Benefits of extracurricular activity

Research from UBC finds teens, especially girls, report better mental health when they spend more time in extracurricular activities, like sports and art, and less time in front of screens. Less than two hours per day of recreational screen time (e.g. browsing the internet, playing video games, and using social media) was associated with higher…

Pre-schoolers’ fitness

Exercise can help children excel in the classroom. Preschoolers (4-6 years old) with higher levels of cardiorespiratory health showed improved performance on cognitive tests and other measures of brain function.

Parents’ Physical Activity

Parents’ physical activity is directly associated with the physical activity of their children. Research has shown that for every 20-minute increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) performed by a parent, their child’s MVPA increased by five to ten minutes.

Movement-based approaches to program evaluation with children

This blog is part of a series in collaboration with Brock University. Written by a student in the ‘Program Evaluation in Professional Practice’ course, this blog draws on a student’s first-hand experience conducting a program evaluation during a placement with the Bounce Back League. In this blog, Ashley Romano, a 4th year undergraduate student, offers…

Soccer and Christianity in greater Vancouver: Bodies, relations, and formations in Canadian settler-colonialism

Introduction and context The focus of the research is the relationship between sport and Christianity (evangelical and Pentecostal) in Greater Vancouver. In a world of increasingly individualism, and disintegrating mass institutions (mass political parties, civil services organisations, mainline Protestant churches) the intention of the research was to understand how increasingly global social mass movements, soccer…

Expertise for program evaluation

According to an Ontario Nonprofit Network report, 86% of non-profits do not have staff with experience or expertise designing and implementing program evaluations. In the SIRCuit, MLSE LaunchPad describes their evaluation approach, and shares insights to help build sport organization capacity to engage youth participants in evaluation activities.

Sport specialization beliefs

Youth athletes may experience increased pressure to specialize when involved in club-level sport. Research discovered club coaches were more likely to possess attitudes in favor of sport specialization, when compared with high school coaches. Early sport specialization has been associated with negative physical and psychological outcomes including overuse injuries, dropout from sport, burnout, and lower…

Cultural relevancy and positive youth development: Exploring the sport and physical activity experiences of indigenous youth in Canada

Project summary The purpose of the study was to gain insight into how positive youth development (PYD) through sport and physical activity is understood for Indigenous youth in western, central, and eastern urban communities in Canada. The following research questions were addressed: 1) What meaning do the outcomes related to PYD in sport and physical…

Healthy sleep for youth

Research indicates 70% of school-aged children and youth in Canada met recommendations for healthy sleep. This is important because a good night’s sleep can improve cognitive functions and moods, help maintain healthy body weight, and increase energy to help kids stay active throughout the day. In this infographic, discover tips to support healthy sleep behaviours…

Competing with concussion symptoms

A study of former collegiate athletes in Ontario discovered 44.9% competed despite experiencing concussion symptoms. Consider how changing group norms can support effective concussion management in the SIRC blog, and access concussion prevention and management resources on SIRC’s concussion hub.