UNews - Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers awarded federal research grants worth more than $3 million

caroline.zentner — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 21:50:59 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers are among the successful applicants for federal grants announced by The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, and the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health.

The more than $1.3 billion in funding supports over 9,700 researchers and research projects in Canada through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

“From brain plasticity and the mechanism of low-dose radiation to supporting newcomers through mentoring, these grants illustrate the diversity of research being done at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president of research. “This funding not only helps established researchers continue their work but also helps our early career researchers build their research programs. Ultimately, our students benefit with increased opportunities to engage in research throughout their post-secondary careers.”

In total, ULethbridge received funding from NSERC for nine Discovery Grants and two Discovery Development Grants. The Discovery Grants will bring in nearly $475,000 a year for the next five years. The research projects include the following:

Dr. Gerlinde Metz (Neuroscience) will receive $96,000 per year for a study looking at the social determinants of experience-dependent brain plasticity.
Dr. Stacey Wetmore (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $89,000 per year for a project involving computer modelling of modified RNA.
Dr. Olga Kovalchuk (Biological Sciences) was awarded $55,000 annually to study the fundamental mechanisms of low-dose radiation.
Dr. Borries Demeler (Chemistry & Biochemistry) is set to receive $47,000 yearly for solution studies of interacting biopolymer systems.
Dr. Hadi Kharaghani (Mathematics & Computer Science) will receive $32,000 a year for his project on special orthogonal matrices.

The remainder of the NSERC recipients are four early career researchers, each of whom received a Discovery Launch Supplement of $12,500 in addition to their Discovery Grant.

Dr. Corina Birghila (Mathematics & Computer Science) was awarded a yearly amount of $31,000 for a project titled Optimal Decision under Uncertainty.
Dr. Jessica Willi (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $44,000 annually for a project on ribosome functions through synthetic biology.
Dr. Vineet Rathod (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $38,000 annually to examine the structure-function relationship of natural and engineered amyloid proteins.
Dr. Dylan Girodat (Chemistry & Biochemistry) will receive $42,000 per year for a project on the structural dynamics of ribosomes during translation.

In addition, Discovery Development Grants, worth $22,000 each, were awarded to Drs. Christopher Hopkinson (Geography & Environment) and Marc Bomhof (Kinesiology and Physical Education).

Hopkinson will use remote sensing to model vegetation and snowpack response to wildland fire in headwater basins.
Bomhof intends to look at the interplay between exercise and dietary factors on appetite regulation.

ULethbridge social science and humanities researchers were awarded $645,000 in SSHRC Insight Grants.

Dr. Daniel O'Donnell (English) will work on a project involving Research Data Management and Research Data Infrastructure by humanities researchers.
Dr. Scott Rathwell (Kinesiology) wants to enhance sport participation, promote physical activity and improve health outcomes for aging adults by establishing a framework for effective sport programming in middle-aged and older adults.

Several ULethbridge researchers are the recipients of Insight Development Grants totalling more than $291,000.

Dr. Toupey Luft (Education) has designed a project to address the gap in understanding how arts-based mentorship may enhance a sense of belonging for newcomer young adults.
Dr. Kenneth Holyoke’s (Geography & Environment) project investigates the nature and scope of climate impacts on the Wolastoqiyik and Wabanaki archaeological record in New Brunswick.
Dr. Justin Raycraft’s (Anthropology) objective in this project is to increase understanding of the social dimensions of human-carnivore coexistence in the Tarangire ecosystem of northern Tanzania.
Dr. Jeffrey MacCormack (Education) will develop a professional development intervention consisting of a community of practice for teachers and principals where they learn evidence-based practices to support students with profound and multiple disabilities.
Dr. Miranda Leibel (Liberal Education) will examine how the creation and maintenance of postal services are an important component of Canadian state- and nation-building.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students launch campaign aimed at improving mental health — the natural way

caroline.zentner — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 21:27:36 +0000

Four enterprising ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge students have launched the #MycosMentalHealth campaign to increase awareness of mental health and natural remedies that can help.

The student entrepreneurs have been working behind the scenes to launch their initiative to coincide with Mental Illness Awareness Week, which goes from Oct. 1 to 7 and they plan to run the campaign until Mental Health Awareness Month in May. The students have taken a chalkboard around campus and asked people what their natural mental health remedy is. They write their answer on the chalkboard and take a photo that’s then posted to Instagram. So far, people’s solutions have included going for a walk, working out, standing barefoot in the grass, getting some fresh air and listening to music.

