Jelena Damjanovic

With PhD in hand, ��ϲ�� grad and former Olympian aims to tackle athlete abuse

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 16:28:49 +0000

With PhD in hand, ��ϲ�� grad and former Olympian aims to tackle athlete abuse

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 06/05/2024 - 12:28

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Erin Willson, who competed in the 2012 Olympic Games with Team Canada, is graduating with a PhD from the Faculty of Kinesiology & Public Education (photo by Hannah Kiviranta)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

Convocation 2024

Athletes

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Olympics

Subheadline

Erin Willson, a former synchronized swimmer with Team Canada, researched positive coaching styles for her doctoral dissertation

Erin Willson was a synchronized swimmer for 14 years – half of which were spent as a member of Team Canada, including competing in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Yet, despite her triumphs, Willson's long career at the pinnacle of her sport also caused her to realize just how many athletes experienced emotional abuse, and how little awareness there was around the issue.

“There was some conversation about sexual abuse, but notably, experiences of body shaming and emotional abuse were missing,” says Willson, who is graduating with a PhD from the ��ϲ��’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) this spring.

“This was important to me because I had known from my experience – and the experiences of other athletes that I had spoken with – that emotional abuse can have a lot of really negative effects, but these were being ignored or dismissed as ‘part of sport.’”

When Willson began weighing up options for graduate school, she was drawn to KPE due to the research being done by Professor Gretchen Kerr and Associate Professor Ashley Stirling – dean and vice-dean, respectively – on emotional abuse and body image issues in sport.

Willson says few people were talking about abuse in sport at the time, and the work of Kerr and Stirling resonated with her due to her own experiences. She decided she wanted to contribute to increasing our understanding of athlete abuse as well as shed light on positive coaching approaches.

“As cliché as it sounds, I knew I couldn't change my own experience, but hoped I could change the experiences of future generations so that other athletes would not have to go through what I did to reach their goals,” says Willson.

Her doctoral research took a positive approach to addressing maltreatment in sport. While increased attention to the issue has led to the implementation of codes of conduct and new mechanisms for reporting and investigating abuse, Willson identified an important gap in research and practice.

“Something that’s been missing is teaching coaches and sport organizations what to do instead of focusing on what not to do,” says Willson. “A common reason we've heard from coaches who are hesitant to adopt more positive coaching methods is that they don't elicit performance results like abusive tactics do.”

For her dissertation, Willson interviewed Olympic and Paralympic medalists and their coaches who had a positive sport experience to provide evidence that positive coaching styles elicit performance and to outline what positive coaching can look like.

She says the biggest challenge she faced was the intensity of the subject matter she was studying. “I felt this especially when my personal story of what I had experienced as an athlete became public,” says Willson, noting she was “really lucky” to have the support of friends, family and her supervisor.

Willson said she also received plenty of support for her advocacy. For the past three years, she has been the president of AthletesCAN, and has advocated for athletes on issues like safe sport, representation and funding. “While I have been very fortunate to be able to pursue multiple passions at once, at times, it was difficult to balance both interests,” says Willson. “I was very fortunate to have the support of my supervisor and the faculty of KPE, who supported and celebrated the work that I was doing in both areas.”

Her research-to-practice approach was also encouraged through a Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellowship, which supports public scholarship. With the help of the fellowship, Willson travelled to several international conferences and completed a month-long seminar at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece – the birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games.

Willson is conducting post-doctoral research with Kerr in KPE’s Safe Sport lab, where she’s working with the Coaching Association of Canada to translate her dissertation data into a practical toolkit for coaches. This summer, she started teaching an undergraduate course on maltreatment in youth sport.

“It’s an exciting time for women's sports in Canada, which aligns with my research interests of gender-based violence and gender-equity as a solution to violence, so I can see myself being involved in this, either through research, practice or a combination of the two in the near future,” says Willson.

Reflecting on her time thus far at KPE, Willson credits her supervisor Kerr and committee members Stirling and Professor Emeritus Bruce Kidd for creating a nurturing and supportive learning environment.

Her biggest piece of advice for students interested in following in her footsteps? Pursue your passion.

“Graduate school can be really difficult, but if you're passionate about what you're doing, it makes it so much easier,” she says. “Even on the hardest days, I always woke up feeling so grateful that I got to do something that I loved.”

��ϲ�� holds flag-raising ceremonies across its three campuses to mark start of Pride Month

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 20:21:00 +0000

��ϲ�� holds flag-raising ceremonies across its three campuses to mark start of Pride Month

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 06/04/2024 - 16:21

Cutline

(photos by Nick Iwanyshyn, Don Campbell and XiaoXiao)

Jelena Damjanovic

Don Campbell

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Subheadline

"Let us celebrate the progress we have made while acknowledging the work that still lies ahead"

Flags have been raised across the ��ϲ��’s three campuses to mark the start of Pride month.

At the St. George campus, the Progress Pride flag was hoisted above Varsity Stadium during an event hosted by the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) and the Sexual and Gender Diversity Office.

Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, welcomed guests at the event and noted that June is also the start of National Indigenous History Month – a reminder that fighting for 2SLGBTQ+ rights also means fighting for an end to all forms of oppression. “I’m old enough to remember the Toronto bathhouse raids in 1981 and the violence exerted against the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We’ve made progress since then, but we can’t take our feet off the gas pedal,” Kerr said.

