Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Chris Charlebois – Innovation and Creativity in Sport Webinar

    We asked Chris Charlebois to answer some questions about the upcoming Innovation and Creativity in Sport Webinar taking place on Thursday, March 24th from 1:00pm – 2:30pm EST. 

    He spoke about his connection with sports innovation, why participants should attend the webinar, and what the format will look like.

    1) What is your connection with sports innovation, and why is this topic important to you?

    My connection to sports innovation stems from my professional life as an entrepreneur. From a young age, I have always had a curiosity and drive to find more efficient ways to execute simple or complex tasks. The topic is important to me because many sports organizations have recently been forced to become more innovative due to external influences (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic). Moreover, with a shifting amount of people working freelance or multiple jobs, being creative can lead young people to identify ways to provide a higher degree of value to sports organizations but understand how organizations and individuals can embrace innovation and creativity.

    From my professional experience, many sports organizations in Canada specifically have not always embraced change or innovation because it is seen as ‘scary’ or there is resistance within the organization or its leadership. I hope that for any sports leaders, we can start to educate them on the value of embracing innovation and creativity within their organizations as there are several ancillary benefits for the organization’s business and its people; which should lead to resources for the company/organization to drive more revenue or serve more members.

    2) Why should people attend this webinar?

    People should attend this webinar as it will demonstrate practical examples of how organizations embrace innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit, whether they are private, not-for-profit or another type of organization. It will also provide examples of how SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) can embrace these principles. Often we learn or hear through popular media about innovations being adopted at the pro-sports level by the “Big 4”. In Canada specifically, the majority of sports organizations are not-for-profit organizations that lack the same resources and must find alternative ways to be creative and innovative; as such, this will provide an invaluable way for students or other sports organization leaders to learn how to implement innovative practices in all areas of sport.

    3) What can participants expect this webinar to look like? 

    Panelists will be providing a 10-minute ‘case study’ outlining how their business or organization has embraced innovation/creativity. Following the presentations, there will be a moderated panel with questions for the panelists and then an opportunity for any attendees to ask questions of the presenters.

     

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Dr. Naraine – Sport Gambling Webinar

    We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Naraine from the Sport Management Department to chat about the upcoming Sport Gambling Webinar. The webinar will be held on February 9th at 3:00 pm EST.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Dr. Naraine about his connection to sport as well as what participants would gain from attending this event.

    1) What is your connection with sports gambling, and what excites you about it? 

    Being a researcher and seeing the advanced and mature environment of sports gambling in Australia, my interest was rejuvenated. While in Australia, the research I conducted consisted of looking at the way brands were connecting with consumers through the use of digital and social media. There were many different elements at play that had to be considered, such as what app or company to choose when betting.

    What really excites me about sports gambling is that it is truly new territory for North America. This is something Canada has been talking about implementing for years, and legislation has slowly come about. Now we are finally in a place where it is no longer illegal, although regulations are province by province, this market in Canada is just at the starting line.

    I am interested in seeing the dynamic going forward considering the development that sports betting has undergone in other countries. It can be the next big thing to help sports teams and leagues develop new fans and galvanize older fans. It is not only going to increase profits but will also help to create more awareness in the sports industry.

    2) Why should people attend this webinar?

    Everyone should attend this webinar, whether they, A) know nothing about sports gambling, or B) know lots about sports gambling. Both students and community members will hear from professionals to gain knowledge about the industry; contrasting their usual consumer perspective.

    This webinar will allow people to get a better sense of what’s about to happen and what we will be seeing within the next year from these brands in terms of job prospects. It will also allow people to simply get more familiar with the future of sport in Canada.

    Sports betting is going to have massive implications for the next generation in terms of ensuring responsible gambling and holding these brands to proper standards (giving back to their community.) All things considered, this webinar is about learning more from two high-profile individuals who are very knowledgeable about the sports betting space in Canada.

    3) What can participants expect this webinar to look like?

    The webinar is going to be an industry-focused conversation. Participants can expect the discussion to be insightful and provide a behind-the-scenes perspective. All too often, discussions hosted at the academic level tend to gravitate towards both the research and theoretical substances, but this webinar will focus on the practical implications.

