Retaining experience coaches
Project Summary Understanding the factors that influence coach transitions is pertinent. Six themes were identified: 1) interpersonal considerations, 2) work demands, 3) career concerns, 4) positive coaching experiences, 5) seeking opportunities to be more successful and 6) leaving a negative or challenging work environment. Findings highlight the importance of practitioners and sports organizations providing support…
Virtual Reality and Skill Development
Thinking about investing to the latest virtual reality (VR) applications for your basketball or baseball team? While promising, the majority of VR applications have focused on endurance sports, where less factors need to be considered to create an immersive environment. To support skill development, the latest tech should be evaluated for its action fidelity and…
Trauma-Sensitive Lens
Public health protocols, family stress, and social isolation can be challenging for children and youth. Provide one-on-one support for overwhelmed athletes or program participants by helping them stabilize, explore their experience, and supporting their return to play.
Supporting Leadership Learning: From Classroom to Boardroom to Playing Field
There are as many definitions of leadership as there are people writing about it. To me, a leadership learning facilitator and teaching faculty member, leadership is a body of skills and behaviours which enable the positive holistic development of people and performance. I have been told countless times that leadership is learned in sport, and…
Sport Team Communication
Effective teams communicate knowledge in a variety of ways, including the creation of transactive memory systems and shared mental models. Game and performance reviews, team training, and group planning sessions are three strategies that can enhance team communication skills and ultimately contribute to performance.
A True Sport Journey: Gymnastics Canada’s new Values-Based Coaching Module
“Build the foundation. Create champions. Inspire the nation.” Although Gymnastics Canada’s (GymCan) mission statement refers to the sport of gymnastics, it could also describe their new project with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) to create a True Sport e-learning course for coaches. What is True Sport? If you’re involved in community sport,…
Tradition or Tech? Either Way, Keep It Representative
Some coaches rely on de facto drills that seem to be an essential part of their sport as a foundation for their practices; others turn to the latest gadgets and technology to drive their practice plans. Before integrating tradition or tech, coaches should evaluate their drills and innovative tools based on their contribution to skill…
Verbal Feedback
Verbal feedback is arguably the most abundantly used coaching “tool” in sport, but can be more or less effective depending on the type of feedback and timing. Research recommends the use of positive comparisons (e.g. in relation to previous performance), and the provision of feedback after strong trials more often than weak trials.
National Coaches Week 2020
It’s National Coaches Week! From practice design, to coach retention, to mentorship, peruse the SIRC blogs and SIRCuit articles for the latest coaching-related research. The SIRC team says #ThanksCoach to the influential coaches we’ve had in our lives.
National Coaches Week 2020
National Coaches Week (September 19-27, 2020) celebrates the positive impact coaches have on athletes and communities across Canada. It’s an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by simply saying #ThanksCoach. From the Coaching Association of Canada, here are a few simple ways to take part, including free or discounted NCCP education.