"Raising the Progress Pride flag today at ��ϲ�� is essentially important as we mark Pride within the context of our ongoing efforts to address many systems of oppression, discrimination, and harassment,” said Jodie Glean-Mitchell, ��ϲ��'s executive director of equity, diversity and inclusion.

"Pride Month is a time to celebrate the contributions that 2SLGBTQ+ people and communities have made – and continue to make – across the university. It is a time to educate ourselves on the past and present lived experience of queer and trans people. Most importantly it's a time to push back, a time for resistance... There is purpose in us being here. We have work to do. But we can only do it together."

At ��ϲ�� Scarborough, the More Colour, More Pride and Trans Pride flags were raised to mark the beginning of Pride Month.

“Each of us will choose to mark this day in different ways,” said Cherilyn Scobie Edwards, senior director of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office (EDIO) at ��ϲ�� Scarborough.

Left: ��ϲ�� Scarborough community members gather to mark the start of Pride Month. Right: Cherilyn Scobie Edwards, senior director of equity, diversity and inclusion, delivers remarks (photos by Don Campbell)

Edwards noted that not everyone has the privilege of being able to celebrate Pride. “It is my hope that today we continue to note that the struggle for freedom and acceptance has not ended and that the fight for true freedom continues,” she said.

Professor Linda Johnston, acting vice-president of ��ϲ�� and principal of ��ϲ�� Scarborough, and Diana Pearson, equity, diversity and inclusion coordinator with the EDIO, also offered remarks.

The ceremony was followed by a courtyard celebration in front of the Arts and Administration Building featuring snow cones, a Pride balloon display, interactive floral mural and a welcome table set up by the Positive Space Committee.

Pride flags were also raised at ��ϲ�� Mississauga last week.

The Progress Pride flag is raised at ��ϲ�� Mississauga (photos by Nick Iwanyshyn)

Back at Varsity Stadium, Jasmine Lew, a kinesiology major and track-and-field athlete who was nominated by their peers as the 2SLGBTQ+ community impact honouree, said the raising of the Progress Pride flag is a deeply meaningful moment. “Let us celebrate the progress we have made while acknowledging the work that still lies ahead,” said Lew, “and let us recommit ourselves to building safe and brave spaces that empowers us to love who we love and live authentically.”

Wrapping up the event, Terry Gardiner, KPE’s director of equity, diversity and inclusion, said the raising of the Pride flag represents “a rallying call for all of us, as a community, to continue to work together to bring to life our vision of truly inclusive societies for everyone, everywhere.”

Warming up: ��ϲ�� researcher explores the impact of climate change on sports

Christopher.Sorensen — Wed, 01 May 2024 15:22:38 +0000

Warming up: ��ϲ�� researcher explores the impact of climate change on sports

Christopher.Sorensen Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:22

Cutline

(photo by Sebastian Gollnow via Getty Images)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Sports

Sustainability

Subheadline

In her new book, sport ecologist Madeleine Orr explores how everything from sweltering heat to unpredictable winter weather is affecting sports - and how the sporting world itself is contributing to the changes

In 2019, a world championship marathon in Doha was scheduled at midnight to avoid the blistering sun. That same year, athletes at the Rugby World Cup in Japan waded through knee-high water to reach the pitch after Typhoon Hagibis dropped 240 mm of water over Tokyo – the wettest storm on record in Japan.

From no-snow winters to sweltering summer heat, the sporting world is feeling the effects of climate hazards and a slew of health, business and performance risks are going unaddressed, says sport ecologist Madeleine Orr, an assistant professor in the ��ϲ��’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE).

(photo by Selena Phillips-Boyle)

In her book Warming up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport, Orr shares stories of athletes, teams and events that have been directly affected by climate hazards, explores the impact of sport on the planet and suggests actions the sport sector can take to adapt.

Writer Jelena Damjanovic recently sat down with Orr – who will be at a book launch at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport on May 9 – to chat about her book, research and how she maintains her optimism in the climate fight.

What drew you to this area of research?

There are many ways to become a sport ecologist. Some enter [the field] through the sport sciences side – kinesiology, physiology, coaching – others begin in natural resource science, environmental studies, hydrology or climatology, and then find their way to sport as the topic.

My training combined a bit of both and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to study across different faculties when I was in graduate school to learn how to read, interpret and develop climate models, and also how to measure the impacts of different climate hazards like extreme heat, humidity or wildfire on athletes’ health and performance, and the business side of sports.

How is climate change changing sport, directly and indirectly?

I spend about 200 pages of my book answering that question – but if I had to split it into a few buckets, it would be that: extreme heat is impacting athlete health and performance, and the well-being of everybody else around sport, including coaches, referees and fans; drought and floods are creating unstable and sometimes unhealthy playing surfaces in different parts of the world; wildfires are wreaking havoc on air pollution across huge swaths of land even far from the flames; and winters are getting shorter and less predictable due to climate change – so winter sports are suffering.

Climate change is important to think about in the context of sport because every single sport is dependent on clean air, clean water and a safe place to play. When climate hazards crop up, they can lead to cancelations, delays, damages, health issues and, in worst-case-scenarios, death for athletes.

Is sport itself contributing negatively to the environment?