    This webinar aims to be a fluid conversation that we would expect students, alumni, and community members to all be able to identify with, from both a research and scholarship standpoint, as well as the more practical implications in terms of finding a job, leveraging the opportunities to grow different sports properties, and much more.

     

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

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

    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

  • Interview with Cullum Brownbridge – Unveiling Esports Webinar

    We sat down (virtually) with Ph.D. student Cullum Brownbridge to chat about the Esports Webinar, “Unveiling Esports: A panel discussion on the direction and growth of a billion-dollar industry” that will be held on November 17th. Cullum will be moderating this exciting webinar and asking questions from the audience to facilitate a great conversation.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Cullum about his connection to Esports as well as what participants will gain from attending the webinar.

    What is your connection to Esports & what excites you about it?

    Outside of having Esports as my Ph.D. main topic and a couple of other research topics within Esports, it’s mostly as a fan. I think is most students and faculty in the sports management department research sports management because they enjoy the sports themselves. When I was in my first year of undergrad at McMaster University, back in 2012, I began watching live Esports events, namely the League of Legends World Championships.

    There was a huge crowd and I remember there was a fan using a vuvuzela, which was popular during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. So, it was very bizarre to me at first. Since then, I’ve seen just how much the scene has grown and how more people are a part of it. In the beginning, older people might have thought “oh, you know you’re watching somebody else play video games it seems like a waste of time”, but now they see the value in it too.

    It excites me in the sense that it’s a growing industry. It’s another space for people to connect, to share, to play and to work together. It is exciting to see that people are seeing video games as a way to make connections with other people through teamwork and clubs. It’s a relatively new field and jumping into it now allows me to put my foot in the door and shape the way that literature unfolds itself around it over the next few years.

    Why should people attend this webinar?

    For students specifically, it’s a great opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at the industry. I find that a lot of people I talk to have played video games but aren’t familiar with the competitive video gaming scene. I think people are curious as first of all, how did Esports get so popular? Why is it so popular? Is it going to be a main competitor to traditional sports or other forms of entertainment?

    There is an opportunity for those who might be interested in pursuing a career in sport management. Anything they would take away and apply for the sport management field can be applied to Esports. This industry is going to continue to grow, and if students can get their foot into the door now it might benefit them a lot in the future. Especially if Esports continues to grow, and I don’t see any reason why it would stop growing.

    What will the webinar look like to the average participant?

    I think they’re going to listen to some great commentary from 3 professionals in the industry who can give them the insight that they’re looking for in terms of the direction of Esports. We’ll look into its growth, what it’s going to look like in Canada over the next five years, what it’s going to look like at the grassroots level, the collegiate level and even the professional level.

    There are three experts who work closely with teams in Esports-based organizations who can give their expertise and can share their life experiences. That will connect to the average viewer so if they’re thinking about pursuing a career in Esports or even elsewhere, they will take away lessons that will be a great benefit.

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Dr. Peter Donnelly – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Peter Donnelly, from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto, to chat about his participation in the forum, “Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada,” that will be held on June 16, 17, and 18 on Microsoft Teams. Dr. Donnelly will be speaking on the Governance panel on the second day of the event.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Dr. Donnelly about what safe sport means to him, as well as what attendees will gain from attending the virtual forum.

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    Safe Sport is increasingly coming to be used as the collective term used to refer to sport where athletes are not subject to physical, psychological or sexual abuse, and where they are not bullied or neglected. To me, it means bringing humanity back into sport — building a sport culture where athletes and sport leaders are fellow human beings, respecting each other’s human rights, and where adults in charge of children’s sport acknowledge and take seriously their duty of care for those children.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    A colleague at Queen’s University, Hart Cantelon, used the term “child labour in sport” in 1981 and it stuck with me. I began to hear more and more stories about children as athletic labourers and about child abuse in sport. In about 1987 I began to study this seriously, interviewing retired high performance athletes about their past experiences as child and adolescent athletes. I called the study, “the good, the bad, and the ugly” so you can imagine the kind of things that I was hearing in the interviews. Since that time, I have been seeking various ways to try to improve the experiences of children in sport.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    Anyone interested in helping to change sport, especially high performance sport, from a culture of abuse to a culture of respect, might be interested in this forum.

