athletes currently under-perform compared to others, but end up excelling later in life, while some who currently perform well, end up under-performing later on. In other words, current performance is not necessarily a good predictor of potential in sports. This makes it a major challenge for scouts, who are responsible for spotting…
Supporting positive parental decision-making in youth sport
Parents and guardians have significant influence on their children’s sporting experiences, as well as broader sport culture. They serve as interpreters, role models, and providers of childhood sport experiences (Fredricks & Eccles, 2004). As such, their decisions can have long-lasting impacts on their children’s sport enjoyment, performance and long-term participation. Parents must decide when to…
Physical activity and school performance
Research shows that physical activity can improve academic performance in children. In addition, engaging in physical activity can improve attention and cognition. It is recommended that teachers provide students with physical activity breaks and that physical activity is integrated into the curriculum.
Girls who play on boys’ sport teams
“Just having the ponytail come out of your helmet, the players, the people watching, people are going to notice and keep an eye on you to see if you’re holding your own, ‘Can the girl keep up, or does she fit the stereotype of not being as good as the boys?’”. Learn more about the…
Using life skills to promote social justice: Youth sport as a vehicle for social change
As youth sport researchers, we seek to understand how youth develop and transfer life skills. In recent years, cultural issues have urged us to evolve our understanding of life skills. For instance, the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements continue to raise awareness of inequities within sport and beyond. Additionally, the climate change movement has…