Mission Impossible? Not for these 2018 Chefs de Mission

2018 has already been an exciting year, with four major international games – the Arctic Winter Games hosted in the South Slave region of the Northwest Territories, Canada (March 18-24, 2018); the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games hosted in PyeongChang, South Korea (February 9-25 and March 9-18, 2018); and Commonwealth Games hosted in Gold Coast,…

Can we better Retain Sport Officials by Asking Them to Do More? The Opportunity of “Stage-appropriate Officiating”

Having and keeping enough qualified officials is a challenge for many sport organizations. Could we retain them by asking them to do more? It may seem counter-intuitive, but research into the challenges faced by sport officials and what motivates them suggests “stage-appropriate officiating” may provide an opportunity to retain officials while supporting quality sport experiences…

The Role of Sport Administrators in Advancing Women in Coaching through Mentorship

The rise of girls’ and women’s participation in physical activity and sport, including at the high performance sport level in Canada, has been encouraging. Unfortunately, this increase in participation rates of females has not been matched by an increase in females in coaching positions. In 2015, the Government of Canada cited that only 25% of…

Authentic Leadership – Tips for Becoming the Leader You Want to Be

Becoming a leader that others look up to is a goal worth pursuing. Authentic leadership is a form of leadership that transforms people, organizations, communities, and the world. Think about the great leaders you admire most. Chances are, these leaders maintain key positions within organizations because they are trusted, respected, and admired. They communicate clearly and…

Remote vs Onsite Employees: Challenging the notion that one size fits all

Workplaces have changed and provided more employee options over the last few year both in physical space design, the flexibility in hours employers provide, and the options to work from offsite or on. These changes are in response to employers trying to create the most productive work environment for their employees and to satisfy the…

Next Level Coaching – Building an Effective Leadership Style

Coaches, in a nutshell, are educated leaders who influence people to work towards a specific goal. Effective leadership in sport requires knowing the best approach for assisting players based upon their level of skills and motivation, and transforming that knowledge into a dynamic environment for learning and success. There is no right way to be…

Being Smart about Concussions

Concussion continues to be a very hot topic in sport these days. In fact, the Governor General spent a full day in December 2016 hosting a conference with former professional athletes, Olympic and Paralympic athletes, the medical community, and the sport community at large, discussing concussions in sport and how we can do better for…

Canadian Concussion Collaborative – Sharing Tools and Resources for Concussion Education and Management in Canada

In December of 2011, 10 medical organizations led by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) along with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the then Think First (now Parachute Canada) came together with a primary overall mandate to address growing needs of medical…

Risk Management for Sport Leaders

Risk management in sport was largely associated with helmets, crash mats, and course safety until 10 years ago when sport leader Dina Bell-Laroche, now a partner with the Sport Law & Strategy Group (SLSG), considered risk from a different angle. Bell-Laroche wondered if sport organizations would benefit from a comprehensive inquiry into assessing organizational risks…

Retaining Experienced Coaches

Understanding the factors that influence coach transitions is pertinent. Six themes were identified: 1) interpersonal considerations, 2) work demands, 3) career concerns, 4) positive coaching experiences, 5) seeking opportunities to be more successful and 6) leaving a negative or challenging work environment. Findings highlight the importance of practitioners and sports organizations providing support to enable…