SIRC

The concept of marginal gains has caused many professional and amateur teams to chase every tiny gain available relating to nutrition, physiology, psychology, technology, and strength and conditioning. As a result, in the past decade sport has taken a huge step forward through innovation, much of it driven by partnerships with external experts with world-leading expertise in related areas that...Read more

Sometimes it seems like athletes have magical powers. As they plunge in the water and soar in the air, it can feel as though they are invincible. Their physical superiority, focused demeanour, and competitive spirit often radiate confidence and strength, influencing us to believe that they possess superhuman qualities. While they experience the throes of victory and the despairs of loss, we must...Read more

SIRC is pleased to be working together with Sport Canada to share current research on topics informing policy and promoting quality sport programming. This week we are sharing highlights of a recent article reviewing a research study evaluating THE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY OF FIVE SPORT SYSTEMS IN ATHLETICS (Belgium: Flanders and Wallonia; Canada, Finland, and the Netherlands). An Analysis of...Read more

Sport teaches us innumerable lessons. When I reflect on my own sporting journey, I cringe at some of the mis-steps I took as a younger athlete. This is not to say that today I’m past the point of making mistakes. Some of us are slow learners after all, and even those of us with years of experience under our belts can still get it wrong. Rather it is to highlight a few hard won lessons, offered as...Read more

As athletes, we face the existential dilemma of deciding when enough is enough. Pushing our bodies through pain and past injury is sustainable only for so long. And yet, every athlete values the positive experiences and achievements which flavour their sporting journey. Whether one is an aspiring junior athlete, a post collegian, or veteran national team member, the decision to retire from sport...Read more

As the old adage says, there are those who teach and those who do. In the world of sports, there are both great athletes and great coaches. But is it possible to be good at both? Do the best athletes make good coaches? Highly skilled athletes demonstrate excellence in their sport, but may find it difficult to communicate how it is that they can do what they do. Very often, top performances occur...Read more

2015 has been an exciting “Year of Sport”! We’ve been fortunate to see Canada and Canadian athletes excel on the sporting stage both at home and internationally. From hosting hugely successful international events like the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the Pan and ParaPan American Games to our athletes’ successes on the field of play, our nation continues to build a strong reputation in sport around...Read more

SIRC is pleased to be working together with Sport Canada to share current research on topics informing policy and promoting quality sport programming. This week we are sharing highlights of a recent article examining OLYMPIC MEDAL-WINNING COACH LEADERSHIP . Olympic Medal-Winning Leadership. Din, C., Paskevich, D., Gabriele, T., Werthner, P., Arnold, R., & Vella, S. (2015). International...Read more

If you watch sports regularly, you've likely seen the brightly coloured tape that commonly adorns athletic bodies. Of course these colourful patterns aren't just for show, many athletes are using kinesiology tape (KT) primarily to treat and prevent musculoskeletal injuries or increase performance. First of all, what is it and what does it do? Kinesiology tape is made of a thin, light stretchy...Read more

Promoting fair play and implementing ethical sport policies are among the options for promoting clean sport. Rules and regulations are created in order to protect the health and safety of participants – as well as the integrity of sport. However, in the world of elite performance, in which millimeters, milliseconds and milligrams matter, the equipment you use and what you put into your body can...Read more