The Performance Lab for the Advancement of Youth in Sport (PLAYS) is located in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies and is home to Dr. Jean Côté, Dr. Luc Martin, and an active group of graduate and undergraduate students. Our research lies in the general field of positive youth development through sport.
Our Mission
Our mission is to be the best students, teachers, academics, and people that we can possibly be. We will do something every day that brings us closer to our goals, and together, we foster an environment rich with hard work, creative thinking, collaboration, humour, and friendship. We are committed to contributing to our respective fields, to the reputation of our department, and to Queen's University. We will strive to maintain balance in our lives and never take our work more seriously than the people around us.
Our Funders
We would like to recognize and thank our funders.
Our Research In The News
The Hockey Miracle in the Middle of Nowhere
Queen’s professor breaks down the advantage of small towns over bigger cities for producing athletic talent
Dr. Jean Côté discusses research featured in the documentary "The Hockey Miracle in the Middle of Nowhere". For boys in youth hockey, the chances of playing in an NHL game are one in 1000. If you were born and raised in a small town rather than a big city, however, these defying odds could waver in your favour.
Jean Côté, a Queen’s Kinesiology professor, can explain why.
Research Takes Flight
Queen’s University researcher Luc Martin takes to the skies with the Snowbirds to study team dynamics.
Anyone who has been to an airshow in Canada is probably familiar with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, a military flight demonstration team that thrills spectators with their aerobatic performances. Since 2015, Queen’s University researcher Luc Martin, an expert in team dynamics, has been working with the Snowbirds in their high-risk environment where effective communication is critical.
Queen’s professor research hits the hardwood
Dr. Jean Côté helps to create youth guidelines for NBA and USA Basketball.
It’s often believed that to be a successful athlete, you need to specialize early. But for every Tiger Woods, there are more stories of young athletes who burn out too early, leaving sport completely. To combat this trend and keep kids playing, Director of the School of Kinesology and Health Studies and Queen’s professor Dr. Jean Côté’s research on the risk of sport specialization amongst young people has gained traction.