Building healthy habits in youth sport

Originally from Toronto, Kiki Idowu is a third-year Kinesiology student at UBC specializing in neuromechanics and physiology. She combines her passion for science and sport through her studies, focusing on understanding the human body. A dedicated athlete, she competes on UBC’s Women’s Rugby team and has represented Canada internationally in both rugby and wrestling. She also volunteers with non-profit organizations that promote physical health and inclusion. As a recipient of the Beyond Tomorrow Scholars Award, she has received financial support that has given her the freedom to focus on her training and education.

Dr. Shannon Bredin is an Associate Professor at UBC’s School of Kinesiology whose work focuses on physical activity, sport, motor behaviour, and human performance throughout life. Her research and teaching emphasize children and youth, including promoting positive movement experiences and factors supporting long-term athlete development. She has contributed to major national initiatives in physical activity and health, including developing the Physical Activity Line (PAL) and PAR-Q+. She is widely recognized for translating research into practical guidance fostering supportive sport environments for young people. Her current SSHRC-funded research focuses on strategies addressing emotional abuse in youth sport and engaging Indigenous youth in sport through traditional land-based activities. 

Eric Butler founded Split Second Basketball in 2010. As President, he has helped more than 10,000 athletes develop winning habits, build confidence, and grow as individuals through sport. His organization’s goal is to help young athletes become the players that every coach wants on their team. While studying sports psychology, Butler played for the UBC men’s basketball team from 1992 to 1997, becoming team captain and a Canada West All–Star. He then spent eight years playing professionally in Europe, including France, Germany, and Austria. There, he gained insight into European player development systems before returning to Canada in 2005. 

Scott Rintoul has spent most of his career in sports broadcasting. He started at the iconic TV show Sports Page before adding Sportsnet and multiple sports radio stations to his résumé. In addition to reporting on a wide range of local sports, he covered a number of major sporting events, including multiple Grey Cups and Super Bowls, a Stanley Cup Final, and the 2010 Olympics. Now focused on podcasting, he has created the docuseries UNREEL: West Coast Express and Better Sports Parents, which concentrates on youth sports. He is also a parent, coach, and active community member. 

Shannon Winzer is the Head Coach of Dallas Pulse Volleyball and High-Performance Director for Women’s Indoor at Volleyball Canada. As Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s National Volleyball Team, she guided the team through Olympic cycles. She helped Canada climb from World No. 18 to a program-best No. 8, achieve its best-ever Volleyball Nations League (VNL) finish in 2024, and deliver a historic performance at the 2022 World Championships. Previously, she was Head Coach of the Australian Women’s National Team and led the Volleyball Australia Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport (2016–2019), where she helped develop elite athletes and build high-performance programs.