Mathieu Marcotte is a PhD candidate in demography at the Université de Montréal, where he specializes in the demography of sport. His research examines diversity in North American professional sports leagues, at the intersection of organizational demography and sport demography. A year after completing his CAnD3 training in 2025, he reflects on his experiences during and after the program.
Read on as Mathieu shares how CAnD3 broadened his thinking and research perspectives.
Hello Mathieu! Thank you for joining us. To start, let’s go back to the beginning of your journey. What initially drew you to the CAnD3 training program, and what were your expectations when you joined?
What first drew me to CAnD3 was the chance to deepen my skills in demographic data science in a multidisciplinary, English-speaking environment. In particular, I wanted to explore new analytical methods, such as machine learning, and better understand how data can inform public decision-making. I also saw the program as an opportunity to broaden my research perspectives beyond my area of specialization.
Did the experience meet those expectations?
CAnD3 allowed me to discover new approaches, exchange ideas with people from a wide range of disciplines, and think about different ways of using data to address real-world issues. The experience also enriched my thinking about how quantitative methods can be applied to the demography of sport, my doctoral research field.
Looking back, I consider CAnD3 a rewarding experience, both for what I learned and for the perspectives it opened up for me.
Let’s talk about the applied research project you completed through CAnD3. What was it about?
My project looked at the link between the type of physical activity people practise, whether in a group or individually, and the adoption of health-risk behaviours, particularly alcohol consumption and smoking. The goal was to determine whether group activities were associated with a higher likelihood of adopting these behaviours, as some studies had suggested because of the social opportunities they create.
Instead, the results showed that the context surrounding physical activity was more decisive than the type of activity itself. I contributed to the data analysis, the interpretation of the results, and the development of recommendations. I also presented this work at the CAnD3 Keynote Address in June 2025.
How did this experience shape your research or career?
It gave me the opportunity to put my quantitative analysis skills into practice in an applied research setting, while reflecting on how scientific findings can inform interventions.
How has your path evolved since completing the program?
Since finishing CAnD3, I’ve continued to develop the demography of sport, both through research and science communication. Notably, I coordinated the study day “Populations sportives : tendances et enjeux” (Sporting Populations: Trends and Issues), held on October 1, 2026, which brought together researchers, students, and stakeholders from the sports community. I was also featured in an UdeMNouvelles story titled “Faut-il repenser la façon de former la relève sportive?” (Should We Rethink How We Train the Next Generation of Athletes?).
I’ve also continued my efforts to raise awareness of this field, including making a YouTube video on the demography of sport and creating a bilingual portfolio that includes a short definition of the field.
What a journey! What are you working on right now that excites you the most?
My doctoral research, which examines how ethnoracial diversity and diversity by country of origin have evolved in four major North American professional sports leagues: the NHL, the NBA, the NFL, and MLB. My thesis explores three questions: how this diversity has changed over time, to what extent teams reflect the demographic makeup of their host cities, and what relationship exists between team diversity and performance.
This project allows me to bring together two fields that remain relatively unexplored: organizational demography and the demography of sport. Beyond professional sports, it aims to better understand how organizations respond to an increasingly diverse population while balancing the demands of performance and representation. I hope to produce knowledge that will be useful to sports organizations and public decision-makers.
And outside of work, how do you spend your free time?
Running has become my main activity. At first, I simply wanted to move more after long days at the office or writing. It quickly became a way to unwind and rediscover Montréal from a new angle.
I set myself a personal challenge: to run a route of at least 3 km around every STM metro station, about 204 km in total, and share a favourite spot I discovered along the way. I completed the project on October 25 at the Sun Life Half Marathon at Parc Jean-Drapeau, running around the last two stations: Jean-Drapeau and Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke. A great way to combine physical activity with discovering Montréal!
What a challenge! To wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with the CAnD3 community?
I’d say be patient, take advantage of networking opportunities, and make the most of the possibilities that come your way. Finally, I encourage you to do research not only for your own career path, but also to contribute to society and produce knowledge that can have a real-world impact.
Thank you so much, Mathieu, for sharing your journey with us! We wish you continued success in your research and career.