Sport – especially at the elite and professional levels – is organized geographically and based on inter-regional and international travel. The business model of sport is based on tourism: the teams and events want people to come in from out of town, or to spend money at restaurants and other hospitality offerings near the venue. So, when lots of people – teams, referees, media and fans – move around, it creates a pretty significant carbon footprint.

And in another sense, sport produces a lot of waste. Think of how many sports products are made from carbon fibre, just to name one example. It’s in our hockey sticks, bikes, bats, boats, skis, racquets, nets and the list goes on. It’s a great product because it’s strong and light, but it’s also not recyclable, so once a piece of carbon fibre equipment gets even a tiny crack, it becomes unplayable and in the case of bikes or boats, it has to be retired immediately for safety reasons.

Another example is sports gear. Think of all the clothing and shoes that we buy to support our sport practices – most of it is made from polyester because it wicks sweat. But it’s also made from plastic and is very hard to recycle, even if the product you buy says, “Made from recycled materials.” Polyester can generally be recycled once and then it starts becoming tricky to do it again as the quality of the material degenerates. All this to say, sport produces a lot of stuff that can't be recycled or reused, and that’s a huge source of waste.

How can sport organizations, managers, coaches, athletes and fans mitigate the risks associated with climate change and reduce their own environmental footprint?

That's a huge question, and I spent a lot of pages on this in the book. The first big thing is that we have to put safety first and adopt policies and emergency protocols that keep athletes – and staff, coaches, fans, volunteers – safe when they’re playing sport in unsafe conditions like extreme heat or wildfire smoke. The other piece will be to adapt our facilities and our schedules to avoid the worst of the climate hazards.

Reducing the environmental footprint usually has to do with reducing travel, whether it’s carpooling to practices with other kids on your team or taking public transit to pro sport events when you go to watch. But there are lots of other things individuals and sport organizations can do with regards to reuse and recycling that I discuss in the book as well.

How do you maintain your optimism?

I don’t think we can afford not to change. We just have to. And I’m under no illusion that sport – especially pro and elite sport – is going to be the first mover on this, but this sector does have a huge platform and potential to inspire not only fans who follow, but all of its supply chains. When sport has used that platform in the past, it’s ignited major public conversations about issues like gender equity –think of Billie Jean King or the more recent work of women’s soccer teams. And racial injustice – think the 2020 Black Lives Matter boycotts and before that Colin Kaepernick, and before that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Sport has a rich history of drawing attention to big debates and discussions. And I think we can do that again with climate change.

Finally, how do you respond to people who say to athlete activists to “stay in their lane?”

There are always going to be trolls and haters. I say ignore them. George Monbiot, an environment reporter for The Guardian, once said, “We are hypocrites. Every one of us, almost by definition. Hypocrisy is the gap between your aspirations and your actions.” And that resonates with me. I try to remind athletes or other activists that nobody would pass a purity test on climate action: we’ve all got a carbon footprint and we all have agency to make some choices that are more sustainable, but not all choices – because some are expensive and some are just out of our control. So, let yourself off the hook of being perfect, continue to communicate your concerns to the world and ignore the trolls.

Read the full interview at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Cleaner air, better ice: ��ϲ�� acquires electric Zamboni for Varsity Arena

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:42:12 +0000

Cleaner air, better ice: ��ϲ�� acquires electric Zamboni for Varsity Arena

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 02/16/2024 - 16:42

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��ϲ��’s Varsity Arena joins an estimated quarter of the roughly 1,000 indoor rinks in Ontario that are now serviced by electric ice resurfacers (photo by Seyran Mammadov)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

Climate Change

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Subheadline

A growing number of Ontario rinks are moving away from gas-powered ice resurfacing machines since they can pollute indoor air

The ��ϲ��’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) has acquired an electric ice resurfacing machine for the Varsity Arena, a zero-emissions vehicle that will improve the quality of ice – and air.

Often referred to as “Zambonis” after Frank J. Zamboni, Jr., a block ice salesman who patented the technology in 1953, ice resurfacing machines maintain the skating surface by shaving the top layer of ice, washing the remaining ice and then spreading out an even layer of water that freezes between skate times.

But a growing number of rinks are now moving away from gas-powered Zambonis since they emit exhaust fumes that pollute indoor air.

“An electric Zamboni eliminates the source of indoor air pollution and reduces the ventilation requirements for the arena, which means energy savings and operational cost reductions for the facility,” says Ian Stephen, assistant facility manager at the Varsity Arena and Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

“It also provides a superior system of maintaining ice in the arena.”

��ϲ��’s Varsity Arena joins an estimated quarter of the roughly 1,000 indoor rinks in Ontario now serviced by electric ice resurfacers following Health Canada’s 2021 recommendations to use electric resurfacers and edgers to improve air quality in arenas.

Ian Stephen, assistant facility manager at the Varsity and Goldring Centre, poses next to a newly purchased electric Zamboni (photo by Jill Clark)

The electric Zamboni also makes better ice by using laser beams, a technology first used in the construction industry to level ground. To set it up, the Varsity Arena rink pad had to be measured first without ice to factor in any high or low spots.

“With the laser mounted on a pole and the receiver on the Zamboni, the blade moves automatically to create the most level ice possible,” Stephen says.

