Articles by author: jc17dw

• January Member Showcase – Dr. Rob Millington

  Tuesday, February 01, 2022 | By jc17dw

  

  Background

  I’ve been involved with the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC) for about a year now. I was eager to join the CSC because of the tremendous activities they’ve been engaged with, and because of the collaborative nature of the Centre. The people I get to work with are amazing and the webinars that they have hosted are such great resources for everyone.
  I am in my third year at Brock University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology. My focus is on the socio-cultural stream of Kinesiology, so I am interested in the role of sport as an agent of social change. In my research, I do a lot of historical and policy analysis of how sport contributes to international development goals. In recent years, we have seen an increasing formalization and institutionalization of the role of sport within the international development sector, whereby organizations like the United Nations (UN) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) have sought to use sport as a tool to promote a range of positive social outcomes, including HIV-AIDS education, gender equity, and employment skills, amongst others. In my most recent project, I have been interested in how sport can contribute to sustainable development, with a specific focus on the environmental side of sustainability. For example, sport is now connected to all 17 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which includes things like environmental protection, remediation, clean waterways, food security, and combatting climate change. However, the goals in these policy documents are quite ambitious and the sport sector doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to the environment. Sport has a profound environmental impact for its carbon footprint, food waste and impact on local ecosystems. I’m interested in exploring these types of disconnects further.

  Classes

  I currently teach KINE 2P91: Social History of Physical Education and Sport, KINE 4P61: Sport, Development and Sustainability, and a Graduate qualitative methods course.
  Kinesiology students are fortunate that they can take a range of courses including, Anatomy, Physiology, Psychology, Sociology, History, and Phys-ed courses. I think this variety in their coursework leads to well-rounded students. The second-year course I teach is an interesting way for students to get exposure to social history. The course helps in developing a critical toolkit to explore how sport both reproduces and challenges broader power dynamics, and ongoing histories of colonialism, race and racism, gender (in)equity, social class and commercialism.
  The fourth-year KINE 4P61 class that I teach has emerged out of the research interests I noted above. The course provides an opportunity to explore how sport is positioned as a tool to combat climate change, yet how it also needs to be accountable for its own deleterious environmental impacts – all while engaging students in the topic of sport and environmental action.

  Current Research

  My current research program is funded through an SSHRC Insight Grant in collaboration with my colleague, Dr. Simon Darnell (University of Toronto). Its goal is to try to explore how stakeholders in the “sport for development” sector view the role of sport in contributing to sustainable development objectives through interviews with policy-makers and practitioners that run sport for development programs, particularly in the global South. Through the project we hope to better understand sport’s potential and limitations in promoting environmental protection and remediation strategies.
  I am also now in the process of submitting a new SSHRC grant with Dr. Brad Millington (Department of Sport Management, here are Brock University) and Dr. Simon Darnell (University of Toronto), focused on sport and environmental action in Canada. We are interested in exploring if and how sport organizations in Canada (e.g., Hockey Canada, Aboriginal Sport Circle, Right to Play), are taking up the call from the UN to use sport as a positive force for the environment.

  Ice Breakers

  Favourite TV Show – This is a tough question, there’s so much good stuff out there these days, but I’d have to say Succession is up there for me.
  Hobbies – Sports is a big one. I’ve been enjoying watching this Raptors team and think they can make some noise in the playoffs, if they get in. I’m also trying to stay active (or at least saying that I am) by exploring the many nearby trails to run and hike.
  Favourite sport – Basketball is my favourite sport, it’s the sport I grew up playing the most. Although it is being rivaled these days by baseball: the Blue Jays are on a fun trajectory and I’m excited to see the team develop over the next few years.
  Clubs associations – I am helping out with a few different organizations focused on the connection between sport and the environment: the Canada Games Council, the Canadian signatories of the Sport for Climate Action Framework, Parks and Recreation Canada, have all been active in this area. I think there is momentum behind the idea that sport can be a positive force for environmental sustainability, so it’s an exciting time.
  Achievements – I’ve been helping to put together a new Seminar Series at the CSC titled: Sport and the Environment Webinars. The series is being led by Dr. Brad Millington and it speaks to the different sides of some of the issues we’ve talked about today. Our guest speakers include journalists, academics, policymakers, and more, who will be sharing their insights on how sport can drive sustainability initiatives forward. The first one is February 3rd and I encourage everyone to check it out.

  Categories: Blog, Member Showcases

• Interview with Dr. Rob Millington and Dr. Brad Millington – Sport and the Environment Webinar

  Tuesday, January 25, 2022 | By jc17dw

  

  We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Brad Millington and Dr. Rob Millington from the faculty of applied health science to chat about the Sport and the Environment Webinar series. A group of discussions on the topic of sport within the global climate crisis. The first webinar of the series will be held on February 3rd at 12:00pm. Dr. Brad Millington, a professor who studies sport and environmental sustainability at Brock University, will be moderating the first webinar in this exciting series and asking questions from the audience to facilitate a great conversation.

  In our interview, we had a chance to speak with both of the Millington brothers about their connection to sport and the environment as well as what participants will gain from attending the webinar series.

  What is your connection to sport & the environment, and why is this topic important to you?

