The Risk, Injury, Safety, and Equity (RISE) Youth Sport Lab is directed by Dr. Kaleigh Pennock and housed in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies in the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo.
Our research focuses on critically examining the youth sport and recreation experience. Grounded in principles of equity, safety, and community, our work aims to foster athlete well-being, and emphasizes community-oriented partnerships that drive positive changes in youth sport experiences. Learn more about the objectives of the lab.
Check out our research, find opportunities to participate in research, and connect with us!
News
Braeden has published a piece in the Conversation
Along with his co-author, Dr. Stacy Lorenz, Braeden reflects on the recent Four Nations Face-Off hockey tournament in the context of the current political climate. As tensions between Canada and the U.S. continue to rise, the tournament itself became a representation of both the origins of hockey's political history and the growing sense of nationalism around the country.
RISE Youth Sport has a new publication in Communication and Sport!
Kaleigh and Braeden recently published Risk, Responsibility, and Prevention in Injury Management: Implications of Concussion (mis)education on Youth Athlete Knowledge Uptake in Communication and Sport. The paper problematizes the over-reliance on concussion education as a mode of injury prevention and presents primary research conducted with adolescent athletes.
RISE Youth Sport receives SSHRC Insight Development Grant
Together with her co-applicants, Drs. Nick Reed and Jeff Caron, Dr. Pennock has secured funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The successful grant centres on a community-based approach to concussion reporting in youth girls' sport. The research begins in 2025 and will take place over a three-year period. Congratulations to Dr. Pennock and her co-applicants!
The RISE Youth Sport Lab is funded by:
