Hello from Halifax!

2011 Canada Games Preview
From the Canada Games Council ...

The Canada Games begin long before the athletes arrive in Halifax. The Canada Games Council has several initiatives that celebrate the history of the Canada Games. Two of which that lead up to any particular Games are the Past Community Engagement Program and the Canada Games Hall of Honour.

In an effort to get all the communities who have hosted the Canada Games in the past be involved with the upcoming Canada Games in Halifax, the Council, in an attempt to spread the excitement for the Games even further, implemented the Canada Games Flag Tour. The premise is that the official Canada Games flag, the same flag that is awarded to the top province or territory at the end of the Canada Games, would visit each past host community and eventually make its way to Halifax.

So on December 3rd, the flag started its journey in Whitehorse, Yukon and worked its way East across Canada toward Halifax. The flag remained in each community for three days, celebrating the legacies the Canada Games left behind in their community during several receptions and events, before being sent to the next community.

Each province and territory received the flag before it arrived in Halifax on February 9th, in time to be carried into the Opening Ceremonies for the 2011 Canada Games.

Another way the Canada Games recognizes its past is with the Canada Games Hall of Honour. The Hall recognizes exceptional Canada Games alumni who have distinguished themselves as athletes, coaches, officials or administratiors.

The Canada Games Hall of Honour was initiated as part of the 40th Anniversary Legacy of the Canada Games in 2007. Nominees are inducted every Games year (every two years). The first induction in 2007 celebrated the achievements of long time Canada Games Council Chairman Jack Pelech. In 2009, the Hall welcomed seven new members, including Olympic Gold medalists Cassie Campbell and Dave “Eli” MacEachern.

When the nation is watching Canada’s next generation of national, international and Olympic champions for the next 18 days in Halifax, remember that there is a great Canada Games history that is celebrated every day.

Check out SIRC's Canada Games 2011 webpage for more information!

SIRC Newsletter - Volunteering

Volunteers are critical to the success of sport and recreation! Appreciating our volunteers and providing well managed programming and tools will assist in the retention and positive experience for everyone involved. Typically volunteers feel a strong identification with the activity, a passion for giving back and want to make a meaningful contribution. How do organizations keep people coming back? From local clubs to national organizations, recruiting, managing and retaining volunteers can be difficult and daunting but there are tools out there to help.

CHECK OUT THE NEWSLETTER ONLINE

Guidelines for Media Guides

Photo credit: Michele Walker

Media guides produced by sports teams, organizations and committees serve as valuable resources to members of the media. Despite the fact that there is so much information now on the internet about most teams and sports, a sports related press kit serves as an accurate and factual resource tool for members of the media as it is produced directly by the organization.

While media guide content may vary based on the nature of the sport team, organization or the event  – professional versus amateur, team versus league, major league versus minor league – there are major components that should be included in most guides.

• Table of contents to assist in the navigation of the guide
• Staff directory listing office and mobile phone numbers and email addresses
• Media-specific information on how to make interview requests and apply for media credentials for certain events
• Schedule of events
• Profile of the organization and its leadership
• Team information including rosters and athlete biographies
• Season preview including statistics, results and superlatives
• History of the team (or event) including year-by-year results, all-time statistics, previous play-off information
• Venue information
• Governing body information and sponsor logos

Design elements can also play a key role in making sure that a media guide is as attractive and user friendly as possible for all media.  Specific knowledge in desktop publishing with layout and design skills are a valuable skill set to the media relations professional, with special attention being paid to:

• Cover – is it attractive and include key elements of the organization, such as name, logo and year?
• Font type – is it easy to read and consistent throughout the guide?
• Graphics  - text boxes, shaded areas, logos and symbols?
• Colour – how is this used to enhance the media guide?
• Photos – types used (action and head shoots) and are they in focus, clear and have good contrast?
• Format - will it be hard  copy, electronic, compact disk, downloadable or all formats?
• Size – small enough to put in a journalist or photographers pocket, or large enough to have space to make notes?

A media guide can incur production costs and require significant time to plan, research, develop and produce but it will also reap positive publicity from journalists and broadcasters who cover the team or event.

For more information on media guides, please visit SIRC.

Music for Motivation

Everyone has those days. It's filled with stress and things just dont’t seem to go your way. On those days it just seems more appealing to stay in your pajamas rather than working out. So why not use music as a motivational tool to get your body moving.
 
The idea that music motivates you during exercise is not new, but what is interesting is that recent studies have indicated that music can greatly increase your workout output. The greatest responses to music comes from aerobic or endurance training, for example, cycling or running. Participants were shown to workout significantly longer when exposed to motivational music than with neutral music or none at all. In these studies, it was found that most men and women responded with:

• a brighter mood/outlook
• increased motivation
• reduced feelings of pain or fatigue
• perceived level of difficulty within the workout changed 

A lot of people feel that exercise is boring, difficult or unpleasant and that’s why a great playlist can make a world of difference in your workout. Motivation can become increasingly important if you want to maintain it over an extended period of time. Obviously interest and enjoyment of the activity play a role, but when you have music that is attention grabbing and encourages you to move to the beat, things get quite a bit more fun!

Music is a major influence on society, so it is no surprise that music gets incorporated within fitness classes and every day workouts. When you have a large majority of people able to access music on their phones or mp3 players it allows for increased convenience and complete customization of individual playlists. While selecting a playlist, there are many great applications you can use to maximize your workout. Here’s a few to check out:

• isweat2thebeat.com - has a huge selection with over 70,000 songs to choose from and are all organized by bpm (beats per minute) and genre 
• On iTunes you can download the jog.fm app that plays music from your iTunes library and matches your running pace 
• Motion Traxx Radio: Workout Music for Running and Exercise is also available through iTunes. The non-stop workout mixes are designed for running, cardio, cycling, power walking and interval training. 

To sum it up, that favourite playlist of yours can help you focus, relax, and create positive feelings when you are feeling less than excited about stepping out your door, so pick up that music, get outside and move!

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Brooks, K., & Brooks, K. (2010). Enhancing Sports Performance Through The Use Of Music. Journal Of Exercise Physiology Online, 13(2), 52-57. 
2. Elliott, D. D., Carr, S. S., & Savage, D. D. (2004). Effects of motivational music on work output and affective responses during sub-maximal cycling of a standardized perceived intensity. Journal Of Sport Behavior, 27(2), 134-147. 
3. van der Vlist, B., Bartneck, C., & Mäueler, S. (2011). moBeat: Using Interactive Music to Guide and Motivate Users During Aerobic Exercising. Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback, 36(2), 135-145. 
4. Workout Intensity: What's in a Playlist?. (2010). Running & FitNews, 28(5), 4-6.

Sports Day in Canada!

Sports Day in Canada is a national celebration of sport at all levels. On the ground, in the week leading up to September 29, over a thousand organizations, schools, teams and towns will hold a blitz of Sports Day in Canada events, with community-wide festivals, try-it days, open houses, games, competitions, meet-and-greets, tournaments, fun runs, spectator events and pep rallies that celebrate sport at all levels.  Find an event near you and help us celebrate the power of sport at work in communities across the country.

Plus, wear your heart on your sleeve on national Jersey Day, September 28. And watch the national Sports Day in Canada broadcast on September 29. Come out and show your support!