From scarcity to abundance: How Para athlete transfer can broaden development pathways

Athlete transfer is a tricky topic within the Para sport system. Athlete transfer refers to when an athlete chooses to pursue a new sport, take on an additional sport, or their circumstances compel them to change sports. Athletes may transfer for a multitude of reasons, including but not limited to: competitive opportunities, age, injury, or…

Collaborative coaching is key to successful Para athlete transfer

Alexandre Hayward’s successful transfer from national level wheelchair basketball to national level Para cycling is proof of how important it is to have broad development pathways in sport. It’s particularly important in Para sport, where a “scarcity mindset” tends to exist surrounding athletes. Hayward’s experience shows how collaborative coaching across different sports can nurture athlete…

Support from local residents for sporting events

Recent research has shown that residents’ perceptions are a key predictor of support for the hosting of sporting events in a community. This article considers what combination of conditions can lead to high levels of support from residents.

The growth of sporting mega events

The Summer and Winter Olympics and the World Cup are 3 of the world’s largest tourist events. These events have grown 60-fold over the last 50 years, which is a growth rate 50 times faster that the world’s GDP. What does this mean for the future of these events? Have we reached peak mega event?…

Knowledge mobilization for sport organizations

Knowledge mobilization is the process of sharing evidence-based findings with an audience who can use those findings in practice. Knowledge mobilization helps close the gap between what is known and what is done. Closing this knowledge-to-action gap can advance the sport sector by providing sport stakeholders with information that enables them to enhance practice, policies…

Development and Evaluation of the Coaching for Life Skills Training Program for High School Coaches

Project summary  The research project occurred in two sequential phases. In the phase one study, the purpose was to develop the Coaching for Life Skills training program and evaluate its pilot implementation. This first study was qualitative in nature and explored what coaches believed they experienced during their participation in the training program. Findings demonstrated…

Diversity in sport

Sport policies and programs have placed increased emphasis on encouraging diversity within clubs and organizations over the last several years. Yet, change has been slow. In this article, researchers examine the mindsets at play underlying conscious or unconscious resistance to increased diversity in sport organizations, and include practical tips to address resistance.

Safe sport jobs increase as Canadian sport sector responds to community

Safe sport and safeguarding in sport have become top priorities for the Canadian sport sector. Prevalence studies have revealed that athletes across different levels of sport frequently experience maltreatment (Alexander et coll., 2011; Vertommen et coll., 2016; US Center for SafeSport, 2021; Willson et coll., 2022). Equity deserving athletes experience more harm in sport (Burdsey,…

(Re)building cultural integrity in sport: The mechanics, tools and blueprint for change

Sport is the most watched, celebrated, supported, and engaging social endeavour in the world (Hulteen et coll., 2017). Sport is inherently emotionally and narratively captivating, embodying and upholding principles of positive and sustainable human, social, and environmental development. But the potential for sport to do good for participants and society more broadly relies on sport…

All that glitters is not gold: The rising threat of competition manipulation

You’d be hard pressed to visit a large Canadian city these days and not see a billboard for sports gambling. Maybe you’ve noticed a similar trend while watching TV, of athletes and celebrities telling us not only which sports books to use, but how easy it is to bet on games across different sports and…