Media releases

• Brock earns Top 100 world ranking for sport science programs

  Friday, March 05, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 5 March 2021 – R0028

  The Sport Management and Kinesiology programs at Brock University have developed a reputation as being among the best in the country.

  Now, that reputation has reached the international level.

  In the recently released QS University World Rankings, Brock University was ranked in the Top 100 in the Sports Science category, which covers the programs and research  of its Departments of Kinesiology and Sport Management.

  The rankings are not broken down further than Brock being in the of the Top 51 to 100 of all schools around the world, ranking it alongside the University of Waterloo and Cornell, and ahead of Queen’s, which finished in the Top 101 to 120 class.

  “The recognition as being ranked among the Top 100 world programs provides tangible evidence of this quality,” said Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Dean Peter Tiidus. “The faculty and staff of these programs deserve the credit for their outstanding research and teaching which has resulted in this recognition. The high quality of their teaching and the depth and breadth of the programs offered by the departments along with their ability to provide exceptional experiential learning and hands-on, laboratory-based education has also added to the reputational recognition that is evident in this ranking.”

  The QS University World Rankings compare up to 550 institutions around the world in each category and rank them based on things such as academic reputation, employer reputation and research citations per paper.

  “The QS rankings are a significant international exercise, and one to which the academic world pays attention,” said Brock Provost and Vice-President, Academic Lynn Wells. “Brock’s success in this year’s rankings is well-deserved recognition for all of the hard work that Dean Peter Tiidus and all faculty, staff and students in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences put every day into growing and developing our sport science programs. The rankings highlight this hard work and will work to attract new attention to the programs, which will in turn help bring more exceptional students and researchers to Brock.”

  Tiidus said the outstanding reputation of the Kinesiology and Sport Management programs is also connected to the strong network of alumni, which includes national and international leaders in their respective fields.

  “They provide future Brock graduates with role models and mentors to advance their career development,” he said. “The inclusion of Brock’s Sport Management and Kinesiology programs among the best in Canada and the world is a testament to the reputation these programs have built over the decades.”

  Kinesiology and Sport Management are among five departments run by the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. The Faculty also operates the Departments of Health Sciences, Nursing, and Recreation and Leisure Studies, along with five specialty community service and research centres, including the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, the Centre for Bone and Muscle Health, the Centre for Youth Sport and Physical Activity, the Centre for Sport Capacity, and the recently launched Brock Centre for Excellence in Inclusive and Adaptive Physical Activity.

  That cross-section of programs and centres opens up a world of opportunities for students pursuing careers in sport science, administration, healthcare or recreation.

  But Tiidus said Brock isn’t interested in resting on its laurels.

  “We are continuing to work to improve the educational experiences of our graduate and undergraduate students,” he said. “This includes developing new programs that are specialized and market-driven, as well as enhancing our already notable reputation for an exceptional student experience.

  “We will also continue to grow our ability to produce world-leading research and graduate student experiences by adding Canada Research Chair appointments and supporting faculty with enhanced research infrastructure.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970 

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  Categories: Media releases

• Perfectionism and well-being focus of free public event

  Wednesday, March 03, 2021 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 3 March 2021 – R0027

  The pandemic has inspired many people to take up a new hobby, but for people with perfectionist tendencies, these new endeavours aren’t just a pastime.

  “Young perfectionists feel the need to be productive, so they’re putting this pressure on themselves,” says Danielle Sirianni Molnar, perfectionism researcher and Associate Professor in Brock’s Department of Child and Youth Studies. “It’s not just that they want to bake a cake — it’s that they need to be a world-class baker.”

  Molnar, along with first-year Child and Youth Studies master’s student Melissa Blackburn (BA ’19) and Research Associate Tabitha Methot-Jones (BA ’11, MA ’15, PhD ’19) from the Developmental Processes in Health and Well-being Lab, will share recent findings and offer tips for coping in “Perfectionism and youth well-being,” a free public webinar hosted by the Institute for Lifespan Development Research Thursday, March 11 from 6 to 7 p.m.

  Their talk will cover why so many youths feel pressured to be perfect, how young perfectionists are experiencing the pandemic and how teachers, educators and youth-focused practitioners can support youth who are struggling with perfectionism.

  Perfectionism is a struggle, even if caregivers aren’t always aware of it, Molnar says.

  “People higher in perfectionism tend to be really high in what we call ‘perfectionistic self-presentation.’ They’re the master of wearing masks,” says Molnar. “These particular individuals, especially the extreme perfectionists, always need to act like everything’s OK.”

  The researchers say young perfectionists can think it is a weakness to show they’re having a hard time or to ask for help, which means caregivers have to be vigilant, especially in a challenging time like the current pandemic.

  School can be an area of particular concern, especially for students in transition years preparing to move on to the next level of their education. Molnar says clearer messaging is needed about how the pandemic will be accounted for when it comes to things like assessing applications for university.

  Dawn Zinga, Professor of Child and Youth Studies and collaborator on this research, points out that young people who identify as perfectionists don’t cut themselves slack for the fact that online learning during a global crisis isn’t something anyone expected or chose to be doing.

  “Even though the circumstance is unusual — if you’re learning biology without a biology lab, you have to expect that things are going to be a bit different — perfectionists don’t accept that they don’t need to excel anyway,” says Zinga. “They can see the logic, but it doesn’t necessarily change their behaviour or the feelings that go with it.”

  Methot-Jones says teachers have an important role to play in “treading a line” between encouraging students to do their best and supporting students with perfectionistic tendencies who may not be able to set healthy limits for themselves.

  Blackburn agrees educators should keep an eye out for opportunities to help young perfectionists learn to prioritize their own well-being over positive feedback.

  “Young people are aware that their perfectionism is causing them stress and anxiety, but their success in evaluative components is more important to them, so they say they wouldn’t get rid of their perfectionism even if they could,” says Blackburn. “It’s important for teachers or coaches — the people who are making those evaluations — to tell them that sometimes their own well-being is worth more than the evaluation.”

  Blackburn says she would like more people to understand that there are effective ways of coping with perfectionistic tendencies.

  “Having strategies to help deal with perfectionism doesn’t impact levels of success,” she says. “It might even help improve them, because sometimes a person’s perfectionism can get in their way.”

  Methot-Jones says the notion that perfectionism can be a positive trait doesn’t account for its potential negative impacts.

  “This misconstrual of perfectionism being a good thing is even prominent among perfectionists. Although it does motivate you and it can force you to do your best, it’s also associated with so many negative outcomes like depression and anxiety,” she says.

  Molnar, who describes perfectionism as “an evil form of self-sabotage,” concurs that the costs of perfectionism far outweigh any benefits.

  “Perfectionism often impedes performance more than enhances it, and it strips people of joy by not allowing them to appreciate their successes and the positives of a performance or experience because they are weighed down and ultra-focused on what is not perfect instead,” says Molnar. “It can also steal opportunities from people by keeping them paralyzed with fear because they are afraid of not doing things perfectly the first time.”

  Everyone is welcome to attend “Perfectionism and Youth Well-being.” Those interested in joining are asked to please register online to access login details.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases