Damon Allen podcast

Hockey often dominates Canadian sport conversation, but Canadian football is deeply rooted in our history. In this podcast, Damon Allen, one of the CFL’s most decorated and longest-standing players, talks about the future of the CFL and how if you want to be a great player in the league, “you’re going to have to be…

Concussion Recovery and Nutrition

Despite increased awareness about concussion management, the role of nutrition is often overlooked as support for recovery. Learn about the importance of hydration, omega 3 fatty acids, creatine, polyphenols and vitamins to concussion recovery in the SIRCuit.

Concussion Prevention Through Innovation

Freestyle skier in the air high above the hill. Text: We are headstrong. SIRC

It’s a potent mix: dangerous flips and twists performed by young, boundary-pushing athletes who revel in the sport’s free-spirited culture. More than most sports, concussions are a day-to-day, moment-to-moment risk for the freestyle skiing community. The five demanding disciplines – Aerials, Moguls, Halfpipe, Slopestyle and Big Air – put athletes in dangerous situations, hurtling down…

Weight Training for Children

Is weight training appropriate for children and youth, or does it risk damaging growth plates and stunting growth? A review of the literature in the SIRCuit provides parents, coaches and athletes with the facts.

SIRCuit Fall 2019

The Fall SIRCuit is now available! Check out our newest collection of articles, providing timely and relevant research and insights relating to leadership, athlete development, and high performance sport: Increasing Distinction in Para Sport Event Management MATCH: Spotlight on a Canadian Study on Sport Participation Is There a Role for Weight Training in the Physical…

The Role of Nutrition in Sport Concussion Recovery

Selection of healthy food. Superfoods, various fruits and assorted berries, nuts and seeds.

Sport concussions have been a hot topic over the past few years, with the launch of the Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport in 2017 and SIRC’s associated We are Headstrong campaign, and the passing of Rowan’s Law (Concussion Safety) on March 7, 2018 in Ontario. Despite increased awareness, recognition and treatment pursuits, the role of nutrition…

Is There a Role for Weight Training in the Physical Development of Children?

Rows of dumbbells in the gym with sunlight in morning.

Once considered a fringe activity, weight training has grown in popularity in the last 20 years due to its benefits for improving health, physical fitness, and performance.  Weight training is often included in high school physical education classes and promoted for young athletes as a supplement to sport training.  However, various myths regarding weight training…

Early specialization and coordination patterns

New research reported in the Journal of Athletic Therapy discovered early specialization was associated with unstable hip and knee coordination patterns in female youth athletes. Proprioceptive, agility, and other neuromuscular-training techniques should be used by coaches and athletic trainers to correct the coordination differences to reduce the risk of injury.

Physical Activity and Emotional Development

Research from the Université de Montréal found that children with low or no participation in organized sport from ages 6-10 showed higher emotional distress, anxiety, shyness, and social withdrawal at age 12 than those who participated regularly. The authors suggest that emotional skills learned through sport can help youth successfully navigate the transition from primary…

Development in minor hockey

Hockey Canada recommends a ratio of two (or more) practices for every game played — claiming that one efficient practice will provide a player with more opportunities for skill development that 11 games combined. This article from The Conversation explores how the competition-oriented structure and win-at-all-costs culture of minor hockey limits opportunities for players to…

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