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

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?

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…

Changing the Sport Culture by Changing the Rules

High-level athletes compete to win. Sometimes, however, they make rash decisions in the heat of the moment that can have serious, long-term consequences. Take figure skating, for example. There have been instances in the past where athletes and coaches were suspected of downplaying concerns about head injury because interrupting a skater’s program would have resulted…

Rowan’s Law Day 2019

Today is “Rowan’s Law Day” – commemorated annually on the last Wednesday of September to raise awareness about concussion prevention and management. Learn more about Rowan Stringer and SIRC’s Four Rs of concussion management, then use #RowansLawDay and #HeadstrongCanada online to share how you, your team, or your organization is taking action.

Bianca Andreescu & Mental Toughness

Bianca Andreescu made history on Saturday as the first Canadian tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles championship. Her success is attributed, in part, to her mental toughness. Learn how athletes manage stress and stay focused through goal setting, self-talk, imagery and arousal control in this article from The Conversation.