Relay - 16 September 2009
SPARC
Sport and Recreation Profiles from the 2007/08 Active NZ Survey - Sep 2009
Fifteen profiles which show participation levels in various sport or recreation activities. These reports can all be found on the Sport and Recreation Profiles section on the home page of the Active NZ website. (Active NZ)
High Performance Sport
SANZAR invites Argentina to join the Tri Nations from 2012 - 14 Sep 2009
SANZAR has extended a conditional invitation to Argentina to join the Investec Tri Nations from 2012 to create a new "Four Nations" Championship. (NZ Rugby Union)
IOC releases 2016 Evaluation Commission Report - 2 Sep 2009
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today released the report of the Evaluation Commission for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016. (The Olympic Movement)
The International Paralympic Committee Celebrates 20 Years Today - 4 Sep 2009
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is officially celebrating its 20-Year Anniversary today in Bonn, Germany. At the same time it is also commemorating its 10-Year Anniversary of the Bonn Headquarters. (International Paralympic Committee)
London Olympic Park clean-up on track as 'big build' ramps up - 4 Sep 2009
The clean-up of the 2.5km2 Olympic Park, much of it contaminated through decades of industrial use, is almost complete and on track to beat its tough sustainability targets. (London 2012)
Twenty new Trailblazers on board at London 2012 - 10 Sep 2009
The London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today welcomes a further twenty Trailblazers to the London 2012 team. (London 2012)
BBC may show 2012 Olympics in 3D - 11 Sep 2009
The BBC could screen some of the 2012 London Olympic games in 3D, a senior executive said recently. Roger Mosey, the director of the BBC's 2012 Olympics operation, said the corporation was looking at a number of new technologies to improve the spectacle for viewers. (Sports City)
Sports Development
Hamilton Lands Top Job - 2 Sep 2009
Basketball New Zealand has named Tim Hamilton as its new chief executive officer. Hamilton has resigned his current positions as North Harbour Netball CEO and Netball North regional manager, and will take office at BBNZ's Wellington headquarters next month. (Basketball NZ)
Eight New Zealanders in nominations for ICC awards - 2 Sep 2009
Eight New Zealand cricket identities are in the running for the world’s top cricketing honours of 2009. (NZ Cricket)
IPC Honours Paralympic Order Recipients - 10 Sep 2009
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has officially honoured seven individuals with the Paralympic Order for the contribution that they have made to the Paralympic Movement. (International Paralympic Committee)
Govt to 'Give it 100%' for Rugby World Cup 2011 - 9 Sep 2009
New Zealanders will be urged to 'Give it 100%' during Rugby World Cup 2011 to ensure visiting teams and supporters have an unforgettable experience, Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully said today. (beehive.govt.nz)
Scotland's First Minister Launches Games Legacy Blueprint - 1 Sep 2009
23.5 million pounds planned investment to ensure Scotland capitalises on the economic, social and cultural advantages of the 2014 Commonwealth Games was announced by the First Minister in Glasgow today. (Sport Scotland)
Australian Sport Needs to be Less Reliant on Government Funding - 4 Sep 2009
Further indications of a shift in the Federal Government and Australian Sport Commission's funding priorities have been suggested by recently appointed Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chief Executive Matt Miller. (Australasian Leisure Management)
Health Strategy Seeks Ban on Alcohol Sponsorship in Sport - 2 Sep 2009
Alcohol sponsorship in Australia, including in sport, would be phased out over an 11-year period should the recommendations of a Federal Government report be adopted. (Australasian Leisure Management)
Free Resource Builds Sport Participation across Cultures - 9 Sep 2009
The Australian Sports Commission has launched an online resource to assist people from all cultures to get involved in sport. (Australian Sports Commission)
Bringing Sport to the Doorstep in Disadvantaged Communities - 11 Sep 2009
Sport England has created a new official partnership with StreetGames to give national governing bodies, local councils and other sports providers new ways to engage with young people in disadvantaged communities. (Sport England)
Sports Science, Medicine and Coaching
Australian Elite Swimming Loses Coaches: Contracts to Blame? - 9 Sep 2009
One of Australia's leading swimming mentors has warned of dire consequences for the sport if urgent action is not taken to replenish the nation's dwindling stocks of elite coaches. (Australasian Leisure Management)
Sports coaching: how to coach athletes with learning difficulties - 7 Sep 2009
Learning difficulties aren't just confined to the classroom; there are many talented young athletes who also suffer too. James Marshall explains how coaches can identify learning problems and adapt coaching styles accordingly to help these athletes shine. (Peak Performance)
Sport Psychology: how mental imagery and self-hypnosis can improve performance - 8 Sep 2009