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Isabelle Cayer, Peter Niedre, and Kasey Liboiron – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    We sat down (virtually) with Isabelle Cayer and Peter Niedre, from the Coaching Association of Canada, and Kasey Liboiron, from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, to chat about their participation in the forum, “Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada,” that will be held on June 16, 17, and 18 on Microsoft Teams. Isabelle, Peter, and Kasey will be speaking on the Coach Education panel on the third day of the event.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Isabelle, Peter, and Kasey about what safe sport means to them, as well as what attendees will gain from attending the virtual forum.

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    Isabelle and Peter: Sport is fun and has many physical, mental, emotional and social benefits and contributes to the health of a nation. Sport should inherently be safe, where parents/guardians feel confident enrolling their children, and athletes through the system feel welcomed to a positive environment. When you look up the definition of safe it is “protected from or not exposed to danger or risk; not likely to be harmed or lost.” To us it means a place you go or a thing you do where you can show up as your authentic self and participate in physical activity, games, or competition and achieve your goals. Healthy communications and trusting relationships are key to safe sport.

    Kasey: Safe sport should be a baseline expectation for participants. It should be the foundation on which a values-based approach to sport is applied in order to maximize the benefits of sport on participants and community.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    Isabelle and Peter: As the Director of Sport Safety and the Director of Education Partnerships at the Coaching Association of Canada, our roles are to make sport safe for everyone through building trust and support in the system. The primary enabler of social change is through education. We do this through our events, platforms and partnerships via training, coach education, coach and partner products and services, connecting the community and the professionalization of coaching.

    Kasey: For more than a decade, I have been advocating for sport that is fair, safe and open, as an employee of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in sport. The hope is to make sport better for more people by inspiring and supporting by inspiring and supporting Canadians to apply a values-based approach to sport and recreation.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    Isabelle and Peter: It’s important for all participants, leaders and experts in sport to come together to listen, learn, lead, and take action. We are all accountable in making sport safe for everyone, and this forum is a great opportunity to discuss safe sport.

    Kasey: Safe sport often focuses on what not to do – attend this forum to learn how to engage your stakeholders in developing a culture of safety in order to maximize the sport experience for participants.

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Bruce Kidd – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    We sat down (virtually) with Dr. Bruce Kidd, from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto, to chat about his participation in the forum, “Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada,” that will be held on June 16, 17, and 18 on Microsoft Teams. Dr. Kidd will be speaking on the Governance panel on the second day of the event.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Dr. Kidd about what safe sport means to him, as well as what attendees will gain from attending the virtual forum.

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    Capitalized, I would say Safe Sport is the long campaign to eradicate abusive behaviour and maltreatment from Canadian sport, and create a culture of inclusive, educationally focused, enjoyable sports, and to that end, create a federally-funded pan-Canadian institution to provide leadership to that campaign and root out the abusers. Uncapitalized, safe sport requires a complex list of conditions, summarized in the attached a two-slide deck derived from a set of literature reviews Peter [Donnelly] and I coordinated in 2008.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    I’ve been an advocate for both as long as I can remember.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    To hear and interact with leading researchers and advocates on the battle for the future of Canadian sport, and to decide for themselves ‘whose side am I on?

    Categories: Blog, Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Erin Willson – Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada

    We sat down (virtually) with Erin Willson, former Olympian and current co-chair of the Safe Sport committee at AthletesCAN, to chat about her participation in the forum, “Athletes First: The Promotion of Safe Sport in Canada,” that will be held on June 16, 17, and 18 on Microsoft Teams. Willson will be speaking on the Athletes’ Voices panel, along with Allison Forsyth, on the first day of the event.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Willson about what safe sport means to her, as well as what attendees will gain from attending the virtual forum.

    What does Safe Sport mean to you?

    For me, Safe Sport means creating an environment where athletes can reach their highest potential without sacrificing their health and well-being. It means creating an environment where all participants (coaches, athletes, sport staff) feel safe, comfortable, confident and bring their full selves to do what they love.