Another new feature is so-called “fast ice,” which is created with misting jets on the back of the electric Zamboni.

“They mist water onto the ice as opposed to it dripping down and a flutter cloth just dragging the water and trying to fill in everything,” says Stephen. “The misting helps take some of the oxygen out of the water, which makes the ice harder when it freezes – so it also creates a better surface.”

While electric Zambonis are more expensive than the gas-powered models, they are expected to save on fuel and maintenance over their lifetimes.

“Think of all the savings on energy, water and time,” Stephens says.

In addition to the electric Zamboni, KPE has also replaced a pick-up truck that hauled equipment with an electric van – one of several environmentally conscious projects underway at the university.

Kinesiology students, staff and faculty create virtual tour to highlight Black history in sport

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 17:22:54 +0000

Kinesiology students, staff and faculty create virtual tour to highlight Black history in sport

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 02/06/2024 - 12:22

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

Black History Month

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Graduate Students

Subheadline

The Black History Here & Now virtual tour connects visitors to virtual presentations of Black Canadian accomplishments and experiences in sport and physical activity

Devonnia Miller did a lot of dancing growing up in the Bahamas, from ballet and tap to acrobatics and jazz. So, when the opportunity presented itself to learn more about the history of Black dance in Canada – she leaped.

An executive assistant to the chief administrative officer in the ��ϲ��’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), Miller was part of an 18-member KPE Black History Month (BHM) working group – composed of staff, faculty and students – that worked collaboratively to illuminate Black Canadian history in sport and physical activity (a full list of members can be found at KPE).

The result is the Black History Here & Now virtual tour, a unique experience that uses QR codes, located throughout the Athletic Centre and Varsity Arena, to connect visitors to virtual presentations of Black Canadian accomplishments and experiences in sport and physical activity.

“The group wanted to link the online information to KPE’s physical spaces as a way of grounding history in the present and allowing participants to have an embodied experience of moving through the physical spaces to access information linked to each area – for example, the history of Black people and swimming is linked with the pool,” says Terry Gardiner, KPE’s director of equity, diversity and inclusion, who participated in the project’s development.

“The community is welcome to discover each location in person or to access the virtual tour online.”

Devonnia Miller was part of KPE's Black History Month working group that came up with the idea for a virtual tour highlighting Black Canadians' achievements and experiences in sport and physical activity (photo by Xiao Xiao)

Janelle Joseph, an assistant professor at KPE and director of the Indigeneity, Diaspora, Equity and Anti-racism in Sport (IDEAS) research lab, says she was happy to contribute her knowledge and expertise to the group.

“Black Canadian sport and leisure experiences are a significant part of my research and I still have many more curiosities to satisfy,” Joseph says. “My top priority is to document Black Canadians' international achievements and acknowledge the enduring presence of racism in Canadian sport.”

Terry Gardiner in a meeting with KPE's BHM working group (photo by Xiao Xiao)

Joseph adds that she particularly enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with staff on the project.

“Celebrating the achievements of athletes, coaches, administrators, athletic therapists and researchers of Black, Caribbean and African heritage leads to increased respect and contributes to ending ongoing patterns of discrimination,” says Joseph. “I want every Black youth to know there is a possible path for them in kinesiology, sport, recreation and leisure – and for every person in our facilities to know the names of Black Canadian sport contributors.”

Unearthing those names did not come without challenges. The scarcity of data on Black histories in sport and physical activity came as a surprise to many in the working group, including Miller, who struggled to find much information about Black dancers in Canada.

“That really stood out to me,” she says. “I hope the project opens up people's eyes to what the group was able to find out.”

From left to right: Caitlin Felteau-Mcinnis, Deniece Bell, Terry Gardiner, Luc Tremblay and Colleen Dotson (photo by Xiao Xiao)

For Anthonia Aina, who is pursuing her PhD at KPE by studying the effects of music on movement, the dearth of data documenting Black histories came with a silver lining.

“Knowing what we lack and seeing how we can build on that is a good starting point,” she says.

Colleen Dotson agrees. The head coach of ��ϲ��’s Track and Field Club says she hopes the project leads not only to greater visibility of Black Canadians in sport, but also better storage documenting of their achievements and experiences.

“People don't know about this history,” she says. “If it's uncovered and then goes back in a box again, that's of no use either, so hopefully, it finds a place to live, so these people’s stories can live on.”

The group also hopes the information uncovered by the project will help start and sustain conversations about race and inclusion in sport and physical activity.

“Black history is Canadian history and we all benefit from connections with the rich legacies and stories of both struggle and triumph that have helped shape sport and physical activity in Canada,” says Gardiner.

“I hope people look at what we did and start noticing the questions they never asked themselves, because that's what I experienced personally,” adds Sami Anguaya, a development officer in KPE’s alumni and advancement office.

Learning is what motivated Tricia McGuire-Adams to join the project. McGuire-Adams is an associate professor at KPE, studying the resurgence of Indigenous perspectives in kinesiology. She says she was eager to join KPE staff and students to learn more about Black Canadians’ achievement and experiences in sport.

“It was a truly meaningful experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow together,” she says.

Danielle Dobney, an assistant professor at KPE, says she enjoyed working and learning with other members of the KPE community and hopes the end result contributes to “a bigger presence of diversity in our spaces and conversations.”

