There’s lots more to read including these other highlights:
- Sport Development – A major sporting organisation’s experience during the global financial crisis
- Sport Coaching – Research exploring leadership mindsets in athletes.
Index
SPARC
Targeted approach recommended for high performance winter sports – 19 Nov 2010
SPARC has carried out a review of winter high performance sport in the wake of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games to determine the best way to run the Winter Performance Programme (WPP) in the future. Investment in New Zealand’s high performance winter programme is to be targeted at sports with a realistic chance of winning medals at the next two Olympic Winter Games. That could include ski halfpipe and snowboard slopestyle, two sports the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it is looking favourably at including at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in south-western Russia. (SPARC)
Coach Accelerator: High-flying coaches urged to apply – 19 Nov 2010
The hunt is underway for six coaches with ambitions to develop world, Olympic or Paralympic champions. SPARC, the New Zealand Academy of Sport, and national sports organisations are working together to increase New Zealand’s pool of world-class coaches and are seeking applicants for the next intake of the Coach Accelerator programme. (SPARC)
High Performance Sport
NZRU looks at long-term legacy for RWC 2011 – 23 Nov 2010
On November 8, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) launched its plans for the RWC 2011 Legacy programme to maximise the long-term benefits from hosting RWC 2011. The programme includes six initiatives that aim to connect New Zealanders to the sport of rugby before, during and after the tournament. (Rugby World Cup 2011)
RWC 2011 activities for all Auckland primary schools – 25 Nov 2010
Every Auckland primary and intermediate school pupil will have the opportunity to learn from Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) following the launch of the city's RWC 2011 education programme today. The programme includes education units in English, mathematics, social science, health and physical education. Schools will receive workbooks, videos and other materials. They will also receive Rippa Rugby sets and Rugby balls free of charge as part of the sport development section. (Auckland Council)
London 2012 calls on businesses to start planning their Games – 24 Nov 2010
Over 400 representatives from UK businesses attended a working conference to hear more about the transport plans for the capital and help them plan and prepare their businesses for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. A ‘tool-kit’ of information, including time-tables and competition schedules to demonstrate the busy periods of the Games and maps showing the potential 'travel hotspots’, has been made available to businesses. (London 2012)
Places People Play: London 2012 mass participation legacy plan unveiled – 15 Nov 2010
The Olympic and Paralympic stakeholders this morning came together to announce plans for the mass participation legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Places People Play will bring the sporting legacy to life in communities across the country, answering London 2012’s Singapore promise to inspire a new generation to play sport. (Sport England)
Beijing selected to host 2015 IAAF World Championships – 20 Nov 2011
The selection of the Chinese capital to host the 15th edition of the championships will bring athletics back to the dazzling “Bird’s Nest” stadium, the centrepiece of the 2008 Olympic Games. Beijing’s successful bid marks the latest phase of China’s commitment to add to and enhance its athletics legacy. (IAAF)
Australian Governor-General to lead delegation to the 2022 FIFA World Cup Host Announcement – 24 Nov 2010
The Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce, will lead Australia’s delegation to the 2022 FIFA World Cup host announcement on December 2 in Zurich. Ms Bryce, who is also the patron of women’s football in Australia, will also play a role in Australia’s final presentation to be delivered before the FIFA Executive Committee on December 1. (Football Australia)
The preparations begin for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil – 21 Oct 2010
Having only hosted the competition once before – back in 1950, when Brazil were just another one of the 13 hopeful participants – the South Americans are now relishing the opportunity to welcome the world to a place that many now consider as the land of football. “There is no country in the world that is identified more with football,” was how FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter put it. (FIFA)
Sports Development
IAAF: We survived the financial crisis, but only just – 23 Nov 2010
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) general secretary Pierre Weiss has revealed that the organisation only just survived a major financial crisis by introducing extreme cost-cutting measures and receiving a timely increase in revenues. There have been $4m of savings in 2010 because of the cuts in expenses and an increase in income, and a balanced four-year IAAF plan. (Sports City)
Consultation on multi-year grants from gaming machines in pubs and clubs – 19 Nov 2010
Sport and recreation organisations that apply for grants from the proceeds of gaming machines in pubs and club may be interested in a consultation document which has been released by the Department of Internal Affairs. It invites submissions on a proposal to repeal a regulation which currently prevents multi-year grants. The deadline for submissions is December 17. (SPARC)
International Sport and Culture Association’s annual report – 11 Nov 2010
The International Sport and Culture Association (ISCA ) is a global platform open to all recreational sports and physical activity organisations. The report provides a comprehensive insight to ISCA’s work, both with respect to political priorities, achievements and the numerous international projects that have been implemented throughout the past year. (ISCA)
Sport Science, Medicine and Coaching
Duration of pre-performance routines of divers and performance outcomes – Fall 2010 (US)
Pre-performance routines are individualised tasks that are intended to prepare the athlete for correct execution. While the efficacy of pre-performance routines appears established, debate exists concerning temporal consistency. Each of the 16 participants in the study performed 10 different dives with varying difficulty and scores. Significance was found between the top eight finishers and bottom eight finishers in mean pre-performance time. (United States Sports Academy)
Rating Recovery for Elite Athletes – 4 Nov 2010
Whilst many athletes and sports have their traditions for the optimum recovery techniques, understanding the true value of strategies used in training and competition is essential to harnessing the edge over competition. Physiologist Jonathan Leeder has undertaken his PhD on this very area, at Northumbria University, taking a deeper look into just what makes the best recovery for top flight athletes. (English Institute of Sport)
Should coaches believe in innate ability? The importance of leadership mindset – November 2010
The purpose of this article is to examine how individuals’ personal beliefs about the antecedents of leadership ability influence their leadership behaviour and ultimate effectiveness. The relevant literature is reviewed to highlight current thinking in relation to the debate over whether leadership is innate or learned with a specific focus on sport leadership models. (Association for Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education)
BMX Coaching Course sets the trend for BikeNZ’s future – 18 Nov 2010
BikeNZ, in conjunction with BMX NZ, has held the first of its new Level 1 coaching courses. Included in BikeNZ’s "whole of bike" plan is an emphasis on creating a coaching framework for parents, teachers, riders, or anyone enthused and wanting to help out in their cycling discipline. (Bike NZ)
Cycling training: recent research on bone density in pro cyclists makes for uncomfortable reading – 23 Nov 2010
Cycling has traditionally been regarded as one of the healthiest sports around, and its impact-free nature has made it particularly appealing to those concerned about their joint and skeletal health. However, recent research on bone density in pro cyclists makes for uncomfortable reading. (Peak Performance)
Norway football on high heels – 17 Nov 2010
When the men’s national team loses a match they are called “sissies”, and women who are good at football “play like men”. Both men and women are the losers when gender stereotypes are used in sports journalism, according to Professor Gerd von der Lippe, a Norwegian university sports researcher. (KILDEN)
Active Communities
Active people - healthy communities: The impact of community sport investment on public health – April 2010
The report presents case studies and a summary of the social, behavioural, physiological and physical benefits of Northern Ireland community sport investment. The report also considers the future role of sport and physical activity. (Sport Northern Ireland)
Raising a racket - new Australian arrivals revive badminton – September 2010
This project is part of a VicHealth funding program known as PICSAR, which aims to increase participation levels in community sport and active recreation amongst people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic, indigenous, and new arrival communities. This project aims to increase opportunities for Asian and new arrival communities in Victoria to play recreational badminton. (VicHealth)
Involvement in organised sport and physical activity, Australia – 26 Nov 2010
Over four and a half million people aged 15 years and over were involved in organised sport or physical activity during the 12 months prior to April 2010, that’s over one-quarter of the Australian population. According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics close to 3.8 million were involved in a playing role and people between the ages of 15 to 24 years had the highest playing participation rates. This paper details findings and provides details of people involved in organised sport and physical activity in playing and/or non-playing roles.
