Why Canada’s World Cup team and Ontario caregivers are training on the same system
June 29, 2026
On a training ground in Nova Scotia, a year in advance of the 2026 World Cup, members of Canada’s National Men’s Soccer Team are stepping into a World Cup match, without ever leaving an indoor room.
They’re wearing virtual reality (VR) headsets, simulating game-speed pressure, scanning the pitch, reading opponents and rehearsing decisions that will unfold in seconds on the global stage.
Back in Ontario, a different kind of high-pressure training is taking place. Caregivers, many working in long-term care and home settings, are also putting on VR headsets, immersing themselves in complex, emotionally charged scenarios they’ll face on the job: supporting patients with dementia, responding to distress, or navigating moments that require both clinical skill and deep empathy.
Two very different contexts, one shared idea: preparation matters most when the stakes are highest.
Training for moments you can’t afford to get wrong
For elite athletes, the margin for error is razor thin. That’s why Canada’s soccer team have been using virtual reality to sharpen decision-making, giving players more “reps” in match conditions than traditional training alone could ever allow.
The same challenge exists in healthcare, but with consequences that extend far beyond the field.
Caregivers often face unpredictable, high-stress situations where there’s little room for hesitation. Traditionally, much of this learning has been on the job, in real time, with real patients. VR is changing that.
By creating realistic care scenarios, trainees can practice difficult interactions, make mistakes safely, and build confidence before stepping into real environments. It’s not about replacing hands-on experience, but rather enhancing it.
A tool for both performance and empathy
What’s striking is not just that these sectors are both using VR, but how. In sport, the singular goal is performance: faster decisions, sharper awareness, better outcomes. In caregiving, performance also matters, but so does something harder to teach: empathy.
VR allows caregivers to step into the perspective of the people they support. In some cases, it can simulate symptoms of dementia or sensory challenges, helping build a deeper understanding of what patients experience day to day.
That emotional insight is just as critical as technical skill.
“Dementia patients live on the spectrum of sensory disorientation, confusion and may be easily triggered, frustrated, and agitated,” says Dr. James Aw, OMERS Chief Medical Officer. “VR training allows caregivers to experience the moment-to-moment challenges from the patient’s perspective and seek to understand behaviours which can improve the way caregivers communicate, avoid making situations worse and provide impactful support. It also allows caregivers to practice and rehearse simulated and particularly stressful clinical scenarios. Studies have shown that VR can teach empathy effectively through experiential learning in various settings including academic, geriatric rehabilitation, long term care and community settings. Practicing empathy helps develop skills.”
Investing early in what works
This isn’t the first time the Relatable Economist has explored the potential of virtual reality.
In Take me out to the...virtual reality headset?, we looked at how immersive tech was beginning to reshape training experiences across industries, hinting at a future where learning by doing didn’t require real-world risk.
And in Spending millions to make millions, we examined the business case behind investing in innovation early, recognizing that technologies like VR aren’t just tools, but long-term drivers of value, capability and resilience.
Today, we’re seeing that early promise realized in tangible ways; on the pitch and in patient care settings alike.
Building confidence before it’s tested
Whether it’s a striker facing a defender in a sold-out stadium or a caregiver responding to a resident in distress, the principle is the same: preparation builds confidence.
VR doesn’t eliminate pressure, but it changes how people experience it. By exposing individuals to realistic scenarios in advance, it helps turn unfamiliar moments into practiced ones.
And that shift can make all the difference.
Adds Dr. Aw, “VR empathy training helps the caregiver develop confidence, self-efficacy and improve retention of knowledge dealing with stressful real-life scenarios in a safe, simulated environment. Some of the best learning in medicine is around specific medical cases, but caregiving for complex patients is more than just prescribing pills and making the diagnosis. Studies have found that VR empathy training has the most impact on healthcare students and trainees, particularly medical, nursing, and pharmacy students. It has been found to be less effective with advanced career healthcare professionals like physicians perhaps because of years of clinical experience, but beneficial for personal care workers and family or non-professional dementia caregivers. Start VR empathy training early in the healthcare journey and keep practicing.”
What this means for the future of care
As Ontario (and Canada more broadly) continues to grapple with growing demand for care, workforce shortages and increasing complexity, tools that support faster, more effective training will only become more important.
VR won’t solve every challenge. But it offers something powerful: a way to scale experience, accelerate learning and better prepare people for the moments that matter most.
From the World Cup to long-term care homes, the future of performance, whether measured in goals scored or lives improved, may increasingly be shaped long before the real moment arrives.
The Relatable Economist is an ongoing written series focused on how the economy, geopolitics, markets and more are impacting our day-to-day lives, discussing topics that matter to you, even if just to share with your friends at your next get-together or in the stands at your child’s or grandchild’s soccer game. Have a topic you want to learn more about? Write to us at therelatableeconomist@omers.com.
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