Ontario sees 17 per cent decrease in access to youth sports: MLSE, ��ϲ�� report

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 18:41:36 +0000

Ontario sees 17 per cent decrease in access to youth sports: MLSE, ��ϲ�� report

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 01/26/2024 - 13:41

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Young people run on a basketball court at MLSE Launchpad, a 42,000 sqaure-foot facility for sport and development in downtown Toronto (photo courtesy of MLSE Launchpad)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Breaking Research

COVID-19

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Sports

Youth

Subheadline

Annual Change the Game research report cited social isolation and affordability as biggest barriers to youth participation

A new report on the state of youth sports in Ontario found a 17 per cent decrease in access compared to the previous year across various demographic groups, with social isolation and affordability reported as the greatest barriers to participation.

The annual Change the Game research report, created through a partnership between MLSE Foundation and ��ϲ�� researcher Simon Darnell, also cited gender, racial and household disparities as factors contributing to a lack of access to sports, with 38.5 per cent of six- to 10-year-olds reporting experiencing racism or discrimination in sports.

Overall, 36 per cent of Ontario youth reported not having access to safe places to play sports in 2023. When asked what would improve the quality of youth sports culture, the most frequent response was “an environment where I can make friends.”

“I was more disappointed than surprised by the results,” said Darnell, an associate professor in ��ϲ��’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) and director of the Centre for Sport Policy Studies (CSPS). “We know that the COVID-19 pandemic forced some youth out of sport altogether and made sport increasingly inaccessible for others who tried to remain. And we knew that getting kids back to sport after they dropped out was going to be challenging.

“We also know that many elements or aspects of social life are increasingly inaccessible in our world today. So, what this points to is the importance of securing accessibility and inclusion as key values and policy priorities in youth sport provision.”

The Change the Game research project was conceived in 2021 as an anonymous online survey of Ontario youth about their experiences with access, engagement and equity issues in sport. The most recent study was the largest to date, with more than 10,000 survey responses – bringing the total number of youth voices collected over three years of research to 25,000.

This year, the project also collaborated with youth sport organizations, including ��ϲ��’s BIPOC Varsity Association, Toronto FC Academy, Argos Rowing Club and Ausome Ottawa, which suggested solutions to the barriers expressed by research participants in the first two years of the study.

Victor Adarquah, a PhD student in ��ϲ��’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, was the lead research assistant on the project, receiving valuable hands-on experience in applying research to address real-world issues.

“This project was an incredible opportunity to bridge my interest in community and social impact work with research,” said Adarquah. “I found it especially rewarding to experience the fast-paced nature and real-time application of the research findings. The work here doesn't just sit on a shelf, it's actively informing and shaping ongoing initiatives.”

Tanya Mruck, vice-president of community engagement and social impact at MLSE, said the data collected in the Change the Game research study will serve as an important resource that will help guide the investments and community engagement priorities of the MLSE Foundation. Study insights will also be available publicly through an online report, interactive data dashboard and open access dataset.

“What this project demonstrates is that sharing of resources and expertise through collaborations between universities and community or industry partners is both possible and beneficial,” said Darnell. “When we embarked on this collaborative project back in 2021, we wanted to better understand how youth in Ontario engage in sport in order to build a more equitable sport system for them. Along the way, it became the largest youth sports study of its kind in Canada – one which will provide sport and recreation providers, policymakers, funders and future researchers with valuable data and recommendations to change the game for the better.”

Rate of concussions after hits to side of the head dropped following NHL’s Rule 48: Study

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 17:02:48 +0000

Rate of concussions after hits to side of the head dropped following NHL’s Rule 48: Study

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 11/27/2023 - 12:02

Cutline

(photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Breaking Research

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Research & Innovation

Subheadline

"Rule 48 appears to be effective for its intended purpose – eliminating behaviours that accounted for the majority of concussions in the NHL”

The incidence and proportion of concussions suffered by NHL players following hits to the lateral side of the head reduced substantially following the implementation of the league’s Rule 48, according to a study led by Michael Hutchison, an associate professor in the ��ϲ��’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE).

The study, published on JAMA Network Open, compared the incidence and mechanisms of concussions that occurred following hits to the head before and after the implementation of Rule 48, which was introduced in the NHL’s 2010-11 season to prohibit direct hits to the lateral side of the head, and was widened the following season to prohibit direct contact to all areas of the head.

In all, 688 concussions were analyzed: 231 for NHL regular seasons from 2006 to 2010 (before the rule was introduced) and 457 for the 2014 to 2019 seasons.

“We hypothesized that after the implementation of Rule 48, we would observe a change of behaviour whereby there would be fewer concussions resulting from hits to the head,” said Hutchison, who is director of the concussion program at KPE’s David L. MacIntosh Sports Clinic.

“Our findings show a significant decline in concussions post-Rule 48 implementation, specifically a decrease of 18.8 percentage points in the proportion of concussions due to hits to the lateral aspect of the head, which dropped from 34.6 per cent (80 out of 231 concussions) before Rule 48 to 13.3 per cent (61 out of 457) afterward.”

While these results indicate a positive behavioural change in the sport, Hutchison’s study observed an overall increase in the incidence of concussion between the two time frames – although incidence of concussion due to hits to the lateral aspect of the head decreased from 1.6 per 100 games to 1.0 per 100 games.

