Programs
About Women in Sport Science (WiSS)
The Women in Sport Science (WiSS) Mentorship Program has been designed to provide women sport scientists, particularly in disciplines where there is currently a lack of gender equity, the opportunity to engage with mentors in order to advance their career development and gain industry knowledge that will contribute to the high-performance sport environment.
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
- Develop knowledge of other sports and sport organizations
- 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
Frequently Asked Questions
- Be a woman in good standing with the relevant certification body for a sport science or sport medicine discipline in Canada.
- Be a HP Practitioner member with Sport Scientist Canada. Please visit this link to join if you are not yet a member: https://www.sportscientistcanada.ca/en-CA/Membership
- Possess a minimum of 3 years working as a practitioner or administrator with Olympic and/or Paralympic programs with a NSO, COPSIN institution, or international equivalent at a minimum of FTE 0.5.
- Currently engaged in a practitioner role within the team and/or organization with which they work
- Must be committed to advancing their career with the goal of a leadership role in the Canadian Sport System in the future.
- Preference will be given to women in sport science & medicine disciplines where there is currently a lack of gender equity, especially at a leadership level within the discipline. These include but are not limited to: strength & conditioning, biomechanics, performance analysis, data sciences, etc.
- Introductory mentoring workshop for mentees and mentors
- Virtual mentorship module for mentors
- Comprehensive mentorship/mentee training by facilitator
- Leadership workshop for mentees, facilitated by the Humphrey Group
- Monthly video calls between mentor and mentee pairs
- Ongoing mentee engagement in professional development & career planning with mentor
Schedule for WiSS 2021-2022 Cohort:
July 7, 2021: Applications for WiSS Mentorship program opens
August 13, 2021: Applications for WiSS Mentorship program closes
September 2021: Mentees are confirmed, and nominees are notified of their status
September 2021: Mentors are identified and confirmed
September 2021-March 2022: Virtual kickoff, ongoing mentorship and mentee-mentor pair calls, mentor & mentee training sessions, leadership training for mentees, etc.
March 2022: Post-program debrief call and survey
Schedule for WiSS 2022-2023 Cohort: TBD