Programs
Women in Sport Science (WiSS)
Committee Members:
- Lauren Vickery (Chair) - Canadian Sport Institute Alberta
- Alayne Hing - Canadian Sport Institute Alberta
- Elizabeth (Liz) Johnson - Canadian Sport Institute Pacific
- Seth Lenetsky - Canadian Sport Institute Pacific
Facilitators:
- Judy Riege - Mentoring Mentors
- Megan Foster - Mosaic Engagement
Our Purpose
The WiSS Mentorship Program aims to provide women sport scientists in high performance sport with opportunities to:
- Build a support network
- Broaden their understanding of sport science leadership
- Learn from others’ experiences, challenges, and successes
- Develop a career plan, identify personal strengths and areas for improvement
- Contribute to the advancement of women sport scientists in the Canadian sport system
Eligibility
Participants are selected based on their desire to advance their careers and their leadership opportunities, as well as their current and future contributions to the Canadian high performance sport system.
Eligibility criteria are as follows:
- HP Certified or Professional member with Sport Scientist Canada.
- Identify as a woman in good standing with relevant certification body for a sport science or sport medicine discipline in Canada.
- Be a practitioner working on, or towards, a leadership role in the Canadian high performance sport system
- Employed or contracted by COPSIN, NSO, or MSO
- Working with a pool of Olympic, Paralympic or *NextGen athletes
- Committed to advancing their career in the Canadian sport system in the future.
- Priority will be given to women in sport science & medicine disciplines where there is currently a lack of gender equity, especially at a leadership level. These include, but not limited to strength & conditioning, biomechanics, and data science.
- Be comfortable reading, speaking, and learning in English.
* NextGen definition: athletes identified by the NSO using their validated Podium Pathway who are 5-8 years away from achieving a performance required for a podium result at a subsequent Olympic/Paralympic Games.
Application Deadlines
Applications open: October 7-28th, 2024
Program members are confirmed, and all applicants are notified of their status: November 29, 2024
Program Structure:
The WiSS program is a 6-month mentorship program designed to help women sport scientists build a support network and broaden their understanding of sport science leadership. Mentees will be paired with a mentor with the aim of building a career plan and identifying personal strengths and areas for improvement. The program provides a guide for the mentee/mentor pairing including facilitator presentations and guided discussions both in-person (at the kickoff event) and online throughout the 6-month period. While the program will provide a general guide, the mentee is expected to drive their own experience with their mentor and take ownership of individual outcomes or goals they wish to accomplish while in the program.
Please note the WiSS Mentorship Program is not meant to provide sport science discipline-specific content, training or mentorship. We routinely encourage mentees to be paired with a mentor from another sport science discipline to broaden their experience and understanding of the Canadian High Performance Sport System.
Program Dates
| Date | Topic | Format |
| December 2024 | Mentee/Mentor pairings confirmed | Via Email |
| February 3-5, 2025 | WiSS Kickoff Event | In-person (Toronto, ON) - mandatory for participants |
| February - June 2025 |
| Virtual |
| Tuesday, February 18, 2025 | Lead with confidence | Virtual Session #1 (1:00 - 3:00 PM ET) |
| Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | Conflict management | Virtual Session #2 (1:00 - 3:00 PM ET) |
| Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | To be determined | Virtual Session #3 (1:00 - 3:00 PM ET) |
| Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | Work/life rhythm & creating energizing workdays | Virtual Session #4 (1:00 - 3:00 PM ET) |
| May to June 2025 | 1x 30 min call per individual to be booked in May/June with Megan Foster (optional for mentees). | Live, 1-to-1 online session |
| TBD May 2025 | Optional WiSS Social Gathering at SPIN 2025 | In-person (Optional) |
| Tuesday, June 17, 2025 |
| Virtual Session #5 (1:00 - 2:30 PM ET) |
How much does it cost?
There is no fee for WiSS
Interested in Becoming a Mentor? We are building a pool of mentors!
The Women in Sport Science program is designed to support mentees in advancing their careers, building their support network, learning from others’ experiences, and to further their development in high performance sport in Canada. Your support is appreciated.
- Mentors must be members of Sport Scientist Canada.
- Mentors must complete the CONNECT module prior to beginning the program.
- Mentors will be paired with a mentee in the field of sport science and meet with them regularly throughout the program (bi-weekly or monthly).
- Full participation in all online programs is required.
- Attendance at the in-person kick-off event is mandatory, and attendance at SPIN is recommended.
- Mentors will receive an honorarium in recognition of their commitment to the program
Expressions of interest are accepted year round. If you are a potential match for a selected mentee, you will be contacted in November 2024 to gauge availability and interest.
Testimonials:
“As a mentee in the WiSS program I began to develop tools for leading, and skills for engaging in healthy conflict within a community that strives for growth and values vulnerability. The WiSS program meets you where you are and is designed to help you succeed. Every mentor and mentee is learning together and supporting each other. It is the perfect environment to learn, practice, and get feedback. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity I have had to learn these skills and apply them in my practice."
-Lauren Milatz, MSc., CSCS, Strength and Conditioning Coach, CSI Pacific
-Sharleen Hoar, PhD., CMPC, HPC (Senior Practitioner); Mental Performance Lead, CSI Pacific.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The application can be completed in French or English. To access the French language application please go to https://www.sportscientistcanada.ca/fr-CA/Programs/Programs/Women-in-Sport-Science
- The WiSS program is delivered in English, with core materials provided in both French and English.
- Applications are evaluated on content and ideas, not language proficiency or stylistic choices.
“Being a mentee has allowed me to be more confident in my current role, set higher objectives for myself and has helped me discover opportunities that I was not previously aware of. My mentor helped me by guiding me in ways to enhance my toolset which increased my confidence when put in challenging situations, helped me broaden my professional network and is someone who I can get insight from when dealing with an unfamiliar situation. The mentee experience is something that I am truly grateful for and has allowed me to become a better professional in my current role.”
-Tiffany Hunting, IST Medical Lead and Head Therapist for Judo Canada, Cohort 1 Mentee
“I applied several times before I was selected as a mentor for WISS. The wait was completely worth it. I learned so much from my mentee and the group at large in such a short time. My self-confidence has grown. I know that I can lead with my authentic voice to cultivate deeper and more impactful relationships and do work that aligns with my values in High Performance Sport.”
-Sharleen Hoar, PhD, CMPC , CSI-P, Cohort 3 Mentor
“The WiSS program was a unique opportunity to build a strong network of sport scientists and a durable relationship with an awesome mentor. It was also the occasion to hit pause on a busy professional life to ask important questions: why am I working as a sport scientist, where am I going, what do I need to develop to get there, etc.”
-Myriam Paquette, PhD, Exercise Physiologist, Cohort 2 Mentee