    How are you involved in Safe Sport?

    I am a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto studying abuse in sport. I have spent the past 4 years in graduate school learning about all types of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, neglect), and also learning how to be an advocate for athletes on these issues in the Canadian sport system.

    Why should someone attend this forum?

    There has been a growing awareness of the issues that athletes have faced in sport but there is less education and discussion about how to fix these issues and protect all sport stakeholders. I think this forum is an amazing opportunity to have an open discussion on how we as the sport community can move forward and create a safer sport environment.

    Categories: Webinars/Forums

  • Interview with Margot Page & Willy Manigat / Kascius Small-Martin & Daniel Caldwell – Planning and Building Through Challenging Circumstances

    We sat down (virtually) with Margot Page, Head Coach of Brock Women’s Hockey, and Willy Manigat, Head Coach of Brock Men’s Basketball, to chat about their webinar, “Planning and Building Through Challenging Circumstances,” that will be held on March 23 at 7 PM (EST) on Lifesize.

    In our interview, we had a chance to speak with Page and Manigat about the challenges that coaches are facing during COVID-19 and what attendees will gain from attending their virtual event.

    We also had the pleasure of hearing from two members of Brock University Men’s Basketball team, Kascius Small-Martin and Daniel Caldwell, who spoke about their experiences being athletes throughout the pandemic.

    Margot Page and Willy Manigat

    For those unaware but interested in attending the webinar, could you provide a brief description of the challenges that coaches have faced as they coach through COVID-19?

    During the COVID-19 pandemic coaches have been faced with many challenges. Some examples include inability to access gyms and fields to conduct in person training, the number cap creating separation within the team and continuity, less contact points with the athletes, less contact point for the athletes with their teammates, and difficulty holding team members accountable to the team’s usual norms and expectations.

    Why should people attend this webinar?

    Coaches should attend this webinar in order to get a perspective of the difficulties other coaches share with them regardless of the level they are currently coaching. We hope to provide some of our solutions to some of the difficulties based on the age group or level they [attendees] are working with (i.e. club coaches, volunteer coaches, university coaches, etc.).

    We also hope to provide some insight on how coaches can move forward through this pandemic as we work closer towards normalcy and a return to competition in what we hope is the near future.

    What does coaching through these challenging circumstances look like in practice?

    Due to health and safety protocols, during the pandemic our teams and programs have had to train while keeping social distancing rules. Our practices and training sessions consist mostly on the game fundamentals, our spacing concepts and a lot of skill development.

    What is the webinar going to look like for the average participant?

    The webinar will be laid out as follows: We will begin with a discussion on Coaching Struggles, then move on to Commonalities, Solutions for Practice and Culture Building, and then end with testimonials from coaches and players.

    Can I contact the speakers after the event if time restrictions don’t allow all questions from participants to be answered?

    Willy Manigat will be available to answer questions via email after the webinar if time restraints do not allow all questions to be answered.

    Kascius Small-Martin and Daniel Caldwell

    What are the most valuable transferable skills that you have learned through COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: Teamwork. 

    Kascius Small-Martin: Leadership, teamwork, communication, and discipline.

    Have you felt any changes in your team culture as you train/practice/play throughout COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: The team is less of a unit as we would be in this time of year having an entire season behind us by now. Instead, the lockdowns have separated us and although we take opportunities to bond together individually through forms of virtual communication, it is not the same as spending every day for the last 8 months physically together in practices, games, travel, meetings, and workouts throughout the university. Being a team going through a culture change and trying to find its culture, it is difficult to build that [culture] during the lockdowns and separation. Although the culture has not been impacted negatively, it has not had the opportunity to grow as much as it would during a regular season.

    Kascius Small-Martin: Somewhat of a change due to distance and only being able to see each other online for the most part.

    Think about your training/practice style as it was before COVID-19, now think of what it’s like now. Do you miss any aspects of how things used to be? If so, can you explain?