From left to right are Gregory Robinson, Jaxon Doram and Cole Childrey.

“We can talk about mental health, and we can bring awareness to it,” says Gregory Robinson, ULethbridge PhD candidate and founder of Mycos. “But what’s much more important is actually talking about how we can improve our mental health. That’s why we decided to go the natural remedies route. Let’s talk about ways that you can actually improve your own mental health and share that with everybody instead of just talking about mental health.”

Robinson, along with Jaxon Doram and Cole Childrey, founders of UrbanDropout, an activewear online store, and Bailey Porter, who started the Litty Love candle company, developed the campaign in response to the growing problem of mental health concerns, especially among young people.

“We’re at that age where it is most prevalent,” says Doram. “A lot of us are out on our own for the first time, we’re away from our families and may not have any of our friends from high school here.”

“The whole campaign is talking about what you can do as a natural remedy to help with your mental health,” says Childrey.

They all know the stresses and struggles students face so they want to engage students in the campaign. When students repost the Instagram posts, they’ll be automatically entered into a monthly draw for the chance to win a prize from each of the companies. On top of that, Robinson donated $500 to start a scholarship fund and is seeking further funding from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, undergraduate and graduate student administrations, as well as applying for funding through the NeuroSpark Innovation Grants program through Campus Alberta Neuroscience. The scholarships would be awarded to the students who raise the most awareness.

They are encouraging the public to get involved too, by following the companies on social media and posting their own photos or videos about their natural remedies for mental health.

“Anyone can join in the campaign,” says Robinson. “People outside universities and colleges, and even high school and elementary school students suffer from mental health illnesses, as well as people who are older.”

“We want to promote a healthy mindset and being healthy mentally no matter the age group,” says Childrey.

Anyone interested can use the hashtag #MycosMentalHealth and follow their Instagram accounts:
Urban Dropout — @urbandropout_apparel
Mycos — @mycosshrooms
Litty Love — @littylove_

U of L researcher examining ways to increase daily movement among older adults in assisted-living residences

caroline.zentner — Thu, 07 May 2020 15:37:44 +0000

Some people might look forward to the time when they don’t have to shop, cook and clean house, but it turns out those activities actually support healthy aging.

“When you take those kinds of activities away, people have no reason to get up and move,” says Dr. Jennifer Copeland, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge kinesiology professor. “A lot of the ways most of us get some daily movement around the house, even now during the COVID-19 pandemic, is because we have to cook supper, do the dishes, get groceries and do basic domestic chores.”

Even simple activities like preparing a meal help increase daily movement among older adults.

Copeland conducts research into healthy aging and, thanks to a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Catalyst Grant worth $91,000, she and a team of researchers will turn their attention to finding ways older adults in assisted living can increase their daily movement.

A small pilot study completed at assisted-living residences in Lethbridge showed benefits in residents’ balance, leg strength and gait speed six weeks after researchers introduced the program. The program consisted of simple interventions, including an education session for residents and staff about the benefits of sitting less and ways to add more movement into daily activities. Standing tables were placed in lounges to encourage residents to stand while having coffee and signs encouraging movement were placed at strategic locations. For example, one sign was placed by the television to remind people to stand up and stretch during commercial breaks. An on-site ambassador encouraged residents to stand up and go for a walk. The researchers used inclinometers, small wearable devices, to measure time spent standing, walking and sitting before and after the program.

“The goal was to make an intervention that’s really simple and wouldn’t require a staff member, a lot of resources and money,” says Copeland. “Really, it’s just about shifting habits.”

Based on the successful results of the pilot study, Copeland and researchers in Ontario and New Brunswick now want to test the intervention on a larger scale. In addition, Alberta’s Strategic Clinical Networks and the Brenda Strafford Foundation in Calgary, which focuses on seniors’ care, are partners in the research project.

“The effectiveness of the program will be determined by measuring residents’ actual sitting time before and after the program is implemented,” says Copeland. “We will also interview residents, their families and staff to see how people feel about the strategies and how to ensure they work well for everyone.”

Because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the research team won’t be able to start the research this spring as originally planned. Most funding agencies are providing an extension because of the situation, so preparatory work will be done this summer in the hopes they can implement the program and collect data in a year’s time.

