About Us

The Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health designs, enhances, and delivers socially responsible approaches to sport, business, and health. We seek to do this in three key areas: academic research and knowledge mobilization, community engagement and partnerships, and the Saint Mary’s University student experience.

 

Established as a Senate-approved Research Centre in May, 2010, the Scott McCain & Leslie McLean Centre for Sport, Business and Health facilitates and conducts research on sport, health and wellness. Under the leadership of Dr. Colin Howell, the CSSH has had an active history. Its high profile conferences, Putting it on Ice (2012), the 41st annual meeting of the North American Society of Sport History (2013), and the “Thinking Outside the Box: Transnational Lacrosse Conference” (2014) have brought international recognition to the Centre. The Centre has been involved in various smaller symposia and lecture series on a continuing basis. In 2017 we were a co-sponsor of a student conference on the Philosophy of Sport organized by Dr. Lisa Gannett, and of an evening celebrating the all-black hockey line at Saint Mary’s (1970) and a screening of a documentary on black hockey, organized by Dr. John MacKinnon. We hosted the 10th anniversary of our renowned Hockey Conference in 2021, and in 2022, held a virtual talk with Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot and a panel of scholars and athletes to discuss his short film about Lusia Harris, The Queen of Basketball. 

In addition to conferences, symposia and guest lectures, the Centre has an active visiting researcher program, including post-doctoral fellows and other academics active in sport and health research. Over the years we have hosted scholars from all over North America, Great Britain, and Europe (including Russia). The CSSH has also been active in community-oriented research initiatives at the local, national and international levels, including work with various sporting bodies such as Sport Nova Scotia, and a number of sport heritage agencies including Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame

Our research projects address a range of concerns, from a SSHRC-supported study of sporting borderlands to work on mental resiliency and the development of mental health strategies for organizations. Within the University we have been especially committed to involving students in our activities, from conference planning to the development of our Here for Peers student mentoring program, the Healthy Teams project and the Student Athlete Mental Health Initiative. We are presently developing a Student Athletes Village initiative in collaboration with the Department of Athletics.

Finally, we were active participants in the establishment of a certificate program in Health, Wellness & Sport in Society in association with the Faculty of Arts, which offered its first course in the winter of 2018.

Dr. Cheryl MacDonald

Director

Photo of Cheryl MacDonaldCheryl MacDonald earned a PhD in Social & Cultural Analysis from Concordia University in Montreal and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Education at the University of Alberta. An alumna of Saint Mary's University, she returned to campus in 2018 where she has taught in Atlantic Canada Studies, Criminology, and the Health, Wellness and Sport in Society program. The majority of her qualitative sport-related research in the areas of gender and sexuality as well as athlete wellbeing has been funded by the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada.  MacDonald is best known for her hockey scholarship, which has been published in top-tier academic journals such as Sociology of Sport Journal; however, she also maintains an interdisciplinary dossier in research on athlete support and development programming and is completing a Master's in Sport & Recreation Studies part-time through the University of New Brunswick. In her capacity as a public scholar, MacDonald has twice been a media panelist for the Hockey is for Everyone initiative through the National Hockey League’s Edmonton Oilers. In 2022 she was named a Top Social Change Advocate by The Hockey News Magazine. Most recently, she assisted with the co-ordination of a Women in Hockey Operations program and acted as a mentor to participants through the Maritime Junior Hockey League.

Follow Dr. MacDonald on Twitter and visit the website for her co-edited anthology Overcoming the Neutral Zone Trap: Hockey's Agents of Change (2021) 


Quinn MacDonald

Operations Support Specialist

Quinn sitting for headshot photoQuinn MacDonald is in her fourth year at Saint Mary's University completing her Honours in Psychology and Certificate in Health, Wellness and Sport in Society. She is currently in the beginning stages of developing her thesis project where she plans to take a further look at the relationship of performance factors and social identity among student athletes at Saint Mary's University under the supervision of Dr. Jim Cameron. Quinn is also an Open Championship level Irish Dancer. Throughout her Irish Dance career she has qualified and competed on the Regional, Canadian National, North American National and World stage in both solo and team performances under the direction of Rebecca Chapman and Laura Hopper at Rising Tide Irish Dance Academy. She has successfully completed all 12 grade examinations required to take the final examination to become a certified Irish dance teacher (TCRG). Quinn has also completed the Irish Dance Teachers Association of North America (IDTANA) Traditional Set Proficiency Project. She has had the opportunity to perform locally with groups such as the Symphony Nova Scotia and Heather Rankin, the Chieftains, for the Charitable Irish Society and corporate events, as well as various community performances and festivals. Presently, Quinn is a coach with Rising Tide Irish Dance Academy and has been since 2018 and is still competing with the goal of returning to the World Championships of Irish dance as a soloist. 


Julie Naugler

Marketing & Promotions Specialist

Julie Naugler HeadshotJulie Naugler is a recent MBA graduate and a former varsity student athlete at Saint Mary’s University, who specializes in the areas of project management, marketing, and consulting. Along with her MBA, Julie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Certificate in Health, Wellness, and Sport, becoming the first student at Saint Mary’s to earn the distinction. Outside of work, Julie is a dedicated provincial and university level rugby coach, committed to the promotion of sport participation and inclusion, particularly with women and girls and minority communities. 


Micah Brown

Community Ambassador

Micah Brown HeadshotMicah Brown, renowned for excellence in sports training and community development, is the visionary owner of BATLX, a leader in football-specific training. With a background marked by resilience and dedication, Micah's journey from a promising athlete to a well-rounded professional began on the football fields of his youth. Facing career-altering challenges from his professional playing days, Micah transformed setbacks into opportunities. This led to a passion for athletic development, culminating in the creation of BATLX. Micah's educational pursuits include a Master’s degree and two Bachelor’s degrees, providing a solid foundation in sports science and business. BATLX represents his vision to revolutionize sports training, emphasizing holistic development and community engagement. Despite initial skepticism, Micah's commitment to inclusivity and community development prevailed. He navigated constraints through strategic partnerships, collaborations, and securing funding, turning challenges into opportunities for refinement. Today, BATLX is not just a training facility; it's a community hub fostering personal and leadership development. Programs like ELITE 8 showcase Micah's dedication to accessible, quality training with a focus on community and belonging. Micah Brown's story is one of turning adversity into advantage, reflecting the belief that sports can transform lives and inspire communities. His commitment to pushing boundaries, fostering inclusivity, and creating lasting community impact sets him apart as a leader, mentor, and the driving force behind BATLX's success.


Dr. Charlene Weaving

Community Collaborator

Charlene Weaving Headshot

Charlene Weaving is a Professor and current Chair of the Human Kinetics Department at St. Francis Xavier University. Weaving is a past President of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (IAPS). Weaving’s research involves feminist sport philosophical analyses of gender in sport and, has published research on objectification (i.e. athletes posing nude, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, & ESPN Body Issue), and equity (i.e. women body checking in hockey, USports lack of women coaches, uniform regulations & pregnant athletes). Weaving was awarded the Faculty of Science Outstanding Teaching Award in 2007; and the Heather Reid Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Contributions in the service of Philosophy of Sport in 2013.


Dr. Colin Howell

Founder, Retired

Photo of Colin Howell

Dr. Colin Howell is a retired History professor and the founder of the Centre, which was first known as the Centre for the Study of Sport & Health at Saint Mary’s University.  His teaching and research focused on the history of sport, medicine, and health in Canada. At Saint Mary’s, Dr. Howell was also a co-founder of the Atlantic Canada Studies undergraduate and graduate programs, the Gorsebrook Research Institute, and the Austin Willis Moving Images Research Centre. Dr. Howell has published widely in the field of sport and health studies, authoring Blood, Sweat and Cheers: Sport and the Making of Modern Canada (2001), Northern Sandlots (1995), a history of the Victoria General Hospital in Halifax and several edited collections. As of June 2020, Dr. Howell retired from his position with the Centre but will remain on the Advisory Board. We celebrated his 50 years at SMU during summer 2021 at the 10th anniversary of The Hockey Conference, which he founded at Saint Mary’s in 2001. Dr. Howell recently published a book called Hardscrabble Diamonds, Postwar Baseball in New England and the Maritimes, 1945-1960, with McFarland Press (2023).