  As is often said, the climate crisis is something that affects us all – though it’s important to remember it is having, and will continue to have, uneven impacts. The projections from entities such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are alarming, and increasingly so. The window is closing to enact meaningful changes across society. This is where sport comes in.

  On the one hand, sport itself is environmentally impactful. For example, our first speaker in the series – David Goldblatt – has estimated that the carbon emissions of global sport are on par with those of various countries, such as Denmark. On the other hand, sport at all levels of participation is certain to be impacted by the climate crisis in the years ahead. Indeed, it seems this is already happening. Sports fans will remember the Canada-Sweden soccer gold medal game at the 2020 Olympics being moved to an evening kick-off to avoid Tokyo’s sweltering daytime heat.

  In recent years, influential actors from the commercial, governmental, and non-profit sectors have taken interest in the role of sport in the context of climate change (e.g., the United Nations Sports for Climate Action initiative). Sport is important: the most optimistic accounts imagine not just climate mitigation and adaptation in sport, but a leadership role for sport in modelling ideal environmental changes and outcomes.

  Why should people attend this webinar series?

  We are fortunate to have wonderful and influential expert speakers leading us through this timely topic of discussion. Furthermore, with multiple webinars, the series aims to cover an array of sub-topics under the broad heading of sport and the environment. The full series title is, ‘Sport and the Environment: Politics, Practices, and Preferred Futures’, meaning speakers might address sport in different forms, politics in different ways (e.g., environmental policies, power dynamics, or theoretical perspectives), practices of different kinds (e.g., people’s everyday practices or organizational strategies), and/or preferred futures at different scales (e.g., small-scale changes or larger-scale transitions).

  The webinars might therefore be of interest to those studying sport and the environment, to those working in the sport sector (e.g., in sport organizations, in policy-making roles, etc.), and to a general audience interested in sport and/or environmental sustainability.

  What will this webinar look like for the average participant?

  Each webinar will feature a presentation by the invited speaker (25-30 minutes or so), followed by a moderated Q&A (another 20 minutes or so). This means a blend of dialogue and expert-informed insight. Indeed, the intention of the series is to create a forum for accessible, thought-provoking, and constructive discussion to help in realizing sport’s potential in relation to the climate crisis.

  Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

• Jason Corry – Communications, Marketing and Business Development Coordinator (Intern)

  Monday, January 24, 2022 | By jc17dw

  

  When I think about the Centre for Sport Capacity (CSC), I think about the projects the CSC has hosted and longing to be apart of them. I think about how my own experiences with sport have been influenced by programs like the Centre. As I look ahead, to the projects I will oversee and deliver I know that I will positively impact others’ lives as the new Communications, Marketing and Business Development Coordinator Intern at the CSC.

  My name is Jason Corry, and I am a fourth year Sport Management (honours) student at Brock University. I am extremely excited to complete my internship at the Centre for Sport Capacity where I can continue to engage and build strong relationships with many different people. I hope that in my new role I can be a part of providing experiences and interactions that I was lucky enough to enjoy during my undergraduate experience.

  While at Brock I volunteered with many great organizations in the Niagara region. I volunteered as a station coordinator at the Niagara Barrelman Triathlon, and as a coach for youth hockey organizations to help grow the sport. Most recently I have worked as writer and editor of the Brock University (BU) law Review. This role appealed to me because it offered me a chance to improve my verbal and written communication skills while also providing other students with assistance in pursuing their own career goals. I collaborated with others to alter the format of the BU Law Review, making the review more appealing to readers, and providing more learning opportunities to help others achieve their law school dreams. Through these experiences I have developed skills that will help me succeed in this role and provide meaningful interactions with sport to children across Canada.

  What intrigues me the most about the CSC is the wide array of functional areas they are responsible for. The CSC works with a wide range of researchers who conduct both academic and applied projects to identify ways in which sport organizations across the country can improve. They host events to disseminate information regarding the best practices in sport and are at the forefront of developing new ways that society thinks about sport and recreation. When the opportunity to join this organization presented itself through the Sport Management internship program, I knew that the meaningful work done within this organization aligned with my future aspirations to assist sport organizations across Canada in creating a positive experience for all.

  I am excited to get in at the ground floor and help introduce new services and programs that will transform the sport industry. At the Centre I will be given the ability to use my problem-solving skills and communication skills to connect with others in the sport industry and develop new ways of using groundbreaking research to successfully assist sport organizations across the country. I am very excited about this opportunity because I will help many people on a regular basis while at the same time developing skills that will assist me in the future.

  In this role I will be given the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects. From complimentary informational webinars to corporate training programs, I will build experience working in many functional areas of sport management. Regardless of where my career takes me, these skills are essential to succeeding in almost all roles. Building communication and problem-solving skills early on is key to becoming the best version of myself. Through this internship, I will be afforded an opportunity to work with experienced people in the communications and marketing field and improve my skills within the social media sphere. I have been tasked with creating social media content for the Centre for Sport Capacity on various content creation platforms. This is something that I have not yet done for an organization. I am very excited about the opportunity to improve the organization’s reach through social media.

  The Centre for Sport Capacity offers a unique experience for students to learn important skills and work with others in a collaborative fashion that will aid them in developing both transferable skills and real-world experience in a variety of sport related industries. I am proud to be a member of the CSC team and am excited for the opportunities that await me in my new role.

  Categories: Blog, Students