“For now, we will complete the first phase and develop a tool kit,” Copeland says. “We can give those to staff to try out. Given the pandemic restrictions, it might be really beneficial for them to have some ideas on how to incorporate movement throughout the day, given they can’t have visitors or go on outings.”

PUBlic Professor Series talk to highlight the value of oral histories as we examine the Nikkei experience

trevor.kenney — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 21:16:06 +0000

On Thursday, January 23, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge kinesiology professor, Dr. Carly Adams, will present, “Hey, why don't we have a bonspiel?” Oral Histories, Sport, and (re)Imaging Community. This is the fourth talk of the 2019/20 season for the Faculty of Arts & Science’s PUBlic Professor Series. The free event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge and is open to the public.

This talk will address two projects, separated by time and space, to consider the place of oral history in contemporary scholarship and communities. On the one hand, Adams considers the case of the Preston Rivulettes, arguably the greatest women’s hockey team ever to lace up their skates. On the other, she considers a current project she's working on with Dr. Darren Aoki (Plymouth ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, UK), in which they consider community (re)building in the Nikkei community in southern Alberta in the post-WWII period. Individually and together, these projects highlight the value of oral histories, both in terms of drawing attention to histories too often left in the margins of scholarly work, and in reminding ourselves and each other about critical moments, peoples and communities in histories of the places and spaces we inhabit.

Adams is a Board of Governors Research Chair (Tier II), acting associate dean in the School of Graduate Studies and associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education. She is also a founding and active member of the Centre for Oral History and Tradition. She is in her third year of a five-year appointment to the Canada Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Members Selection Committee.

As a social historian and an advocate for oral history, Adams explores community, resiliency and gender in her research, with a focus on sport, recreation and leisure experiences. She is author of Queens of the Ice, a book about the Preston Rivulettes women's hockey team from the 1930s, the editor of a textbook, Sport and Recreation in Canadian History and co-editor of Routledge Handbook of Sport History, both forthcoming in 2020.

In 2017, she teamed with Aoki and several community partners (Galt Museum, Nikka Yuko Japanese Canadian Garden and Nikkei Cultural Society of Lethbridge and Area) to launch the Nikkei Memory Capture Project, a long-term community-based oral history project to spur the narration of the history of Japanese Canadians in the second half of the twentieth century.

U of L social scientists net SSHRC awards worth nearly $440,000

caroline.zentner — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 19:58:03 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge graduate students and faculty members will tackle a variety of research projects thanks to funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

“The U of L’s success rate with Insight Development Grants was very positive, higher than the national average and continues our momentum,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, vice-president (research). “Our social scientists and humanities researchers are conducting leading-edge research and I heartily commend them for their efforts.”

U of L researchers received six Insight Development Grants. Dr. Robert LeBlanc (education) will examine how immigrant teens in a rural Alberta meatpacking town learn the forms and meanings of stylized speech. Dr. Glenda Bonifacio (women & gender studies) will study how the election of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines has affected foreign disaster aid and gender equality following Haiyan, the 2013 super typhoon. Dr. Rhiannon MacDonnell Mesler (Dhillon School of Business, Calgary campus) will look at how consumer identities can divide and unite in an increasingly polarized world. Dr. Paige Pope (kinesiology & physical education) will compare the effectiveness of various messages designed to reduce sedentary behaviour in older adults.

Other researchers receiving Insight Development Grants include Drs. Fangfang Li (psychology) and Noëlle Gunst-Leca (psychology). As well, Dr. Inge Genee (modern languages), co-applicant on a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta-based project called 21st century tools for Indigenous languages, received a Partnership Grant.

Dr. Carly Adams, a Board of Governors Research Chair (Tier II) and a kinesiology & physical education professor, and Dr. Darren Aoki (BA ’90), a professor in world history at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Plymouth and adjunct professor in history at the U of L, received an Insight Grant for their Transforming Canadian Nikkei oral history project. This grant allows them to continue exploring the cultural and social history of Canadian Nikkei (people of Japanese descent) in southern Alberta from 1950 to the 21st century in partnership with the Galt Museum & Archives, Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden and the Nikkei Cultural Society of Lethbridge and Area.

Along with the faculty members who received awards, several U of L graduate students received SSHRC funding, including master’s students Jennifer Chernishenko, Margaret Ingram, Quinn Johnsson, Mary Siever, Michelle Sylvestre and Jaisie Walker and doctoral student Serena Visser.