The ability to look into the future and the capacity to imagine have both played an important role in the success of the human species. As Dr Costas Karageorghis explains, these same abilities can be harnessed to improve sports performance. (Peak Performance)
Military Precision Keeps British Cyclists on Track for Success - 3 Sep 2009
UK Sport's Podium Innovation Partner, BAE Systems, has installed a sophisticated performance monitoring system at the Manchester Velodrome to give British cyclists a further edge in training. (UK Sport)
Athletes With Smaller ACLs May Be More Susceptible to Injury - 14 Sep 2009
A study comparing images of the knees in people who did and didn’t have previous injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament suggests that people who tore their ACLs are more likely to have a smaller ligament than do similarly sized people who have never injured a knee. (Newswise)
Effects of fatigue on frontal plane knee motion, muscle activity, and ground reaction forces in men and women during landing - Sep 2009
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fatigue and gender on frontal plane knee motion, EMG amplitudes, and GRF magnitudes during drop- jump landing. (Journal of Sports Science and Medicine)
Football players are reluctant to recognise that they have experienced a concussion - Sep 2009
In two out of three cases of concussion in the Norwegian elite league, the concussion is never recognised and in 70% of the head impact situations the player returns to play immediately. (Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Norway)
Athletic Performance Not Found To Be Enhanced By Popular Supplement Quercetin - 4 Sep 2009
The antioxidant quercetin is increasingly being marketed as a supplement that boosts athletic performance, but a new University of Georgia study finds that it is no better than a placebo. (Medical News Today)
Grape extract improves antioxidant status and physical performance in elite male athletes - Sep 2009
The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, and crossover study on 20 elite sportsmen during the competition period was to determine if the consumption of a grape extract was able to improve the parameters related to (i) anti-oxidative status and oxidative stress and (ii) physical performance. (Journal of Sports Science and Medicine)
Active Communities
Early Release of Selected Estimates Based on Data From the US 2008 National Health Interview Survey: Leisure-time physical activity - Jun 2009
How many Americans are exercising? In 2008, 31.9% of U.S. adults aged 18 years and over engaged in regular leisure-time physical activity, which was higher than, but not significantly different from, the 2007 estimate of 30.8%. (CDC, US)
Active People Survey 3 quarterly update - 10 Sep 2009
Sport England recently published a quarterly update on regular sports participation in England. This update shows sport participation levels in the 12-month period from July 2008 – July 2009. (Sport England)
Children Are Not The Only Ones In The Game When It Comes To Sports - 31 Aug 2009
Parents who sign their children up for sports as part of an educational experience and to learn about teamwork may be learning some of the same lessons themselves, according to new research from Purdue University. (ScienceDaily)
Benefits of exercise differ by sex and race - 7 Sep 2009
How much health benefit you get from physical exercise might depend on your gender, and your race, new research suggests. (Reuters Health)
Regular Aerobic Exercise Reduces Health Concerns Associated With Fatty Liver - 9 Sep 2009
Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia determined that patients with a sedentary lifestyle who engage in routine physical activities lower their risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). (ScienceDaily)
Active Older Adults Live Longer, Have Better Functional Status - 14 Sep 2009
Older adults who continue or begin to do any amount of exercise appear to live longer and have a lower risk of disability, according to a report in the September 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. (Newswise)
Walking Can Decrease Breast Cancer Recurrence 40 Percent - 4 Sep 2009
When it comes to further minimizing the chance of breast cancer recurrence, Dr. Carolyn Kaelin, a Harvard surgeon, breast cancer survivor and author of The Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan, says, "Brisk walking for about 30 minutes a day, can net big benefits for breast cancer survivors." (Newswise)
Evaluating Active U: An internet-mediated physical activity program - 10 Sep 2009
To promote physical activity at the University of Michigan during the winter months, an eight-week internet-mediated program (Active U) was developed providing participants with an online physical activity log, goal setting, motivational emails, and optional team participation and competition. (BMC Public Health)
Infrastructure
Five trustees appointed to new Eden Park Trust Board - 8 Sep 2009
The NZ Government has appointed five trustees to the new Eden Park Trust Board, Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully announced today. (beehive.govt.nz)
New Zealand ahead of schedule for 2011 Rugby World Cup - 11 Sep 2009