    Daniel Caldwell: Currently our practices are individual skill-development based due to social distancing and restrictions. Given basketball is a team sport, the most missed aspects of the old practices is being able to play 5-on-5 in the half-court or run up and down 5-on-5 full-court, whether that is situations and running through plays or just playing to get cardio in, the inability to simulate games is the missing aspect.

    Kascius Small-Martin: I miss every aspect of the training and practice styles before COVID-19 because training and practice isn’t the same without being in the actual facilities (i.e. Bob Davis, BSPC, the zone) or being able to scrimmage and play contact.

    What do you think coaches have done well as they coach through COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: I think our coaches have done extremely well given the circumstances. They know how difficult it is for the players and we know how badly they want us to get back to normal. But the focus is on individual development and a complete year off is the perfect time to focus on the individual needs of every player on their team. [Coaches have also been] ensuring their players that the issues going on in the world are bigger than the game of basketball as people are losing their lives and [have been] reminding us that the rules and restriction on practices are there for a reason. Our coaches have set an example by not bending the rules for us which leads for us not bending the rules outside of team/practice time and doing our part in preventing the spread of the virus.

    Kascius Small-Martin: They have kept the training programs going virtually from the very start of COVID-19 and have kept everyone optimistic that we’ll be getting back to it, [we] just have to be patient, stay safe, and do our part.

    What are some ways that coaches can improve their coaching style during COVID-19?

    Daniel Caldwell: I feel like a lot of coaches at high-level basketball do not care to get to know their players on a deeper personal level from what is going on in the gym. Most coaches just care about the type of basketball player a person is and have no interest in the type of person the player is, which could result in understanding that player more and being able to get the most out of each player on their team.

    Kascius Small-Martin: They can make the game enjoyable and fun again and let us play contact and compete.

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  • Interview with Corliss Bean, Ph.D. – Pivoting Youth Sport and Recreation Programming in the Wake of COVID-19

    We sat down with Corliss Bean, Ph.D., Assistant Professor within the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, and member of the Centre for Sport Capacity. Dr. Bean will be a panelist alongside Harry Bell of Canadian Jumpstart Charities and Erin Graybiel of the YMCA of Niagara in our upcoming webinar, “Pivoting Youth Sport and Recreation Programming in the Wake of COVID-19: Recommendations and Resources,” that will be held on Wednesday November 25th, from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm on Lifesize.

    In our interview, we talked about the challenges that youth sport and recreation programming are facing amidst COVID-19, and what the webinar has in store for attendees.

    For those unaware but interested in attending the webinar, could you provide a brief description of the challenges youth sport and recreation programming have been dealing with as we live amongst COVID-19?

    The global outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in closure of gyms, arenas, pools, dance and fitness studios, parks and playgrounds. Many youth are therefore not able to actively participate in their regular recreation activities outside of their homes. Under such conditions, many youth tend to be less physically active, have longer screen time, and also experience poorer mental health effects in the face of isolation from normal life compared to pre-COVID-19 times. Youth-serving organizations are working to engage youth through virtual sport and recreation programming. Such online offerings can serve to increase access to programs, activities, and program staff that would otherwise be inaccessible. However, this comes with its own challenges related to access to digital technologies

    What does youth sport and recreation programming during COVID-19 truly look like in practice?

    Tune into the webinar to find out! There are a lot of creative and engaging ways to engage youth through sport and recreation programming during COVID-19 both indoors and outdoors. Both Erin and Happy will share some great tips and resources that practitioners can use and applying within their own programming.

    What is the webinar going to be like for the average participant? 

    The webinar will share three perspectives from individuals who have diverse roles and experiences in the youth sport and recreation sectors. This webinar aims to provide recommendations and resources for all stakeholders that can help with program planning, implementation, and evaluation. This webinar will include three guests who will discuss lessons learned, best practices, and supports available to the sector during a time of uncertainty.

    If I have questions will I be able to address those at the webinar?

    Yes! There will be multiple opportunities throughout the webinar ask questions.

    Can I contact the webinar speakers after the event?

    Yes, the webinar panelists will provide their email addresses and links to their websites and social media platforms in case webinar attendees want to get in touch following the webinar.

     

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