Paige Culver and the CSCSWG Team have released a Partner Feature interview to discuss her journey as a professional soccer player in Europe and how her experiences have led up to her career within the soccer industry and completing her master’s in Sweden! Paige is the Manager of Soccer Operations for one of the CSCSWG’s partner clubs, Burlington Soccer Club. Paige discusses her background and journey playing for the London City Lionesses, the benefits of working within the non-profit sector, and how she has translated her player experiences to her operations role.

Specific topic discussions include; effective team-focused communication techniques, strengths and weaknesses Canada presents within its soccer industry, her experiences playing for the London City Lionesses during the 2023-2024 season, her 7 year professional soccer player tenure, the under-promoted benefits working for local clubs and soccer academies, the structural and systemic differences between soccer in Europe versus North America, call to actions for increasing women and girls playing soccer through the Canada Soccer ACCELERATE-HER program, and more!

Dr. Shannon Kerwin and the CSCSWG Team have released a Member Feature interview to both kickstart the launch of the CSC Soccer Working Group, and to promote her most recent findings within the soccer industry. Dr. Kerwin’s research identifies strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of athletes, coaching staff, referees, parents, organizational staff and more.

Specific topic discussions include; the Bodycam Pilot Project (2023–2024), the Ontario Soccer IModel Evaluation (2022–2024), productive internship development approaches for soccer clubs, a deep dive on the marginalization of girls who play on boys’ teams and/or in male-dominated spaces and how soccer clubs can adapt to these challenges, governing organizations by values, changing the narratives surrounding soccer referees, and more!

If you are a leader or a working professional within the soccer industry, check out this interview for current and evidence-based research on how you and the CSCSWG can improve your organization!

Dr. Kyle Rich, alongside Robyn Smith and Audrey Giles recently published their book, Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity!

This book is an invaluable resource for students and researchers working in sport studies, the sociology of sport, sport and exercise psychology, sport management and policy, and human movement and health studies more broadly. It will be particularly useful for those interested in diverse and inclusive approaches to qualitative research methodologies.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs season came to an end with familiar first round exit, questions have been raised over the ability of the Leafs’ “Core Four” players delivering the Stanley Cup to the city of Toronto. Our Member, Dr. Ryan Clutterbuck recently wrote an article in the Conversation where he discussed the complexities of the “Core Four” players contracts and the dangers of playing “hardball” with their no-movement clauses.

The article highlights two main negotiation tactics, 3D negotiation, drawing on two Harvard professors’ findings that coercive strategies and tactics are often short-sighted and fail to account for the interests and potential value looking beyond the immediate issue – or in the Leafs’ case, looking at potential free agents down the road.

Dr. Clutterbuck also references some of the important lessons found in Brock University Sport Management courses – in particular the Infinite Game concept. In the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dr. Clutterbuck draws the conclusion that the organization should live up to their word on negotiated agreements, and that anything less is simply not good enough.

Check out this article co-authored by our student Lucas Rotondo, alongside CSC members Dr. Taylor McKee and Carriera Lamoureux. This article published in The Conversation discusses the recent 2024 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) which explores the themes of the tournament, and its focus on fostering cultural unity and pride, while also discussing how the event challenges the deficit-perspective commonly applied to Indigenous Peoples and sport.

Learn more from our member Lucas Rotondo by clicking the button.

Check out this recent webinar by Dr. Taylor McKee focusing on the growth of Esports on collegiate campuses!

Projected to surpass $2 billion in 2024, the gaming industry is gaining traction in universities. Dr. McKee and a panel of experts discussed opportunities and challenges of collegiate Esports, such as changing the narrative of Esport programs at the post-secondary level, the rise of competitive gaming scholarships, and the potential career opportunities within the industry.

Interested to learn more, click the button to be redirected to the webinar.

Curious how Sport Management programs can enhance students’ self-perceptions and leadership skills?

Our members, Dr. Kirsty Spence and Dr. Shannon Kerwin, explored the effects of ego development and leadership efficacy of third-year sport management students during their 4-year academic program. The longitudinal study reveals that fluctuations in ego development may be a factor in how students see themselves as leaders in the field of sport management. From a program management perspective, this research shows us that faculty can benefit from incorporating vicarious experiences like challenging experiential education, self-reflection, feedback, and peer-paced development into curricula. Which can improve students’ self-perceptions, leadership, and critical thinking abilities.

Check out the full article by clicking the button!