Hutchison says the overall increase in concussion incidence between the two time frames ran contrary to the team’s hypothesis, but noted that there were numerous factors at play that could contribute to an increase in reports of concussions. “Importantly, the period following the introduction of Rule 48 coincided with enhanced efforts regarding concussion awareness and identification of suspected concussions, including the addition of a spotter program whereby certified athletic trainers watch games centrally in an off-site location to identify visible signs of possible concussions, while in-arena spotters watch games live to identify visible signs, including those not captured by video,” he said.

Assessment tools and approaches used to diagnose a suspected concussion have also improved over time, says Hutchison, and education campaigns about the health risks associated with concussion and the importance of early detection have ramped up, too.

“These targeted initiatives may have resulted in greater awareness and reporting of concussion, thereby likely contributing to the increase in concussion incidence between the two periods,” says Hutchison.

“The identification and prevention of concussion is multifaceted, but of importance. Rule 48 appears to be effective for its intended purpose – eliminating behaviours that accounted for the majority of concussions in the NHL.”

Hutchison says it’s important to keep exploring ways to prevent concussions and protect player safety. For example, he noted that in recent years, it appears that most concussions occur around the perimeter of the rink – specifically the side boards and corners.

“Given the inherent nature of collision – both intentional body checks and incidental collisions – future research should involve a close examination of the behaviours and mechanisms of concussions following player-to-player contact around the perimeter of the arena, such as the types of surfaces and environments, and specific locations of head contact,” says Hutchison.

“This study provides important insight regarding patterns of concussions and the potential influence of policies targeting health and safety.”

Paralympian - and new ��ϲ�� grad - Stephanie Dixon aims to address athlete maltreatment

Christopher.Sorensen — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 15:02:53 +0000

Paralympian - and new ��ϲ�� grad - Stephanie Dixon aims to address athlete maltreatment

Christopher.Sorensen Fri, 11/10/2023 - 10:02

Cutline

Stephanie Dixon, a member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, examined the experiences of athletes who experienced maltreatment in sport – particularly those from marginalized groups (photo by Alex Law)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Breaking Research

Convocation 2023

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Sports

Subheadline

“My master’s degree was the most challenging and meaningful experience of my life”

Stephanie Dixon was only two years old when her parents signed her up for swimming classes.

She says they believed it was important for her to know, at a young age, what her body was capable of doing.

“My parents knew that I would have challenges in my life – not because of my body, but because of the attitude society would have about my body,” says Dixon, who was born without her right leg and hip, and with a medical condition known as omphalocele.

She was 12 years old when she began competitive swimming, joining Canada's national team two years later. At the age of 16, she won five gold medals at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. Since then, she has gone on to win many more medals and set world records, securing a spot in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and an appointment to the Order of Canada.

Following the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, where she served as Canada’s chef de mission, Dixon embarked on a different kind of challenge: pursuing a master’s degree in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) at the ��ϲ��. She graduated this week alongside more than 5,500 students during ��ϲ��’s fall convocation.

“I had been an athlete and ambassador in sport for 20 years, and upon reflecting on my own experience and those of my teammates, I felt that it was deeply important to learn more about athlete safety and well-being,” Dixon says. “I wanted my contributions in sport to be centred around wellbeing, inclusion and equity.”

With Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, as her supervisor, Dixon studied the experiences of athletes who experienced maltreatment in sport and engaged in a reporting process – particularly athletes from marginalized groups.

“Athletes deserve to have safe and affirming experiences in sport, especially during a reporting process where harm has already occurred,” says Dixon.

Stephanie Dixon celebrates her gold medal win in the women's 100-metre backstroke at the 2008 Paralympic Games (photo by Natalie Behring/Getty Images)

Following media reports about rampant athlete maltreatment in Canadian sport, the federal government formed the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), an independent office to investigate athlete complaints. The issue, according to Dixon, is that there continues to be little to no research on reporting processes and whether they reduce the threat of athlete maltreatment in sport.

“My research suggests quite the opposite – current reporting processes in fact increase the threat of harm and re-traumatization for athletes,” says Dixon. “In some ways, these processes may be an extension of the harmful culture of disempowerment and control typical of an abusive environment.”

She says further research is needed on athletes’ experiences of trauma and factors that contribute to their healing journeys – and plans to continue working on research projects in those areas.

“My master’s degree was the most challenging and meaningful experience of my life,” says Dixon. “When I look back at my athletic pursuits, I wanted to make my coach, friends and family, and community proud, of course – but my motivation behind swimming was personal.

“My primary motivation in graduate school was to develop the skills, knowledge and practice that would contribute towards equity and affirming experiences, particularly for those who have experienced abuse and who are from equity-denied groups.”

Dixon encourages new graduate students to find as much community and support as possible once they embark on “the transformative experience" of going to grad school – and not to be afraid of getting creative and imaginative in their research projects.

“I had a lot of imposter syndrome moments, and at times felt overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy,” she says. “My mentors and support system helped me navigate the demands and pressures – both within the program and some that were self-imposed.”

While COVID-19 made it difficult to connect in-person with fellow students and faculty members, she says she is grateful for all the adaptations and hybrid options that allowed her and other KPE students to continue their studies safely during a challenging time.

