Power Balance: The black box of the Canadian sport system
Within the Canadian sport system lies a black box of power imbalance, a black box the Future of Sport in Canada Commission will need the key to address. Our research offers insights into: cost benefits and savings to a power balanced sport model; how to build power balance into a system through independence, transparency, and…
The challenges of shifting to a safer sport culture: High performance coach and administrator perspectives
Highlights The calls for culture change across sports in Canada are persistent and louder than ever. Through our program of systematic research, we have listened to and shared high performance athletes’ perspectives about what appear to be accepted (or at least tolerated) unsafe behaviours and practices in sport. Tolerance of unsafe behaviours and practices reflects…
(Re)building cultural integrity in sport: The mechanics, tools and blueprint for change
Sport is the most watched, celebrated, supported, and engaging social endeavour in the world (Hulteen et coll., 2017). Sport is inherently emotionally and narratively captivating, embodying and upholding principles of positive and sustainable human, social, and environmental development. But the potential for sport to do good for participants and society more broadly relies on sport…
All that glitters is not gold: The rising threat of competition manipulation
You’d be hard pressed to visit a large Canadian city these days and not see a billboard for sports gambling. Maybe you’ve noticed a similar trend while watching TV, of athletes and celebrities telling us not only which sports books to use, but how easy it is to bet on games across different sports and…
Safe, quality and values-based: 3 approaches to optimize sport experience
Highlights There are several evidence-informed approaches to sport delivery that researchers and sport organizations encourage, and that you can engage with, to promote positive experiences and combat harmful cultures in sport and society Quality sport, values-based sport and safe sport are 3 approaches to sport program delivery that are gaining traction and popularity at all…
Sport Information Resource Centre announces it has joined Abuse-Free Sport
Canada’s most trusted partner in advancing sport knowledge will continue to provide resources to help prevent maltreatment in sport Dec. 23, 2022 Ottawa – The Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to join Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport….
Shaping inclusive sport policy and programs
Highlights Over the past few years, the racism and discrimination brought to light throughout society and within the sport sector have forced a necessary reflection on policies and practices. While the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion were seeded in government policy many decades ago, the context has evolved significantly. Today, these terms have new…
Gold medal governance: Understanding and optimizing the role of the board
This is the third blog post in a series designed to increase the capacity of sport organizations to govern well in an increasingly complex world. Check out the previous posts about strategic foresight and the keys to gold medal governance. A team’s success often depends on how well each player understands and executes their role….
Five Things You Should Know About the Canadian Anti-Doping Program
Anti-doping is often thought to be exclusive to high-performance sport. Athletes are whisked away from the public eye after winning events to have urine and blood collected. It’s true that testing athletes at competitions is an important element of a successful anti-doping program, but there is much more involved in creating a sporting culture that…
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…