Chernishenko will delve into how girls’ mindsets—whether growth oriented or fixed— affects their sense of belonging and participation in sports. Siever is studying the reasons why parenting and mothering, in particular, receive minimal support in post-secondary study. Sylvestre will examine how social issues and context get transferred into the medical world and how that’s connected to today’s consumption of pharmaceuticals. Visser will explore the impact institutional norms and practices within the mental health system have for trans and gender-diverse people.

U of L researchers awarded more than $1.8 million in NSERC funding

caroline.zentner — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:47:48 +0000

Eleven ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers have been awarded Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grants worth approximately $1.8 million, payable in instalments of anywhere from one to five years.

“��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers were very successful this year, with 11 out of 14 applications being awarded funding,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, U of L vice-president (Research). “This funding of almost $2 million demonstrates the calibre of research our scientists are engaged in and I congratulate each one of them.”

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a neuroscience professor, received the U of L’s largest grant worth a total of $510,000. She and her research team will continue exploring early life stress and its effects on brain plasticity. They’ll examine how early life stress alters brain development, connections between neurons, and behaviour. They’ll also look at whether factors such as age and sex determine the response to early life stress and whether early life stress affects subsequent generations.

Dr. Theresa Burg, a biology professor, studies how the evolution of high-latitude species is linked to historical and present-day environmental changes. Examining how landscape features and past climate changes have shaped today’s populations can further the understanding of population dynamics and help predict how these species might respond to future climate change.

Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko, a professor in the Department of Biology and Research Chair in Potato Science, was awarded an early career researcher supplement in addition to a Discovery Grant. Yevtushenko will conduct research into the natural defense mechanisms of potato plants. His work could lead to higher crop yields, less crop loss, increased food safety and could help point the way to improving disease resistance in other crops.

Dr. Borries Demeler, Canada 150 Research Chair and a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is a leading biophysics scientist with expertise in analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC). AUC is used to analyze molecules in solution. He has established the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics, which is equipped with three unique AUC instruments to accelerate biophysical research in Canada. He hopes to develop new analysis protocols and software tools that will benefit basic research in biochemistry, physics and material science.

Other U of L researchers who received grants include Dr. Jon Doan (kinesiology and physical education), Dr. Stewart Rood (biology), Dr. Lawrence Flanagan (biology), Dr. Anthony Russell (biology), Dr. Hadi Kharaghani (mathematics and computer science), Dr. Matthew Tata (neuroscience) and Dr. Saurya Das (physics and astronomy).

U of L research examines the impact of residential schools on biological health in the next generation

caroline.zentner — Tue, 05 Mar 2019 17:03:01 +0000

A new study from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge provides evidence that a mother’s experience of residential school may have biological impacts on her children.

The research, published in the journal SSM Population Health, found that adult children of mothers who attended residential school had increased impairment in biological regulation compared to those whose mothers had not attended residential school.

“Most research has looked at the psychological impacts of residential school experiences on survivors and their children,” says Kat Chief Moon-Riley (BSc ’14, MSc ’17), who conducted the research for her Master of Science thesis. “As an undergraduate student in neuroscience, I noticed there was limited information published about the biological impacts of residential school on the next generation, although emerging epigenetic research in other populations suggested there could be a link.”

Chief Moon-Riley was working under the supervision of Drs. Cheryl Currie, Gerlinde Metz and Jennifer Copeland when she served as research coordinator for a study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The study examined how social and economic stressors affect Indigenous health.

“I appreciated the opportunity to add questions that mattered to me for my MSc thesis,” says Chief Moon-Riley, a member of the Kainai First Nation. “I had two grandparents attend residential school so I learned about how it affected not only them, but my mother and her siblings, as well as their grandchildren.”

Chief Moon-Riley, who’s now a medical student at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Saskatchewan, analyzed data collected from 90 First Nations and Métis adults. Overall, 43 per cent of the sample had a mother attend residential school.

“These adults had moderate impairments in measures of biological regulation, such as increased blood pressure and inflammation, compared to those who did not have a mother attend residential school,” she says.

“The findings speak to the importance of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action,” says Currie, associate professor of public health at the U of L. “The TRC calls for acknowledging that the current state of Indigenous health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools. Ms. Chief Moon-Riley’s findings underline the importance of this assertion by demonstrating how the residential school experience may get under the skin to impact health in the next generation.”