The ��ϲ�� swim team was an important part of Dixon’s network. She swam with them during her last two years of high school – and then moved across to live in British Columbia and the Yukon for 20 years.

“Coming back to ��ϲ�� for graduate school and reconnecting with some very dear friends and swimming in the varsity pool again has been incredibly meaningful.”

Prehistoric: ��ϲ�� alum Alex Wong explores the Toronto Raptors' origin story

rahul.kalvapalle — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:41:30 +0000

Prehistoric: ��ϲ�� alum Alex Wong explores the Toronto Raptors' origin story

rahul.kalvapalle Wed, 11/01/2023 - 10:41

Cutline

��ϲ�� alumnus Alex Wong signed copies of his book Prehistoric: the Improbable and Audacious Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport (all photos by Dewey Chang)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

City & Culture

Joe's Basketball Diaries

Subheadline

Alex Wong's book delves into the launch of the Toronto Raptors and examines the power of sport to foster community

The origin story of the Toronto Raptors – and the team's subsequent impact on community-building in the GTA and beyond – are the subject of a new book by ��ϲ�� alumnus Alex Wong, who discussed the stories and themes from the Raptors' rise at a launch party held at ��ϲ��'s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

Wong, producer and co-host of Canada's most popular basketball podcast – The Raptors Show with Will Lou – delved into Prehistoric: the Improbable and Audacious Origin Story of the Toronto Raptors during a recent panel discussion hosted by ��ϲ��'s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE) that featured key figures in the founding of the Raptors.

From left to right: Alex Wong, John Bitove Jr., founder of the Toronto Raptors, David Peterson, founding chairman of the Toronto Raptors, and Tom O'Grady, designer of the original Raptors' logo

“This is a story about the people who bonded over a common purpose – the launch of a professional basketball team,” said Wong, who graduated from ��ϲ�� Scarborough. “But the core element of the book is community, which is at the core of basketball and is at the core of the Raptors.”

Helping Wong tell the story – in the book and on the Goldring Centre stage – were John Bitove Jr., founder of the Toronto Raptors, David Peterson, founding chairman of the Raptors and ��ϲ�� chancellor emeritus, and Tom O’Grady, designer of the team's original logo.

“I got emotional over some of the passages in the book,” said Bitove. “When we started this venture, we believed in it, of course – we hoped that it would turn into something with a legacy. But when you see the positive impact the Raptors had on the community over the years, it’s really something.”

Attendees packed ��ϲ��'s Goldring Centre to hear the origin story of the Toronto Raptors.

Peterson, who was premier of Ontario from 1985 to 1990, said he had never even been to an NBA game when Bitove, who he described as a diehard basketball fan, approached him about putting in an ownership bid for the team.

“I went home to my three kids and told them about this guy who wants to go after an NBA franchise and they said, ‘Do it, it’s more fun than politics,’ so the next day, I called John to say I’m in,” said Peterson.

Asked to share how the team's logo came about, Bitove said the goal was to come up with a design that was different, bold and had a global feel. To the delight of the audience, many of whom were decked out in Raptors gear, O’Grady shared a few slides showing the logo's evolution.

The design of the Raptors' original logo aimed to be different, bold and project a global feel.

“The kids from the focus groups loved it,” said O’Grady.

The audience also learned that the Raptor almost ended up being lime green, but the owners decided to go with red to highlight the team's association with Canada.

Joseph Wong, ��ϲ��’s vice president, international, and host of Joe’s Basketball Diaries – the second season of which launches soon – led another panel discussion that featured Shireen Ahmed, a sports journalist and activist; Sam Ibrahim, president of Arrow Group of Companies, co-founder of the Scarborough Shooting Stars and ��ϲ�� supporter; and Tamara Tatham, head coach of the ��ϲ�� Varsity Blues women’s basketball team. They spoke about their introduction to the Raptors, how they became devoted fans and where they were when the Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019.

From left to right: Joseph Wong, Shireen Ahmed, Tamara Tatham and Sam Ibrahim.

While the pre-Raptors professional sports landscape in the GTA was dominated by hockey and baseball, the panel discussed how the accessibility of basketball and soccer carried more appeal to minority and immigrant communities.

“I lived in Scarborough and we knew the basketball court was a safe place,” said Ibrahim. “That’s the power of sport – to build relationships and communities.”

“We spent all our time in the gym,” added Tatham, who started playing basketball in community centres, also in Scarborough.

KPE Dean Gretchen Kerr addressed the audience in the Goldring Centre.

When the Raptors came to town, Ibrahim, Tatham and Ahmed said they saw themselves reflected on the big court – and in the stands.

“It’s one thing to talk about inclusivity, it’s another to do something about it,” said Ahmed, who noted the Raptors were the first NBA team to offer an athletic hijab for Muslim women. “The Raptors saw their communities and they were intentional about making them all feel included.”

Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, said all proceeds from the ticket sales from the event would go to the Indigenous and Black student-athlete bursary and described the evening as a “wonderful reminder and testament of the power of sport to bring people together, and foster access and inclusion.”

