Get Out & Enjoy Winter!

Check out the latest SIRC Newsletter on getting out & enjoying winter! Welcome to 2011! Winter is one of the best seasons to enjoy all the wonders Canada has to offer. Whether you like skiing or snowshoeing, skating or tobogganing, getting outside and being active will make you feel better both physically and mentally. If you need a little motivation to break away from the comfy warm couch,...Read more

To stretch or not to stretch – that is the question?

Who hasn’t begun a run, exercise session or volleyball game with a bit of static stretching? You see it everywhere – runners stretching their hamstrings while pushing against trees and stretching their Achilles tendon using street curbs, and then setting out for their run. But is this really doing your muscles and energy systems any good for your pending athletic performance? Once an essential...Read more

Importance of Sleep to the Athlete

While attending the Ontario Sport 4 Life “Shaking The Foundations” conference in November 2010 in Markham, Ontario, it was interesting that with all the experts speaking about physiology, psychology, paradigm shifts, nutrition, coaching, hormonal cycles, long term athlete development (LTAD), that the number one cog in the athlete sustenance wheel was the importance of sleep, according to LTAD...Read more

Winter Running

Recent news reports have focused on the severe winter weather that has suddenly hit Canada. For a lot of runners this weather can be discouraging. Winter running does not have to be extreme or unsafe, it should be fun. Cold weather running should be exhilarating as it is a great way to get fresh air, spend some outdoor time with friends, and enjoy the beauty of the season. It all depends on how...Read more

Coaches and the Female Athlete Triad

There are awkward conversations some coaches avoid having with their female athletes. One of these discussions may be about the menstrual cycle, especially by male coaches. This awkwardness can be avoided by educating your athletes on the Female Athlete Triad . The three clusters of the triad are: Disordered Eating (poor nutrition), Menstrual dysfunction (irregular or loss of period), and...Read more

Technology – The Bigger Picture

This past November, SIRC had the pleasure of attending the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Conference hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada , in Ottawa. This event is where top coaches, sport administrators, coach educators, leaders in the corporate community, and sport scientists come together to connect, learn, network, and celebrate together. One of the sessions was about social media and...Read more

2011 SIRC Research Award

Call for Papers SIRC (Sport Information Resource Centre) is proud to announce the official launch of the 2011 SIRC Research Award and the SIRC Research Development Award. SIRC invites Canadians associated with a Canadian University or degree granting institution to submit their original sport related research for consideration of the 2011 SIRC Research Award. SIRC Research Award The SIRC Research...Read more

Pilates: Great for Athletes

With the hectic and time consuming training schedule of athletes, it is often hard to find time to recover from a workout. Add to this the fact that often athletes are repeatedly using the same muscle groups, they are leaving themselves open to injuries. These days, many athletes (especially teenagers) are turning to Pilates as a great way to switch up their work out and help with injury...Read more

Coaching Do's and Don'ts

We all want our young athletes to be the best that they can be. And in order for athletes to be at their best, their coaches also need to be at their best. Supporting coaches through a very stressful competitive season should be high on everyone’s priority list. What can coaches do to focus less on stress and more on constructive teaching moments? A recent article in the SIRC Collection (Arnold,...Read more

Better Post-Competition Recovery

Research tells us that we should pay just as much attention to our post-race/post-competition routines as we do to our pre-race/pre-competition routines. Why is this? Simply stated, the sooner you return your body to its pre-competition state and give it the attention it requires to recoup later the same day, the sooner you will be ready for more hard training. It also helps reduce stiffness and...Read more