“Stressful experiences are an inevitable part of life,” says Copeland, an associate professor in kinesiology. “But repeated and chronic exposure to uncontrollable stressors, like those experienced by children in residential school, can disrupt the function of neuroendocrine, cardiovascular and immune systems, which can have long-term health consequences.”

“Our findings suggest the residential school experience may have been biologically embedded and passed to subsequent generations through epigenetic mechanisms,” says Metz, a professor of neuroscience. “But it is important to note that we did not collect blood or DNA samples, so further research would be needed to confirm this hypothesis.”

“People need to recognize the impact of residential schools on past and present generations,” says Chief Moon-Riley. “These include impacts that go beyond the mind to impact the body, not only among those who attended the schools, but later among their own children. Our findings highlight how the effects of residential school are still being felt even though the last residential schools closed in the 1990s. It’s not something people can just get over. Further research is certainly needed.”

Wilma G. Winter Hall dedicated in honour of founding faculty member

trevor.kenney — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 20:35:49 +0000

Recognizing the significant contributions of founding faculty member Dr. Wilma Gail Winter, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has dedicated a space in her legacy.

Dr. Wilma Gail Winter was a true trailblazer, assuming leadership roles on campus at a time when very few women were afforded such opportunities.

As one of the last orders of business to conclude the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s 50th anniversary, the U of L’s Board of Governors passed a resolution in December 2017 to name the area that encompasses the offices, classrooms and laboratory spaces of the Department of Kinesiology as Wilma G. Winter Hall.

“I think she’d be embarrassed, and I think she’d be very moved,” says Dr. Dayna Daniels, a retired professor from the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education and a longtime colleague and friend of Winter, who passed away in 2009. “She was a very quiet leader, a great colleague to me and just one of those real unsung women changemakers on campus.”

Winter obtained a Bachelor of Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and a Master of Education and a Doctorate of Education at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Oregon before becoming a founding faculty member of the U of L. She coached the U of L’s first ever national championship team, the 1971 women’s basketball Chinooks, and played an integral role in shaping the delivery of physical education at the U of L, both as a faculty member and Chair of what was then the Physical Education Department.

A trailblazer, Winter was one of the first faculty members to sit on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Board of Governors. At a time when few women were afforded leadership roles, Winter made her mark as a member of the General Faculties Council, was Chief Marshal of Convocation and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s first female Athletic Director.

“I think she was a quiet feminist,” says Daniels. “She recognized the importance of women’s contributions to things. She always kept pushing forward and didn’t ever want anything for herself. She was funny, hard-working, a creative thinker, and really cared about the students.”

Winter’s contributions went beyond campus and into the community. Her enthusiasm and leadership qualities led to her involvement in many charitable endeavors. She was a Chair of the Provincial Special Olympics Games, Co-Chair of the Provincial Senior Games, and Chair of the Kiwanis Music and Speech Arts Festival.

At the time of her passing, she was President of the Lethbridge Duplicate Bridge Club and past board member of the Lethbridge Country Club, the YWCA, and the 1st Choice Credit Union.

In 2005, The Province of Alberta honoured Winter with the Alberta Centennial Medal for her community involvement and she was also chosen as the YWCA Woman of Distinction for her volunteerism and leadership skills.

“The thing that I find interesting right now is that there are only one or two people left in the department who would even remember her. People don’t know her and I think that’s a little sad,” says Daniels. “I’m quite grateful that her legacy on this campus won’t be forgotten, that there will always be a building space named after her. People are always still asking who’s Hepler, who’s Turcotte, who’s Anderson and I think that’s very good. Now they’ll be saying who’s Winter – and her legacy will live on.”

Study finds two-thirds of Canadian children do not meet acceptable level of physical literacy

trevor.kenney — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 16:32:22 +0000

About two-thirds of Canadian children haven’t achieved an acceptable level of physical literacy, according to a large national research project in which the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge played a major role.

Dr. Jennifer Copeland and her colleagues say that more needs to be done to promote physical activity in children to ensure they establish healthy active living habits.

The Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (HALO) at the CHEO Research Institute says much more needs to be done to promote physical activity in Canadian children to ensure they establish healthy active living habits and future positive health outcomes.

Dr. Jennifer Copeland, a researcher in the U of L’s Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education, led a group of graduate and undergraduate students who collected data from more than 1,300 local children aged eight to 12 as part of the 10,034-children national study. The findings point to the need for increased emphasis on enhancing physical activity programming for children on a number of fronts.