Survivors' Flag raised on ��ϲ��'s three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 13:23:39 +0000

Survivors' Flag raised on ��ϲ��'s three campuses

Christopher.Sorensen Mon, 09/25/2023 - 09:23

Cutline

The Survivors' Flag flies alongside the Varsity Blues and ��ϲ�� flags at Varsity Stadium on the St. George campus (photo by Jason Wang)

Jelena Damjanovic

Topic

Our Community

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Orange Shirt Day

Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Hart House

New College

��ϲ�� Libraries

Subheadline

��ϲ�� will mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with an event in advance of Sept. 30

As the ��ϲ�� community prepares to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Survivors’ Flag, which honours Indigenous lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada, has been raised on each of its three campuses.

On the St. George campus, the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), in partnership with First Nations House and the ��ϲ�� Office of Indigenous Initiatives, raised the Survivors’ Flag at Varsity Stadium last week. It will be lowered to half-mast on Sept. 30 when the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is formally recognized across Canada.

Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, said the flag is an important sign of support and solidarity with Indigenous communities.

“Public commemoration of the painful history of Canada’s residential school system, whose tragic consequences continue to reverberate today, is a vital component of the reconciliation process,” said Kerr. “It’s also a time for settlers to reflect on taking action to strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples and build a better future together.

“I take this opportunity to invite all students, staff and faculty members of KPE to attend Truth and Reconciliation events where their schedule permits and to spend some time reflecting on their own efforts towards reconciliation.”

��ϲ�� will commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with a tri-campus event on Sept. 29 in the Great Hall at Hart House that can be attended in person or watched via YouTube livestream. It will feature remarks by Alexandra Gillespie, ��ϲ�� vice-president and principal of ��ϲ�� Mississauga, and ��ϲ�� Chancellor Rose Patten.

Emceed by Hart House warden David Kim, the event includes a panel discussion on making residential school survivors' stories accessible at ��ϲ�� libraries. The panel, moderated by Angela Henshilwood, head of the Engineering and Computer Science Library, features Grant Hurley, Canadiana librarian at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Mikayla Redden, information services and Instruction librarian at New College Library, and Desmond Wong, outreach librarian, OISE Library.

“There is no way to quantify the trauma suffered by the victims and survivors of residential and day schools. Yet this trauma has been shared – as Phyllis Webstad did by recalling the childhood experience that gives Orange Shirt Day its name,” Kelly Hannah-Moffat, ��ϲ��’s vice-president of people strategy, equity and culture, said in a statement.

“I urge non-Indigenous members of the ��ϲ�� community to seek out this and other survivors’ stories to gain greater knowledge, to foster deeper compassion, and to strengthen your resolve to engage in work that restores mutual respect and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.”

Jelena Damjanovic

With PhD in hand, ��ϲ�� grad and former Olympian aims to tackle athlete abuse

��ϲ�� holds flag-raising ceremonies across its three campuses to mark start of Pride Month

Warming up: ��ϲ�� researcher explores the impact of climate change on sports

Read the full interview at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Cleaner air, better ice: ��ϲ�� acquires electric Zamboni for Varsity Arena

Read more about sustainability efforts at ��ϲ��

Kinesiology students, staff and faculty create virtual tour to highlight Black history in sport

Ontario sees 17 per cent decrease in access to youth sports: MLSE, ��ϲ�� report

Read more about the 2023 Change the Game report in the Toronto Star

Rate of concussions after hits to side of the head dropped following NHL’s Rule 48: Study

Paralympian - and new ��ϲ�� grad - Stephanie Dixon aims to address athlete maltreatment

Prehistoric: ��ϲ�� alum Alex Wong explores the Toronto Raptors' origin story

Survivors' Flag raised on ��ϲ��'s three campuses

Jelena Damjanovic

With PhD in hand, ������ϲ����� grad and former Olympian aims to tackle athlete abuse

������ϲ����� holds flag-raising ceremonies across its three campuses to mark start of Pride Month

Warming up: ������ϲ����� researcher explores the impact of climate change on sports

Read the full interview at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Cleaner air, better ice: ������ϲ����� acquires electric Zamboni for Varsity Arena

Read more about sustainability efforts at ������ϲ�����

Kinesiology students, staff and faculty create virtual tour to highlight Black history in sport

Ontario sees 17 per cent decrease in access to youth sports: MLSE, ������ϲ����� report

Read more about the 2023 Change the Game report in the Toronto Star

Rate of concussions after hits to side of the head dropped following NHL’s Rule 48: Study

Paralympian - and new ������ϲ����� grad - Stephanie Dixon aims to address athlete maltreatment

Prehistoric: ������ϲ����� alum Alex Wong explores the Toronto Raptors' origin story

Survivors' Flag raised on ������ϲ�����'s three campuses

With PhD in hand, ��ϲ�� grad and former Olympian aims to tackle athlete abuse

��ϲ�� holds flag-raising ceremonies across its three campuses to mark start of Pride Month

Warming up: ��ϲ�� researcher explores the impact of climate change on sports

Cleaner air, better ice: ��ϲ�� acquires electric Zamboni for Varsity Arena

Read more about sustainability efforts at ��ϲ��

Ontario sees 17 per cent decrease in access to youth sports: MLSE, ��ϲ�� report

Paralympian - and new ��ϲ�� grad - Stephanie Dixon aims to address athlete maltreatment

Prehistoric: ��ϲ�� alum Alex Wong explores the Toronto Raptors' origin story

Survivors' Flag raised on ��ϲ��'s three campuses