Polarized Training: How do elite endurance athletes actually train?
Training intensity and how to distribute it within the training plan is a highly debated topic in the endurance community. The success of the Dutch Olympic speed skating team at the Sochi Winter Games and a study on how they train and distribute training intensities has shed a light on how elite endurance athletes actually…
Agility Training: Insights from the Research
High performance athletes depend on coordination and agility to fine tune their skills and abilities on the field of play. Outside of the skills needed specifically for sport, agility is often looked at as a leading factor in determining success in a sport. Athletes need to be able to react to situations quickly, with strength…
What I Wish I Knew Then – 5 Lessons Learned from a High Performance Athlete
Sport teaches us innumerable lessons. When I reflect on my own sporting journey, I cringe at some of the mis-steps I took as a younger athlete. This is not to say that today I’m past the point of making mistakes. Some of us are slow learners after all, and even those of us with years…
The Paradox of Integration: Building a Panacea or Exacerbating a Partition?
Canada prides itself for celebrating difference. In recent years, NSO’s too have embraced diversity by welcoming athletes with disabilities through a policy of integration intended to level the playing field and elicit podium success. Although this progressive approach aims to streamline sport delivery and technical services for high performing para athletes, the flip side is…
CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COACH PERCEPTION OF TEAM COHESION
SIRC is pleased to be working together with Sport Canada to share current research on topics informing policy and promoting quality sport programming. This week we are sharing highlights of a recent article examining CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COACH PERCEPTION OF TEAM COHESION. Coaches’ Perceptions of Team Cohesion in Paralympic Sport. Falcão, W.R., Bloom, G.A., & Loughead,…
Adjusting to Life After Sport – Easing the path for athletes in transition
High performance athletes typically make a lot of sacrifices for their sport in all areas including family, education, finances, and sometimes even their bodies. Their lives are usually jam-packed with strict routines, intense training and busy competition schedules with the ongoing aim of achieving their dreams. With their social lives, support systems and even off-times…
The Placebo Effect: Why the mind is a powerful thing
The advancement of sport science and sport medicine has brought many fields to work to together in order to maximize athletic performance. Integrated Support Teams (IST) are the norm of today in elite athletics. Such teams consist of physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, biomechanics, videographers, statisticians, etc. all designed to help coaches and athletes in various aspects…
The Athlete Biological Passport: Enhancing clean sport
Promoting fair play and implementing ethical sport policies are among the options for promoting clean sport. Rules and regulations are created in order to protect the health and safety of participants – as well as the integrity of sport. However, in the world of elite performance, in which millimeters, milliseconds and milligrams matter, the equipment…
Mindset: Mental Strategies to perform at your best
Elite athletes have an exceptional ability to rise to the occasion when called upon to perform. Whether it is making that big shot to win the game or making a dazzling pass that scores the winning goal, most coaches want their best player to have the ball when the game is on the line. But…
2014 Commonwealth Games
July 23, 2014 marks the official opening of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The Commonwealth Games are a tradition that started in in Hamilton, Ontario in 1930 where 11 countries had 400 athletes take part in 6 sports and 59 events. Since its inception, the Games have been held every four years (except in…