The 80 million pounds redevelopment of the Eden Park stadium in Auckland, the venue for the tournament's opening match between the hosts and Tonga, as well as both semi-finals and the final, is on course to be completed six months ahead of schedule. (Sports City)
Work Starts On-site for Coastal Walkway Bridge - 31 Aug 2009
Construction of the Coastal Walkway's shared pedestrian/cycle bridge moves into the public eye tomorrow (Tuesday) with work starting on-site at the Waiwhakaiho River. (New Plymouth District Council, NZ)
PCAL New South Wales BikePlan Community Comments Review - Aug 2009
The topics included in submissions were barriers to cycling and opportunities to improve cycling in NSW. Each submission was reviewed and classified under a general topic area, based on the November 2000 Cycling data and indicator guidelines. (New South Wales Premier's Council for Active Living, Australia)
Young People
Making students game to learn - 2 Sep 2009
UK's Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson recently called for children to be encouraged to use active computer consoles to help tackle the increasing rates of obesity in young people. Paul Barns, from The Whitminster Centre, explains how they took the initiative. (Public Service Portal, UK)
Time Out: Outdoor Time Fuels Classroom Performance - 2 Sep 2009
Back to School shouldn't mean back indoors for children. In fact, National Wildlife Federations (NWF) new report TIME OUT: Using the Outdoors to Enhance Classroom Performance highlights the vast research linking time kids spend outside to increased classroom preparedness. (National Wildlife Federations, US)
Active Education: Physical Education, Physical Activity and Academic Performance - Summer 2009
The available evidence shows that children who are physically active and fit tend to perform better in the classroom and that daily physical education does not adversely affect academic performance. Schools can provide outstanding learning environments while improving children's health through physical education. (Active Living Research, US)
'Let us play and we'll learn better', say kids in new research - 3 Sep 2009
New research from Play England finds that time to play at school is seen by both children and their parents as very important if they are to get the most out of education. (Play England)
English State school cricket scheme teaches pupils "the three Fs": Fitness, Friendship and Fair play - 9 Sep 2009
Cricket is improving the 'social well-being' of thousands of state school pupils according to new research unveiled by Loughborough University today. (Loughborough University, UK)
Effects of small-sided games on physical conditioning and performance in young soccer players - Sep 2009
The purpose of this study was to examine, first, the movement actions performed during two different small-sided games and, second, their effects on a series of field endurance and technical tests. (Journal of Sports Science and Medicine)
In Obese Sedentary Adolescents, Exercise Alone Shown To Improve Insulin Sensitivity - 2 Sep 2009
A moderate aerobic exercise program, without weight loss, can improve insulin sensitivity in both lean and obese sedentary adolescents, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM). (Medical News Today)
Correlates of objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary time in children: a cross-sectional study (The European Youth Heart Study) - 7 Sep 2009
The purpose of this study was to examine associations between mode of transportation to school, outdoor play after school, participation in exercise in clubs, and TV viewing with objectively assessed PA and sedentary behaviour in children. (BMC Public Health)
Cost-effectiveness of active transport for primary school children - Walking School Bus program - 14 Sep 2009
This research was used to assess from a societal perspective the incremental cost-effectiveness of the Walking School Bus (WSB) program for Australian primary school children as an obesity prevention measure. (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity)
School Bicycling and Walking Policies: Addressing Policies that Hinder and Implementing Policies that Help - Sep 2009
To help encourage more walking and bicycling, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership and the National Center for Safe Routes to School have released a jointly-developed resource. This tip sheet was developed in response to numerous requests from across the country. (Safe Routes to School National Partnership, US)
Useful Weblinks
Research to Action: Activity and Aging. Conference Presentations - 2009
Presentations at this conference covered some of the following topics: Working with the Media, Marketing and Communicating to Older Adults, The Relationship between Exercise and Brain Function: The Parkinson's Example, and Examining older adults beliefs about strength training. (Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging)
About Relay
Note the intention of Relay is to include a broad range of opinions. Not all of these are supported or endorsed by SPARC or reflective of SPARC policy. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented here, but we are not responsible for the content of external websites.
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Updated | 15 Oct 2009.
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