Motueka Recreation Centre upgrade opened – 8 Nov 2010
This well-used centre in Old Wharf Road, owned by the Tasman District Council and managed by Sport Tasman, opened in 1987. It has just completed a $2 million expansion to create an international-standard roller hockey court, a gym, changing facilities and administration space. (Tasman District Council)
Kilbirnie indoor sports centre update – 15 Nov 2010
With half the structure already in place, the Indoor Community Sports Centre (ICSC) on Cobham Drive in Kilbirnie is rapidly taking shape. The ICSC is expected to be completed around August 2011 and, as well as a much-awaited venue for community sport, it will be available for use for indoor training by Wellington-based teams during Rugby World Cup 2011. (Wellington City Council)
Recreation
Wai Wise underway to increase aquatic skills – 4 Nov 2010
The launch of Wai Wise took place at West Wave in Henderson this month. More than 300 people were rescued on Auckland's West Coast beaches last season and in the past five years 22 people have drowned in Waitakere alone. Many of these incidents involved youth and were preventable. Survival swimming, beach and surf safety are key components of Wai Wise. (WaterSafe Auckland)
New Zealand Mountain Safety Council issues reminder to check your tramping equipment now – November 2010
With summer round the corner, now is the time to check the condition of your tramping and camping equipment – before you need to use it. The Mountain Safety Council reminds people to check the condition of their equipment well in advance of heading into the great outdoors so that worn or missing equipment can be repaired or replaced. (NZ Mountain Safety Council)
Review of research into links between enjoyment and understanding of the natural heritage – November 2010
This research reports a connection between informal recreation and understanding of the natural heritage. Experience of the natural heritage through informal recreation can lead to increased understanding of the natural heritage. Moreover, the relationship appears to be cyclical or ‘virtuous’, with participation in recreational activities leading to increased understanding, which in turn can lead to further participation in recreational activities. (Scottish Natural Heritage)
Rotorua trail receives $2 million from New Zealand Cycle Trail project – November 2010
Nga Haerenga, The New Zealand Cycle Trail project has signed a $2 million contract for the new Te Ara o Ahi (Pathway of Fire) at a formal event in Rotorua. (Ministry of Economic Development)
DOC destination management framework presentation – October 2010
This presentation by the Department of Conservation’s Steve Sutton outlines how DOC will work in new ways to grow participation in recreation/tourism using both the New Zealand tourism strategy and the SPARC Outdoor Recreation Strategy. (Department of Conservation)
Enjoying Water - Strategic Priorities for Water Related Recreation in London and South East England – 5 July 2010
This document is designed to be a catalyst, to highlight the value of water related recreation and to identify situations in which water related recreation can make a contribution to the economy, society and environment of London and South East England. (The University of Brighton)
Young People
Bursting the bubble: UK Students, volunteering and the community research summary – November 2010
This report presents findings of a study on student volunteering that is based on case studies of six Higher Education Institutions. Bursting the Bubble was commissioned to explore further the motivations for, routes into and perceived impacts of volunteering on students, universities and the wider community. Volunteering by university students remains an under-researched topic, with little reliable national data on the number of students involved or their experiences, and this study attempts to address some of these gaps in our knowledge. (Institute for Volunteering Research, UK)
Using Recreational Sport for Social Mobility of Urban Youth: Practices, Challenges and Dilemmas – November 2010
This article critically examines the practices of sport-based intervention programs that seek to generate upward social mobility of urban youth as well as the main challenges and dilemmas they face. Drawing on case studies from Brazil, Australia and The Netherlands, the author proposes and illustrates a typology for analysing sport-based social interventions, which incorporates the level and the focus of intervention. (Sociétés et Jeunesses en Difficulté)
Are kids having a rough time of it in sports? – 28 Nov 2010
Participation in children’s and youth sports and recreation is widespread in western culture. Trends over recent decades include increased duration and intensity of training, earlier specialisation and year-round training, and increased difficulty of skills practised. In addition, children and adolescents are increasingly participating in a growing number of ‘‘extreme sports’’ such as skate boarding, BMX, mountain biking and rock climbing. Engaging in sports and recreational activities at a young age also involves a risk of injury. This literature review was employed to evaluate the current epidemiology of injury related to the safety and efficacy of youth resistance training. (British Journal of Sports Medicine)
Australian children’s participation in sport and leisure time activities – 12 Nov 2010
This publication primarily provides information about the participation of Australian children aged 5 to 14 years in cultural, sporting and other leisure activities. The report compares results from surveys conducted in 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009 which have collected information on children's participation in selected organised cultural activities and organised sports outside of school. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
The New Face Of Learning To Swim In New Zealand – 1 November 2010
Learning to swim is not a requirement of the school curriculum and as a result, the majority of our children are not receiving the quality of learn to swim education they need. Half of all 10 year old children can’t swim 25 metres, 25% of them can’t even keep afloat. In a new partnership with seafood company Sealord, change is here. Sealord Swim For Life is a national project established to address a dramatic decline in the swimming ability of our children. (Water Safety New Zealand)
The relative influence of demographic, individual, social, and environmental actors on physical activity among boys and girls – 3 Nov 2010
This study aimed to evaluate the associations of selected demographic, individual, social, and environmental factors with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in a sample of children and adolescents. Important differences exist among the individual, social, and environmental factors related to MVPA between boys and girls. Boys’ levels of activity appear to be influenced by factors closely linked to unstructured and social types of activities whereas girls’ activities relate to internal and external barriers as well as their proximity to their schools. (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity)
Useful Weblinks
Local Activity Grant case studies, Australia
The Physical Activity Taskforce has released fifteen case studies from Local Governments in Australia participating in the Local Activity Grants Program. The case studies have associated project costs and outline key benefits and successes for each.
New Zealand Rugby League: New training and coaching resources
New Zealand Rugby League are pleased to advise coaches, trainers and players of a number of new resources now available on our website. On the coaching page there are two interactive modules 'Taking Off Into Coaching’ and 'Safety Net'. In the performance area are a number of training videos.