Sporting Change

Welcome back to another episode of the Sporting Change Podcast. About a month ago, the Future of Sport Commission released its report—over a thousand pages—and the headline was hard to ignore: Canadian sport is broken. Heavy stuff. And honestly, when you hear that, it can feel a bit overwhelming… like where do we even go from here? So today, we wanted to shift the lens a little. Because while ther...

Hello listeners and welcome to another episode of the Sporting Change Podcast. We’re so happy that you are tuning in today! This week, we were very lucky to talk about some of the work and brilliance of Dr. Jennifer Fraser. We will hear about how her PhD from the University of Toronto in Comparative Literature acted as some of the fuel behind becoming the author of The Bullied Brain, and her newly...

Welcome back to The Sporting Change Podcast . We’re glad you’re here. Today, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges facing sport right now: governance. There’s a persistent belief that to be involved in governance, you must come from a sports background. While experience in sport can be valuable, this mindset can place the wrong people in the wrong roles and can therefore create serious conf...

Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast ! This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Paige Crozon (Crow-zon)—an elite athlete, coach, and mom—who joins us to share her journey of balancing life on and off the court. Paige has been a driving force behind Canada’s international success in 3×3 basketball since 2019. She’s helped Canada win back-to-back FIBA Women’s Series titles, capture...

Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast ! If you enjoyed today’s conversation, you’ll be happy to know there’s more to come. Make sure to tune in to Part 2 of our discussion with Ryan, where we dive into audience questions and keep the conversation going. We’ll see you there! This week we have a special two-part episode with Ryan Virtue to celebrate National Coaches Week here in...

Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast ! This week we have a special two-part episode with Ryan Virtue to celebrate National Coaches Week here in Canada, and to honor the incredible coaches who dedicate their time, energy, and passion to athletes across the country. Ryan brings a wealth of experience to the conversation. He currently serves as Partnership and Development Manager...

Rewind Series: Pride Month Edition! Pride Month is an important time to celebrate, uplift, and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. At The Sporting Change Podcast , our commitment to inclusion, equality, and representation isn't limited to just one month—it's a 365-day-a-year mission. Reposting - Rewinding - this series of four powerful episodes is our way of spotlighting voices...

Rewind Series: Pride Month Edition! Pride Month is an important time to celebrate, uplift, and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. At The Sporting Change Podcast , our commitment to inclusion, equality, and representation isn't limited to just one month—it's a 365-day-a-year mission. Reposting - Rewinding - this series of four powerful episodes is our way of spotlighting voices...

Rewind Series: Pride Month Edition! Pride Month is an important time to celebrate, uplift, and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. At The Sporting Change Podcast , our commitment to inclusion, equality, and representation isn't limited to just one month—it's a 365-day-a-year mission. Reposting - Rewinding - this series of four powerful episodes is our way of spotlighting voices...

Rewind Series: Pride Month Edition! Pride Month is an important time to celebrate, uplift, and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. At The Sporting Change Podcast , our commitment to inclusion, equality, and representation isn't limited to just one month—it's a 365-day-a-year mission. Reposting - Rewinding - this series of four powerful episodes is our way of spotlighting voices...

Welcome to another episode of the Sporting Change Podcast! Today’s guest is Canadian beach volleyball player Sophie Bukovec, who became the first ever full time beach volleyball athlete in Canada. She first broke onto the scene in 2014, winning gold at the U21 World Championships—making history as the first Canadian woman to do so—alongside Tiadora Miric. Since then, she’s climbed the ranks of the...

Welcome to a special Earth Day edition of the Sporting Change Podcast !  To honor Earth Day, we believe it’s important to pause and reflect on how climate change is already impacting our sports but also consider how sports themself may be contributing to the crisis. Sport has the power to drive change, but it’s crucial we recognize both its challenges and its potential to lead in sustainability. W...

