Category

COVID-19

CoachesCOVID-19For everyoneOfficialsSportive
2 February 2022

Hello, it’s Anne-Marie, I am a synchronized swimmer… When sport alone defines us, what happens “after”?

About ten years ago, I was part of the national synchronized swimming team, now called artistic swimming. I trained at the Institut National du Sport du Québec in Montreal, for 40 to 50 hours each week. I liked what I was doing. No, in fact I LOVED synchronized swimming since it was more than a passion. It was my ENTIRE life! Then things changed, I started having tough times at training. I was told that I wasn’t thin enough. Not tall enough. Not enough like the others. Then I got injured. That was before I started having doubts about myself and started to lose confidence… to finally reach the point where I wondered what I was doing there. Doubting myself…
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COVID-19For everyone
21 May 2021

Potential return to practicing sports – Sport’Aide calls for prudence

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Sport’Aide has expanded and adapted its support offer to the Quebec sporting community. (more…)
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CoachesCOVID-19For everyoneUnclassified
21 September 2020

When theory becomes practice: testimonials by diving coaches in their quest for well-being

Further to our series of blogs published as part of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sport’Aide wants to share with you a recent incident on the field experienced by a partner– Plongeon Québec – which wants to support its coaches in this unique context. So, let's make room for the third blog in an interesting series which summarizes this great initiative which deserves to be known – indeed – repeated elsewhere. (more…)
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CoachesCOVID-19For everyone
17 September 2020

Putting well-being before performance, with Jean-Paul Richard

Automatic support As former coach of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team and co-founder of reROOT collectif, Jean-Paul Richard felt a great deal of empathy for diving coaches at the start of the pandemic. Let’s just say that the responsibilities of a coach who is preparing the succession and the feeling of being in the last stretch in preparing for the Olympic Games is something he can easily relate to, since he has been in this situation more than once. Since he can easily put himself in their shoes, he instinctively wanted to help. The important thing for him was to support the sporting community while recognizing and intervening in order to favour the well-being of coaches in this period of…
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COVID-19For everyone
14 September 2020

Outstanding Performance Must Start With Wellness

Further to its COVID-19 blog series, Sport’Aide is pleased to share a moving account by one of its partners, Plongeon Québec, outlining that group’s recent efforts to support diving coaches in this unique pandemic environment. Here’s the first of an interesting series of blogs about a great initiative that deserves to be better known and even emulated elsewhere. (more…)
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COVID-19For everyone
10 July 2020

Resumption of sport: a matter of balance

In the last few weeks, how many times have we heard that “nothing will be the same again” that “habits or processes will have to be reviewed” or that “organizations are going to have to reinvent themselves”? in this chorus of questions, what about our young athletes who, used to the frantic rhythms dictated by their agendas, are waiting to get back to training? Are they all happy with this return to “normal”? One of our counsellors decided to speak to them. --------------- About a month has passed since Minister Charest announced the resumption of sporting activities. Talk about a boost for the morale! We can finally see our teammates, our friends and our coaches again. We can finally be…
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COVID-19For everyone
16 June 2020

Inclusion in a time of COVID-19

This blog series has brought us to the following problem. According to studies on the behavioural immune system (BHS), the presence of the coronavirus could lead to greater conformity among Quebecers combined with a greater aversion for deviation from the norm. Consequently, this could exacerbate the exclusion of certain already marginalized communities and put them at even greater risk for certain types of violence, including bullying among children. That said, how can we prevent it from happening and avoid these communities suffering further from their exclusion? The answer is simple, but its application complex: inclusion. Complexity of inclusion The first difficulty with inclusion is that exclusion sometimes be legitimate. To function properly, a group must adopt inclusion and exclusion criteria…
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COVID-19For everyone
8 June 2020

Exclusion in a time of COVID-19

To summarize where we are in our reflection, the presence of pathogens activates the behavioural immune system (BIM) and leads to greater rigidity in social norms (hygiene, nourishment, sexuality) as well as a greater aversion for those who break them (See blogs 1 and 2). So, does the BIM have a role to play in establishing and maintaining prejudices against certain marginalized groups? Not only is the answer yes, but the BIM has a leading role to play for prejudices with regard to people who are obese, disfigured, handicapped, seniors, foreigner and homosexuals (Aarøe& al., 2017; Ackerman & al., 2018; Fincher et al., 2008; Karinen & al., 2019; Kiss & al., 2020; Lai & al., 2014; Murray & al., 2013;…
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COVID-19For everyone
2 June 2020

Solidarity in a time of COVID-19

In our most recent blog, we defended the fact that the presence of a disease like COVID-19 could lead to avoiding other people. On the contrary, we didn’t understand why we still wanted to see our loved ones, despite everything. Of course, there’s the fact that we long to see them, but you have to admit, they are just as likely, if not more likely, to transmit the disease to us. Like the good Dr. Arruda stated, most of these cases are transmitted by the family. Wouldn’t it therefore be more logical to avoid them like the plague? It seems that, combined with longing, the behavioural immune system (BIM) has a role to play in this process. The BIM and…
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COVID-19For everyone
25 May 2020

Avoidance in a time of COVID-19

I would like to start this series of four blogs with a personal anecdote. Those who know me well know that for me, there’s nothing better than a good old handshake to start a friendly or professional meeting. That said, I recently watched a series in which the main character walked through a crowd and shook the hand of anyone who was willing. I was therefore surprised to feel a strong sense of aversion, telling myself “It’s absolutely crazy to touch so many people.” I had never had this reflex before and yet today, with the COVID-19 crisis, I am now overtaken by an instinctive disgust towards this type of behaviour. Nevertheless, like many of us, I also have an…
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