Engagement

SIRC Newsletter now available online: Engagement

With London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics still in everyone’s minds, it’s important to leverage this momentum to get more people engaged in sport. Sport has always promoted inclusion within the community; it supports participation and fun regardless of your gender, religion, ability, ethnicity, age or disability. Sport provides an avenue for leadership and valuable life skills are learned through teamwork and collaboration. We all know what sport can do, now it’s up to us to take advantage of this opportunity and encourage people to get involved and have some fun!

Read more:  http://www.sirc.ca/newsletters/september12/index.html

Does team sport build character?

The idea that an individuals' involvement in team sport builds character is firmly engrained in our minds. Advocates of sport participation believe that sport provides opportunities for learning moral development and social skills like cooperation, conflict resolution, self-control, teamwork, fairness and a good work ethic. As a result, many parents often sign their children up for a sports team in the
hopes that they will learn some, if not all of these skills.

There is considerable evidence that the development of character in young athletes can be formed positively, if helped along by sport coaches who implement specific strategies to do so.

• Set the example - Young athletes will look to their coaches to teach them how to respond to a difficult situation - a coach who can effectively control his/her emotions under pressure or in anger is a great example for good sporting behavior. If a coach expects good sporting behaviour, but does not follow the set rules, young athletes receive mixed messages.
• Goal setting - Set team and individual goals, ask them to express how they wish to see themselves grow as players and as a team and help them to accomplish those goals.
• Peer influence - Peers are extremely important in the socialization of young athletes. Establish a peer leader that engages in positive, character-building behaviors and not just those with the greatest skill set.
• Establish guidelines - Make it clear that disrespectful behaviour towards opponents and officials is not tolerated. Let your players know what the expectations are as a team, for example, shaking hands with the opposing team before and after a game, respecting calls from officials, and following the rules of the game.

Character development is a process that requires careful planning that can definitely be developed through sport, but this type of development will not just happen on its own. To be effective, coaches need to set a personal example for youth as well as come up with an organizational plan to help athletes overcome challenges and work towards their individual and team goals.

References from the SIRC Collection: 

1. Boardley I, Kavussanu M. The influence of social variables and moral disengagement on prosocial and antisocial behaviours in field hockey and netball. Journal Of Sports Sciences. June 2009;27(8):843-854.
2. DiCocco F. The Importance of Character. Texas Coach. August 2012;57(1):34-35. 
3. Doty J, Lumpkin A. Do Sports Build or Reveal Character - An Exploratory Study at One Service Academy. (Abstract). Research Quarterly For Exercise & Sport. February 2007;78(1):A-91.
4. Falcão W, Bloom G, Gilbert W. Coaches’ Perceptions of a Coach Training Program Designed to Promote Youth Developmental Outcomes. Journal Of Applied Sport Psychology. October 2012;24(4):429-444. 
5. Gaines S. Developing Individual and Team Character in Sport. Strategies. November 2012;25(8):30-32.
6. Murray K. Team Sports and Character Development. ACSM Fit Society Page. Summer2007 2007;:1-2.
7. Welch B. Character team building. Australian Fourfourtwo. October 2011;(72):96.

Bulletin du SIRC - La revue de 2013

Bulletin du SIRC - La revue de 2013
http://sirc.ca/newsletters/January14/Index_f.html

L'année 2013 a été fantastique pour SIRC. Notre partenariat avec Sport Canada et le Comité olympique canadien visant à produire la série de webinaires sur la gouvernance de SIRC a été une grande réussite, et nous avons reçu énormément de commentaires positifs de la part de la collectivité du sport. De plus, le SIRCuit de leadership et le SIRCuit de haute performance ont fait peau neuve et contiennent d'excellents articles qui ont été rédigés grâce à la contribution de tous les experts qui nous ont fait part de leurs connaissances cette année. Le recours au site d'emploi de SIRC a aussi augmenté considérablement cette année. En effet, plus de 1000 offres d'emploi ont été affichées, et nous avons diffusé plus de 6 000 communiqués de presse contenant les tout derniers renseignements sur le sport au Canada. Par ailleurs, notre engagement sur les médias sociaux a connu la plus importante croissance. En prenant en considération les visites sur notre site Web et les abonnés à notre bulletin, à notre blogue et à nos comptes Facebook et Twitter, nous estimons que notre portée totale atteint 2,7 millions de personnes!

