Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health

Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health We design, enhance, and deliver socially responsible approaches to sport.

04/08/2026

The toll of injury isn't just physical for a student-athlete: it's a forced shift in perspective that can be really challenging for those who have built an identity through movement.

An athlete's journey isn't always training, studying, and winning: sometimes it's the patience you have to develop and the resilience that grows when you’re sidelined. The comeback isn't just about getting back to the game—it's about who you become while you're recovering.

SMU women's hockey player Marisa McClocklin has firsthand experience of that struggle and the unexpected identity shift that comes from suddenly needing to find stable ground outside of sport.

How do you define yourself outside your sport? How would you recommend student-athletes begin to expand their identities in their early years?

Want to make a difference in our student-athlete community? The Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business ...
03/30/2026

Want to make a difference in our student-athlete community?

The Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health is working with the Counselling Centre to hire an Athletics Peer Supporter for the 2026/2027 academic year.

This person will work collaboratively with the Athletics Ambassadors and other counselling centre members to support group facilitation, community programming, and mental health promotion initiatives.

The deadline to apply is April 12, 2026

Learn more and apply on Career360: https://loom.ly/zdgmXbA

03/25/2026

SMU Husky Marisa McClocklin speaks to the unique pressures of the student-athlete experience as part of our Athletics Ambassadors program.
SMU has resources available to help support you in every aspect of your student journey, from mental health services to academic coaching, to time management workshops and beyond — we're working to create a supported, inclusive, and thriving sport culture.

How would you describe our student-athlete experience? What resources have you used to help learn and play your best?

03/19/2026

For student-athletes, a mental health professional with experience in sport can be a gamechanger for mental wellness both during the game and long after the final whistle has blown.

By providing tools to manage high-stakes pressure, navigate the psychological toll of injury recovery, and balance rigorous academic demands, these professionals help athletes unlock their potential while ensuring a balanced identity beyond sport.

SMU soccer athlete Alexa Ijekiani shares with us some of the tools she's created with a mental health professional to keep her head in the game and manage the emotions that flow with passion and performance.

Don't miss your chance to catch the action of the U SPORTS University Cup this weekend. Come out and support the SMU Hus...
03/17/2026

Don't miss your chance to catch the action of the U SPORTS University Cup this weekend.

Come out and support the SMU Huskies as we host the Men's Hockey championship this weekend at Scotiabank Centre.

Check out this article for more info and head to the SMU Huskies website for tickets: https://loom.ly/B18uCPU

03/16/2026

Here at the centre, we've heard from multiple student-athletes that time management is crucial for balancing wellbeing with performance.

SMU Women's Basketball alumna Marlo Steenbakkers shares her experience with time management as part of the Athletics Ambassador program, one of the centre's collaborations with the Sexual Violence Prevention Centre.

03/09/2026

How does your identity as an athlete impact how you see yourself?

Former SMU women's basketball player Marlo Steenbakkers shares some sage advice with us: find sources of purpose outside of athletics to help create balance. When sport becomes the only facet of identity, injuries, losses, and transitions can have detrimental effects on our mental health.

Creating communities and hobbies outside of sport doesn't take away from our athletics: it strengthens our performance and helps us become balanced, well-rounded teammates.

03/06/2026

Recovering from an injury is just as much a mental process as it is a physical one, and for those of us who have built a purpose around the performance of our bodies, injuries can have an even larger impact on our mental health.

Former SMU women's basketball player Marlo Steenbakkers recounts her experience recovering from injuries that have taken her away from sport.

Here at the centre, we're dialed in on athlete mental health and the ways we can support athletes to achieve healthier, more balanced sporting lives. Stories like Marlo's help us understand, empathize, and find community in sport — in the lows as well as the highs.

What happens when a full-time student ends up competing on the world stage?Katie Pegg sat down with us recently to chat ...
03/06/2026

What happens when a full-time student ends up competing on the world stage?

Katie Pegg sat down with us recently to chat balance, training, and mental health as a student-athlete navigating high-performance training with everyday student life.

Read the full story here: https://loom.ly/B0sJfzU

03/04/2026

What does “mental toughness” mean to you?

For Ashley Penney, part of it is being able to share your emotions with your teammates in productive ways.

How has mental toughness appeared for you in your journey through sports? Swing by the centre in HC202 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. to talk to us about your experience — we’d love to hear your voice, too.

Are you a SMU student looking for some real-world experience in sports business?The Halifax Wanderers Football Club are ...
03/03/2026

Are you a SMU student looking for some real-world experience in sports business?

The Halifax Wanderers Football Club are looking for a co-op student to work with the Manager of Consumer Products this summer.

If you're driven, hard-working and ready to show off your time management skills while adding valuable industry experience to your resume, be sure to apply ASAP.

Make sure you have your Career360 login info ready and check out the job posting to get started: https://loom.ly/YhLN84g

02/26/2026

SMU hockey's Marisa McClocklin talks about what it means to recognize the person behind the athlete as a young person in sport.

The early years of the student-athlete journey are rife with pressure, setbacks, and opportunities to grow — and for Marisa, building a healthy identity beyond sport is a core element of navigating this experience.

Address

202-920 Tower Road
Halifax, NS
B3H2Y4

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health:

Shortcuts

Share

Category