Sport Participation Research

Supporting refugees in sport

Canadian soccer superstar Alphonso Davies, who plays for FC Bayern Munich and Team Canada, arrived in Canada as a refugee when he was 5 years old. “Refugees need our support...

Teen mental health

To improve mental health, teens (13 to 15 years old) need more exercise and less screen time. New research shows that adolescents’ mental wellbeing declines with more than 1 hour...

Rethinking long-term sport participation

Encouraging youth to try multiple sports increases their odds of staying active into adulthood and doesn’t interfere with their chances of reaching high levels of performance. But trying multiple sports...

Let’s talk about air pollution: Keeping outdoor sport participants safe

June 8, 2022

In honour of Clean Air Day (June 8), SIRC partnered with Health Canada to present information about air pollution and how it can affect the health and performance of outdoor...

Practical ways to improve fitness

You do not need special equipment to reap the physical and mental benefits of physical activity. Simple bodyweight exercises, like running in place and burpees, performed vigorously over short periods,...

Welcoming golf courses

Ensuring that golf courses are welcoming places, where participants feel included, is important for driving women’s golf participation. Beyond offering flexible membership options and informational packages with advice for new...

Role model moms

“My daughter once told me, ‘Mum, you do everything for us. You should do something for yourself,” recalls 4-time Paralympian Ina Forrest, reflecting back on the early days of her...

Mom's got game

“Being younger in an all-women’s league has shown me that you can play hockey and be a mom. It wasn’t ever in my mind that I couldn’t do both. Seeing...

She belongs

A positive social environment has a big impact on girls’ sport participation. For many girls, a sense of social belonging enhances their performance. Girls are also motivated to stay in...

Hallmarks of a quality masters sport experience

Research on the experiences of Masters athletes identifies eight “Hallmarks of a Quality Masters Sport Experience“. These include intellectual stimulation, testing and assessing oneself, quality relationships, and feeling validated....