Competitive and High Performance sport
Explore training factors that contribute to podium performances and how to help athletes achieve success and excel in sport. Our resources provide insights on the training and high performance arenas where athletes find competitive success.
Search Competitive & High-Performance Sport Resources
Top 10 resources
- SIRCuit Article: Taking a person-first approach to high performance sport in Canada
- SIRC Article: For or Against? The Pros and Cons of Early Talent Identification in Sport
- Spring SIRCuit 2024: The Transformative Power of Sport
- SIRC Article: The art of breaking: Strength, style, and storytelling
- SIRC Article: Canadian high performance athletes’ use of retirement resources
- Transformative Power of Sport: A Gold Medal Experience with Madison Mailey
- AthletesCAN Sport Solution Clinic
- 2019 Canadian High Performance Sport Strategy
- Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada
- Momentum: A Team Canada Podcast
Featured resource
Maxwell Lattimer and Madison Mailey
Featured resource
Natalie Durand-Bush and Krista Van Slingerland
Quick Facts
What is high-performance sport?
High-performance sport refers to the pursuit of excellence in competitive sports at the national and international levels. It involves athletes, coaches, and support teams striving to achieve peak performance through rigorous training, competition, and a commitment to continual improvement.
How can mental performance be enhanced in competitive sports?
Through techniques like goal setting, visualization, mindfulness, and working with sports psychologists to build resilience, focus, and confidence under pressure.
What factors are important for talent identification in sport?
Talent identification involves recognizing potential athletes based on physical abilities, psychological traits, and sport-specific skills. Factors like age, training environment, and early performance indicators are crucial in identifying future high-performance athletes.
How do varsity sports contribute to high performance sport in Canada?
Varsity sports serve as a key development pathway for high performance athletes, offering competitive opportunities, high-quality coaching, and access to sports science resources, which help athletes transition to national and international competition.
What support services are available for competitive high-performance athletes?
There are a range of support services, including sports psychologists and mental health resources available to athletes that are designed to help optimize training, manage stress, recover from injuries, achieve performance and mental wellbeing. Many sports organizations also offer mentorship and career development support. Canadian athletes may benefit from mental health and wellbeing resources provided by, for example, Game Plan created by the Canadian Olympic Committee, resources available through the Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport and Coaching Association of Canada, and Athlete365 offered by the International Olympic Committee.
What is COPSIN?
COPSIN stands for the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network. It is a collaborative network of seven high-performance training centres across Canada, designed to provide elite athletes with the resources, facilities, and expertise needed to excel on the world stage. These institutes are located in Victoria, Calgary, Saskatchewan, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, and Atlantic Canada. They offer comprehensive support including coaching, sport science, medical services, and athlete development programs.
Video Resources
The 2021 Concussion Virtual Symposium | Le Symposium de 2021 sur les commotions – Athlete’s Voice
- SIRC
- 2021
Athlete Voice: Jon Cornish, CFL Hall of Fame
- Calgary Black Chambers and SIRC
- 2022
Keynote: Concussions in High Performance Sport – Suzanne Leclerc
- Institut National du Sport du Québec, The French-Speaking Olympic Sports Medicine Research Network, The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network, and SIRC
- 2021
Sport sector update: Rule changes in action: How Taekwondo Canada is leading the way
- Taekwondo Canada and SIRC
- 2023
The Hard-Hitting Truth: lessons learned from Jen Kish’s concussions & the importance of awareness
- SIRC
- 2024
Transformative Power of Sport: More than just sport
- SIRC
- 2024
Knowledge Nuggets
knowledge nuggets
Eligibility, Ethics, and Women’s Competition:
Eligibility, Ethics, and Women’s Competition: World Athletics’ decision to reintroduce genetic testing for the women’s category is drawing criticism from researchers and sport ethicists who
knowledge nuggets
Health Info That Works for Everyone
Health Info That Works for Everyone: From menstrual health to menopause basics, these free easy-read booklets break down health topics in clear language to support
knowledge nuggets
It’s Not Just the Scoreboard
It’s Not Just the Scoreboard: This study found emotion dysregulation was directly associated with depression and anxiety in competitive athletes, with performance concerns intensifying anxiety
knowledge nuggets
One Size Does Not Fit All
One Size Does Not Fit All: Canadian NSOs are not built the same, and their governance should not be either. This new framework reveals why
knowledge nuggets
Safe Sport, Measured
Safe Sport, Measured: This study provides one of Canada’s clearest pictures yet of maltreatment in high-level sport and where prevention efforts must focus.
knowledge nuggets
The algorithm’s blind spot
The algorithm’s blind spot: AI promises to find the next superstar, if the data plays fair. Researchers say the key is keeping humans (and humanity)
knowledge nuggets
Mind over medal
Mind over medal: Performance and mental health aren’t rivals; they’re teammates. Learn more about how sport psychiatry is helping connect the two.
Mind over medal: Performance and mental health aren’t rivals; they’re teammates. Learn more about how sport psychiatry is helping connect the two.
knowledge nuggets
The climb to high-performance sport isn’t just physical
The climb to high-performance sport isn’t just physical: This new framework highlights how to protect young athletes’ mental health as they navigate the pressures of
The climb to high-performance sport isn’t just physical: This new framework highlights how to protect young athletes’ mental health as they navigate the pressures of moving to high-level sport.
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