Welcome to a special Earth Day edition of the Sporting Change Podcast !  To honor Earth Day, we believe it’s important to pause and reflect on how climate change is already impacting our sports but also consider how sports themself may be contributing to the crisis. Sport has the power to drive change, but it’s crucial we recognize both its challenges and its potential to lead in sustainability. W...

Welcome back to the Sporting Change podcast and thanks for tuning in on the second episode of our miniseries, following the Undoing Masculinity Summit that took place last fall! In today’s episode, we’re tackling a deeply important issue: the link between violence in sport and domestic violence. Many sports cultures, especially in contact sports, normalize aggression, heavy drinking, and toxic beh...

Welcome back to the Sporting Change Podcast!  Back in October of last year, we were invited to attend the very first “Undoing Masculinity Summit”, which was held in Calgary. The Summit was an international gathering dedicated to reimagining what it means to be a man in today’s world. It brought together scholars, activists, and practitioners from across the globe to address critical conversations...

Welcome back to another episode of  the Sporting Change Podcast !  Today's episode is In honor of Black History Month, and we want to reflect on how Black athletes, coaches, and many more have not only shaped the history of sport but have also fought against systemic racism to break barriers. From the rink, to the pool, or the field, their courage and perseverance continue to inspire future ge...

REWIND: In our second rewind episode, we bring you back our very first episode with the amazing Mark Tewksbury to celebrate all of our great leaders and to highlight how far we've come with the Sporting Change Podcast! ----- Leadership is defined as the ability for an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide others. At Sporting Change we see coaches, board memb...

Today, we’re thrilled to have one of the most accomplished athletes in the swimming world, Olympian and world champion, Maggie Mac Neil. A native of London, Ontario, Maggie made a name for herself at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she captured the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, cementing her place as the fastest women in the world in that event.  To date, she’s pulled off practically every...

Welcome to another episode of the Sporting Change Podcast ! Today, we’re joined by one of Canada’s most decorated Paralympians, swimmer Aurélie Rivard.  A dominant figure in Para swimming for over a decade, Aurélie just competed in her fourth Paralympic Games in Paris, where she brought home 3 medals, one of each color!  Aurélie’s career is nothing short of remarkable. With 19 World Championship m...

  We're excited to re-post Erica Wiebe's episode to honor her recent induction into the University of Calgary Sports Hall of Fame and celebrate her incredible impact as both an athlete and a passionate advocate for safe sport in Canada.   In this episode, we dive into the profound journey of an athlete, from the initial spark of passion as a young dreamer to the pinnacle of Olympic glory. Our gues...

Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast ! In today’s episode, we dive deep into the "us vs. them" mentality often seen in sports and how it permeates other aspects of life, especially regarding diversity. Think about the sport that you love and the team that you support - Say the Calgary Flames. Now imagine seeing someone wearing an Oilers Jersey while you are at the Flames games...

Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast ! In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Katherine Tamminen, an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto and an expert in sport psychology. Dr. Tamminen's research focuses on athlete mental health, stress, coping, and the roles parents and coaches play in youth sports. Her work has made her a key figure in discussions surrounding the...

Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast ! In this episode, we welcome John O’Sullivan, author of "The Champion Teammate: Timeless Lessons to Connect, Compete and Lead in Sports and Life." Following our previous conversation, we are excited to dive deeper into what it truly means to be a great teammate and build strong teams.  With over three decades of experience in coaching and...

Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast !  In recent years, the Safe Sport movement has gained significant momentum, driven by powerful documentaries like "Athlete A" and "Broken," which expose the darker realities of sports culture. However, what often goes unacknowledged is the immense courage required for individuals to report harassment, maltreatment, and abuse. Too frequentl...

**This episode contains discussions that may be triggering for some listeners. Please take care of yourself while listening, and consider reaching out for support if needed. Your well-being is very important to us** Welcome to another episode of The Sporting Change Podcast ! In this powerful episode, we sit down with Destiny Whitney, an inspiring Indigenous athlete whose journey through sport has...