“We know how vitally important physical activity is to health and wellness, across the lifespan,” says Copeland. “Therefore, it is important we understand how to ensure children develop sufficient physical literacy, so that they can maintain – and enjoy – an active lifestyle as they grow up.”

Fourteen articles that looked at different aspects of physical literacy and the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy (CAPL) were published today as a special supplement in the journal BMC Public Health. Physical literacy is more than just fitness or motor skills; it includes the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.

Using the CAPL, children were assessed in a number of different areas, including handgrip strength, daily screen time, plank time, body mass index, sit-and-reach, and daily steps taken, among others. The HALO Research Group has been developing and refining the CAPL for the past 10 years, and the results of this research provide the first comprehensive assessment of the physical literacy of Canadian children.

“Through this project, we provide comprehensive evidence that Canadian children aged eight to 12 years are falling short of standards for components of physical literacy,” says Dr. Mark Tremblay, senior scientist at the CHEO Research Institute and Director for HALO. “For example, boys and girls across Canada have aerobic fitness levels at the 30th percentile of global norms and only 20 per cent are meeting physical activity guidelines.”

“Obviously these results are concerning, but studies like this are important, as they tell us not only where we are, but where we need to go,” adds Copeland. “Now we have a good picture of the current physical literacy of Canadian youth, and we can all work together to find ways to increase physical activity and improve physical literacy.”

Findings from this project have led to further refinements of the CAPL and the release of a second edition, or CAPL-2.

“Ensuring that we have the right tools for educators, coaches and parents is an important way to increase physical literacy in Canada,” says Pat Longmuir, scientist with the CHEO Research Institute, HALO Research Group. “The CAPL-2 is a shorter, easier-to-administer series of tests that can be used to assess and monitor physical literacy in Canada. The materials are available in both English and French, free of charge at www.capl-eclp.ca.”

This research study was made possible in part with support from the RBC Learn to Play Project, an initiative funded by RBC and the Public Health Agency of Canada and delivered in partnership with ParticipACTION, with additional support from Mitacs. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge was one of 11 institutions across the country that participated in the project.

Adams named to Canada Sports Hall of Fame Member Selection Committee

trevor.kenney — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 16:31:24 +0000

When Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame releases its 2018 inductees list on Thursday, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education professor Dr. Carly Adams will have played a key part in the process.

Adams was chosen recently to serve a five-year term on the Hall of Fames’ Member Selection Committee, an appointment she was enthused about receiving.

Dr. Carly Adams is a sports historian who has done significant work in the area of women in sport.

“It came as a lovely surprise. Professor Bruce Kidd has been Chair of the committee for a number of years and has been very cognizant of making sure the selection committee is representative of people with very different perspectives,” says Adams, a sports historian who has done significant work in the area of women in sport.

The selection committee now features four media members, four past athletes, four community members and four ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ/sport historians. Adams says there has been an important shift in philosophy throughout the country and the Hall, led by Kidd, has been very responsive. The representation of historians on the committee is important as they are able to offer context to the contributions of Canada’s sport heroes.

“There has been an effort to ensure that the athletes and builders celebrated in the Hall represent the entire spectrum of the best of sport played across the country, with representation from all groups and all levels,” says Adams.

Some of the well-known members of the current selection committee include the CBC’s Scott Russell and TSN’s Gord Miller, as well as Olympic athletes such as Kerrin-Lee Gartner, Chantal Petitclerc and Mark Tewksbury.

“It’s an amazing committee,” says Adams. “We meet in Toronto every February to go over the hundreds of files that are submitted each year and for me, it was the chance to meet some incredible sport people, whom I hold in very high esteem, for the first time. It’s a very dynamic group of individuals who bring a lot of expertise to the table.”

Based out of Calgary since 2011, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame undertakes a number of outreach initiatives, including rotating exhibitions and workshops. Currently, it is featuring the Girls in Sport campaign. Following tomorrow’s inductee announcement, the 2018 #InspireCanada Gala will take place on June 14, 2018, at which all funds raised will support the production of videos designed to inspire girls across the country to pursue sport.

“In terms of my own research agenda, the Girls in Sport campaign is a nice fit,” says Adams.

As for any hints as to who will be announced as the latest inductees, Adams is diplomatic but sworn to secrecy.

“I’m very excited about the group we are inducting. I was hopeful that a couple of people would be on there and they are, so I’m very much looking forward to unveiling the list.”

UNews - Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education

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