Cette année a été vraiment incroyable, et l'équipe de SIRC a bon espoir que 2014 sera encore plus productive.

SIRC Newsletter - 2013 A Year in Review

SIRC Newsletter - 2013 A Year in Review

http://www.sirc.ca/newsletters/January14/index.html

2013 was a fantastic year for SIRC. Our partnership with Sport Canada and the COC in producing the SIRC Governance Webinar Series has been extremely successful and we've had lots of positive feedback from the sport community. The Leadership SIRCuit and High Performance SIRCuit have a fresh new look and contain excellent content thanks to all of the experts who shared their knowledge with us this year. The SIRC job board had a substantial increase from last year with over 1000 jobs being posted, and we published over 6000 press releases containing the most current sport information in Canada. Our social media engagement has seen the biggest increase - including visits to our website, newsletter subscribers as well as Blogger, Facebook and Twitter followers, our estimated total reach is 2.7 million!

This past year has been truly amazing and the SIRC team is looking forward to an even better 2014.

Accomplir le travail : les entraîneuses dans le sport

De la sportive occasionnelle à l’athlète élite*, on compte de plus en plus de filles et de femmes dans le sport. Cependant, le nombre d’entraîneuses sur le terrain n’a pas suivi la même croissance, et ce n’est pas par manque de talent. Les entraîneuses*, ou les femmes qui ont le potentiel de le devenir, sont des ressources non exploitées dans le monde du sport.

Dawn Smyth et Carla Nicholls sont deux excellents exemples de réussite concernant les entraîneuses dans le sport. Dawn Smyth est la responsable de la formation des entraîneurs à Basketball Canada. Elle a entraîné les équipes masculine et féminine de l’ACSC, et elle reste impliquée dans l’Association en participant au Programme d’apprenties entraîneuses. Carla Nicholls travaille avec Athlétisme Canada en tant que formatrice des responsables d’événements nationaux et qu’entraîneuse responsable du développement olympique national. Carla était chargée de lancer le programme d’entraîneuses d’Athlétisme Canada et de créer le programme de développement olympique de cet organisme.

Comment ces femmes ont-elles connu du succès? 

Mentorat – Les entraîneuses élites qui s’investissent dans leur sport sont en mesure d’exploiter leurs capacités de formation de façon à ce qu’elles puissent profiter d’occasions qui les feront grandir et avancer.

Diversité d’expériences – Dawn et Carla ont combiné leur expérience d’entraînement en tant qu’athlètes et qu’entraîneuses dans divers niveaux de sport, et même leur expérience en tant qu’arbitres, afin de bâtir leur profil d’entraîneur et orienter leur apprentissage.

Orientation sur les athlètes – Ces deux femmes ont mentionné que la réussite et l’atteinte des objectifs des athlètes sont une énorme motivation dans le cadre de leur travail. Cette motivation alimente leur désir de créer des programmes qui aident leurs athlètes et qui entraîne un besoin d’apprentissage continu.

Il existe plusieurs programmes qui sont actuelle

ment promus dans le milieu sportif canadien pour aider les femmes à établir des objectifs et à les atteindre. Diverses possibilités et ressources sont offertes pour que les femmes deviennent des entraîneuses de qualité; elles n’ont qu’à choisir de commencer à entraîner.

