As part of the growing Safe Sport topic, our members continue to research and publish their work.
You can find some of our members’ Safe Sport related work below:
“I feel (un)safe when…” What athletes have to say about high performance culture
- In this article, researchers present their findings about Canadian high performance athletes’ perspectives on safe and unsafe sport environments, as well as recommendations for changes
- Athletes identified coach behaviour, teammate or fellow athlete behaviour, lack of resources and an inattentive sport system as key factors contributing to unsafe sporting environments
- Implementing initiatives to target these issues can support the shift to a safer sport environment (for example, requiring coaches to undertake self-awareness and self-regulation training that promotes safe coach behaviour)
To read the article, click here.
The challenges of shifting to a safer sport culture: High performance coach and administrator perspectives
- High performance coaches and administrators are key stewards of a shift to safer sport
- In their research, coaches and administrators identified 6 challenges to culture change in high performance sport:
- Sport is inherently unsafe
- Turbulent, unstable sport environment
- Lack of system alignment
- Different interpretations of safe sport
- General hesitation and avoidance
- Financial and human resource capacity constraints
- They outline strategies to address these challenges and shift toward safer sport cultures for all sport participants
To read the article, click here.
How coaches and sport organizations can create a better experience for LGBTQ+ youth
- Participating in sport can have many benefits for lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGBTQ+) youth. Sport has the potential to bring joy, distraction and mindfulness that frees LGBTQ+ youth from worry and fear in other domains of their lives. Sport can also provide important social connections and support for LGBTQ+ youth as they negotiate coming out.
- In this blog, they explain why LGBTQ+ youth often feel unsafe in sport. Aligned with a movement to understand the nuances of different gender and sexual identities we focus on LGBTQ+ identities. they also recommend 5 strategies that coaches and other sport leaders should consider to create more inclusive cultures in their teams and organizations for LGBTQ+ and transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) identities.
To read the article, click here.