Building women leadership through sport
Engaging in sports can empower women to become better leaders. Beyond physical benefits, sports foster teamwork, communication, and resilience, translating into effective leadership qualities. Athletic experiences empower women to navigate professional challenges with confidence, challenging societal norms and inspiring leadership development.
Addressing gender inequities in Canadian university coaching
Over the last 50 years, significant progress has been made in access and opportunities for girls and women to participate at all levels of sport in Canada. Despite this progress, the number of women in coaching remains alarmingly low (Banwell et al., 2019; Burton, 2019; Serpell et al., 2023). This is particularly true in the…
Cost of living and women’s sport participation
Amidst the cost of living crisis, women and girls encounter barriers to sports participation. Research from Women in Sport shows a widening gender activity gap, with 35% reducing activity due to financial constraints. Urgent action is needed to address economic, societal, and facility challenges for equitable access to the lifelong benefits of sport.
The role of social support for female Olympic athletes
Social support has been widely recognized as a crucial aspect of an athlete’s career. Researchers from the University of Toronto conducted a study focusing on the unique challenges faced by female Olympic athletes and the role of social support. In their research, the authors provide valuable insights into how coaches, teammates, family, friends, and sports…
The power of mentoring in sports: Who, what, and how?
Mentorship is a powerful resource with the potential to positively influence the growth and success of people in sport. Mentoring is a relationship where one or multiple mentors (i.e., a senior person in age or experience) provide guidance and support to one or more mentees (i.e., individuals seeking new knowledge and experience) to improve career…
Building capacity for female leaders
Women are often underrepresented in leadership roles in sports. As such, there is a need to build organizational capacity for women leaders. Researchers suggest that some best practices for organizations include creating family-friendly activities that encourage women to become more involved in an organization and partnering with external organizations to bring new women and girls…
Looking back to go forward: 50 years of Canadian women’s sport
U SPORTS 2020 Swimming Championships at Saanich Commonwealth Place, Victoria, BC, February 2020 (Photo: U SPORTS) Looking back over the last 50 years of women’s sport in Canada, it’s amazing how we have progressed to bring equity, stability, and opportunity, not necessarily in all aspects of sport, but certainly in many. For example, 50 years…
Four strategies to support girls through sport-based mentorship
Sport has the potential to foster girls’ healthy development, leading to outcomes such as enhanced self-esteem, physical health, and mental well-being. Sport can reduce adverse health outcomes for girls, such as depression (Canadian Women & Sport, 2022; Eime et al., 2013). Yet in Canada, girls are dropping out of sport at alarming rates, with recent…