* Seulement disponible en anglais

Références de la collection de SIRC:

1. Blom L, Abrell L, Wilson M, Lape J, Halbrook M, Judge L. Working with Male Athletes: The Experiences of U.S. Female Head Coaches. ICHPER -- SD Journal Of Research In Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport & Dance. Summer2011 2011;6(1):54-61. 
2. Cooper M, Hunt K, Camille P. O. Women in Coaching: Exploring Female Athletes' Interest in the Profession. Chronicle Of Kinesiology & Physical Education In Higher Education. May 2007;18(2):8-19.
3. Kidd B. Where are the female coaches? / Où sont les entraîneures?. Canadian Journal For Women In Coaching. February 2013;13(1):1-10. 
4. Kilty K. Women in Coaching. Sport Psychologist. June 2006;20(2):222-234. Norman L. Developing female coaches: strategies from women themselves. Asia-Pacific Journal Of Health, Sport & Physical Education. December 2012;3(3):227-238. 
5. Reade I, Rodgers W, Norman L. The Under-Representation of Women in Coaching: A Comparison of Male and Female Canadian Coaches at Low and High Levels of Coaching. International Journal Of Sports Science & Coaching. December 2009;4(4):505-520. 
6. Richman R. Title IX: The Trojan Horse in the Struggle for Female Athletic Coaches to Attain Equal Opportunities in Intercollegiate Sports. Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Journal. March 2011;10(2):376-413.

Getting the Job Done: Female Coaches in Sport

From the recreational level all the way up to high performance athletes, more girls and women are participating in sport than ever before. However, the number of female coaches seen on the playing field has not followed the same trend and it’s not for a lack of talent. Female coaches, or those with the potential, are an untapped resource in the sporting community.

Dawn Smyth and Carla Nicholls are both outstanding examples of the opportunities and success that female coaches can experience in sport. Dawn Smyth is the Manager of Coach Education and Development at Basketball Canada. She’s coached both men and women’s CCAA teams, and stayed involved with the CCAA through their Female Apprentice Coach Program. Carla Nicholls works for Athletics Canada as a National Event Group Coach and National Olympic Development Coach. Carla was responsible for launching Athletics Canada’s Women in Coaching Program, and creating their Olympic Development Program.

How did each of these women become a success story? 

Mentoring - Elite coaches involved with their sports were able to help cultivate their coaching skills and guide them to opportunities that would allow them to grow and progress.

Variety of Experiences - Dawn and Carla used a combination of their own athlete training, along with coaching experience from different levels of sport, and even some officiating to mold their coaching personas and learning.

Athlete Focus - Both women cited seeing the success and goals of the athletes come to fruition as huge motivation for what they do. This motivation fuels their desire to create programs that aid their athletes and also drives a need for continued learning.

There are various programs that are currently being promoted in Canadian sport that help women develop and achieve their goals. Opportunities and resources exist for women to become quality coaches, all it takes is for those women to choose to start coaching.

References Available from the SIRC Collection:

1. Blom L, Abrell L, Wilson M, Lape J, Halbrook M, Judge L. Working with Male Athletes: The Experiences of U.S. Female Head Coaches. ICHPER -- SD Journal Of Research In Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport & Dance. Summer2011 2011;6(1):54-61. 
2. Cooper M, Hunt K, Camille P. O. Women in Coaching: Exploring Female Athletes' Interest in the Profession. Chronicle Of Kinesiology & Physical Education In Higher Education. May 2007;18(2):8-19.
3. Kidd B. Where are the female coaches? / Où sont les entraîneures?. Canadian Journal For Women In Coaching. February 2013;13(1):1-10. 
4. Kilty K. Women in Coaching. Sport Psychologist. June 2006;20(2):222-234. Norman L. Developing female coaches: strategies from women themselves. Asia-Pacific Journal Of Health, Sport & Physical Education. December 2012;3(3):227-238. 
5. Reade I, Rodgers W, Norman L. The Under-Representation of Women in Coaching: A Comparison of Male and Female Canadian Coaches at Low and High Levels of Coaching. International Journal Of Sports Science & Coaching. December 2009;4(4):505-520. 
6. Richman R. Title IX: The Trojan Horse in the Struggle for Female Athletic Coaches to Attain Equal Opportunities in Intercollegiate Sports. Virginia Sports & Entertainment Law Journal. March 2011;10(2):376-413.