Beijing to Birmingham: Thinking outside the Para sport classification box
The Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games are in the books, with the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games (Beijing) and Commonwealth Games (Birmingham) just around the corner. Our 128 Canadian Paralympians competed in Tokyo, bringing home 21 medals. Canada’s team joined 4,275 high performance Para sport athletes from 62 countries for 12 days of competition in 22 Paralympic sports. Despite the unprecedented challenge of hosting…
Pandemic swimming
With 1000 participants and thousands more spectators expected to attend, Swimming Canada had the biggest Olympic and Paralympic Trials in its history scheduled for April 2020—until COVID-19 forced it to be postponed. Fortunately, and with the help of a 35-page safety plan, a scaled-down event was held during spring 2021 to determine athletes for Olympic…
How sport builds community
Professional sports teams play an important role in bringing local communities together. For example, by participating in vaccination initiatives and building relationships with local youth soccer clubs, the Halifax Wanderers Football Club became an integral part of the Halifax community during the pandemic. Read the SIRCuit to find out more about how professional sport organizations…
Activating Safe Sport communities
Highlights In summer 2021, the Sport Information Resource Centre launched the Community Activation Grants program to help sport organizations promote Safe Sport and concussion initiatives at the community level. This article spotlights 6 of the 25 successful grant recipients from across Canada. These recipients share why Safe Sport and concussion awareness initiatives are crucial for their community, and…
Return to sport
As Canada enters its 4th wave of COVID-19, coaches and athletes are navigating continued public health restrictions amid the return to school and sport. Many athletes are learning to manage their emotions, make sense of the situation, and mobilize energy and efforts to adapt to the new reality. Learn more about how coaches can support…
Pandemic sailing
“It is possible. That was a big learning lesson for us. If you follow the right steps, consult with the experts and you do it properly, it can work out well.” In the SIRCuit, Katie Sweeting, High Performance Manager for Sail Canada shares insights on hosting a national invitational event with 10 days of racing…
Project Echo: A movement to make Para sport a better place for all
The global COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequalities that many people experience, particularly the disparities experienced by persons with disabilities. According to the COVID-19 Disability Survey, over 50% of respondents noted that during the pandemic their needs weren’t being met in a number of areas related to accessibility (Abilities Centre & The Canadian Disability Participation Project, 2020)….
A Games like no other
The master project plan for an event like the Olympic or Paralympic Games is approximately 20,000 lines long. The postponement of Tokyo 2020 created a unique set of challenges for the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee, who are also preparing for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing. In the SIRCuit, get a behind-the-scenes…
Youth sport streaming
The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the widespread implementation of streaming technology for youth sports. Beyond allowing family and friends to stream games live, streaming improves game-tape reviews, analytics and evidence for in-game penalties. In the SIRCuit, learn more about how the pandemic has revolutionized technology at all levels of sport.
Equestrian sports during the pandemic
For Equestrian Canada, advancements in the use of technology allowed their sport to find novel and cost effective ways to engage with stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic. This included working with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to have some of their events shown on its streaming platform, which has helped to increase the visibility of the…