Women’s sport participation and gender equity in sport

Dr. Walinga used Research for Professional Development funds to examine the value of Communities of Practice as a means for developing athlete leadership skills, specifically for women in sport.

This fund will be devoted to supporting hiring a research assistant to support the investigation of a study to examine the value of Communities of Practice (CoP) as a means for developing athlete leadership skills, specifically for women in sport. This research involves investigating and evaluating the impact of CoPs and networks on female athletes’ leadership development, thriving, and performance indicators in sport. The goal is to connect and interview sport leaders from across Canada and the USA to discuss the challenges and opportunities for developing leadership capabilities in women in and through sport. Next, the researchers will meet with several women in sport CoP’s, networks, and mentorship groups to investigate the specific value of a CoP to enhance connection, mentorship, leadership development, collective impact, and performance outcomes. This study is part of a larger program of research into specific leadership competencies that contribute to high performance outcomes.
The fund will also support an accepted presentation at: ICWSPGE 2022: International Conference on Women's Sport Participation and Gender Equality