Relay - 26 November 2009
SPARC
Superb images from TP McLean Awards Photography Finalists - 23 Nov 2009
Six of New Zealand's finest sport and recreation photographers feature in the finalists of this year's Sir Terry McLean National Sports Journalism Awards. (SPARC website)
SPARC ramps up high performance investment to new level - 16 Nov 2009
SPARC is investing a record $6.3 million in 19 national sport organisations' high performance programmes and projects following the 2010 contestable investment round. (SPARC website)
High Performance Sport
NZ Academy of Sport South Island Centre of Excellence Redevelopment Recently Opened (PDF) - 11 Nov 2009
Preparation is key to winning sporting performance, and Christchurch-based high performance athletes now have a world class trainign facility to call their own. (NZ Academy of Sport South Island)
Athletics New Zealand Team manager positions announced - 20 Nov 2009
John Tylden of Hamilton will manage the New Zealand track and field team to the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October next year. (Athletics NZ)
Baton continues to unite diverse athletes - 17 Dec 2009
The power of the Queen's Baton 2010 Delhi to bring together diverse peoples came through tellingly when an experienced shooter and a teenaged swimmer carried it on a visit to the iconic Laxey Wheel on the Isle of Man recently. (Delhi 2010)
IOC sanctions five athletes who competed in Beijing - 18 Nov 2009
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced sanctions against five athletes who participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for having committed anti-doping violations. (The Olympic Movement)
Olympic Solidarity gives a boost to Vancouver hopefuls - 20 Nov 2009
For the first time in the history of Olympic Winter Games, some of the Vancouver hopefuls are recipients of individual scholarships from Olympic Solidarity to help cover their travel, training and coaching costs during the preparation and qualification process. (The Olympic Movement)
London 2012: still on time, still on budget - 23 Nov 2009
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games remain on time and within budget, new official data published today by the Government and Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) confirms. (Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK)
London 2012 security challenge "greatest since World War II" - 15 Nov 2009
The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be the UK's "greatest security challenge" since the Second World War, a Home Office minister has said. (Sports City)
Sports Development
McAra appointed as Squash NZ Chairman as two new Board members are elected - 25 Nov 2009
Squash New Zealand announces Neil McAra as the new Chairman of the Squash New Zealand Board. McAra is an experienced Board member having served on the Squash NZ Board since 2003. (Squash NZ)
Surf Life Saving New Zealand Board announces Chief Executive appointment - 13 Nov 2009
Graeme Cullen, Chair of the board of Surf Life Saving New Zealand recently announced the appointment of Grant Florence as the incoming Chief Executive of Surf Life Saving New Zealand. (Surf Life Saving NZ)
Service Delivery Review of Triathlon: Recommendations Paper - 17 Nov 2009
After 6 months of consultation, reviewing feedback and discussing the needs and issues of our sport with the sport, Tri NZ is pleased to be able to advise its key findings, recommendations and proposed actions. (Triathlon NZ)
Paralympic Awards Winners Honoured in Kuala Lumpur - 23 Nov 2009
On the occasion of the IPC General Assembly, the Paralympic Awards Gala, proudly partnered by IPC's Gold Patron Allianz, was held recently at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Paralympics NZ)
New Zealand Bench officials appointed to Commonwealth Games - 20 Nov 2009
Netball New Zealand confirmed today seven New Zealand Bench Officials have been offered Technical official roles at the Netball during the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India. (Netball NZ)
Ground-breaking decision review system goes into operation - 24 Nov 2009
Following extensive trials, the decision review system (DRS) goes into operation with the start of the BLACKCAPS v Pakistan Test series in Dunedin. (NZ Cricket)
IPC Decides on Participation of Athletes with Intellectual Disability - 21 Nov 2009
During the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the IPC membership decided in favour of the re-inclusion of athletes with an intellectual disability (ID athletes) in competitions, including the Paralympic Games. (International Paralympic Committee)
Rudd Government Report Highlights Bold Vision For Australian Sports - 17 Nov 2009
The Australian Minister for Sport Kate Ellis recently welcomed the release of The Future of Australian Sport from the Independent Sport Panel. Link to the "Full Report" located on the Independent Sport Panel website. http://www.sportpanel.org.au/internet/sportpanel/publishing.nsf/Content/crawford-report (The Gov Monitor, Australia)
New drive to boost number of women playing sport - 11 Nov 2009
Sport England recently announced a 10 million pound National Lottery funding round to encourage 'Active Women' – in a drive to get more women from disadvantaged communities, and women caring for children, playing sport. (Sport England)
Agency hired to review commercial potential of women's sport - 20 Nov 2009
The Havas Sports and Entertainment agency has been appointed by the UK's Commission on the Future of Women's Sport to review the commercial potential in women's sport. (Sport Business International)
ICC Introduces Anti-Racism, Anti-Corruption Codes - 18 Nov 2009
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced new anti-racism and anti-corruption codes in its revised Code of Conduct to maintain and promote "fair play and multiculturalism". (Australasian Leisure Management)
Alcohol Industry Should Prove No Harm In Funding Of Sports - 10 Nov 2009
Researchers from Australia and the UK are calling for a new approach to the debate over whether alcohol industry sponsorship of sports increases drinking among sports participants. They want to shift the burden of proof to the alcohol industry. (Medical News Today)
Promising Pharmaceutical Agents Emerge As Sports Doping Products - 17 Nov 2009
Researchers from the German Sport University Cologne in Germany found that non-steroidal and tissue-selective anabolic agents such as Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) are being sold on the black market for their performance enhancing qualities. (AlphaGalileo, Europe)
Use Of Performance Enhancers By Athletes More Likely To Lead To Abuse Of Alcohol, Other Drugs - 12 Nov 2009
College athletes who use performance-enhancing substances may be at heightened risk of misusing alcohol and using recreational drugs as well, according to new research in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. (Medical News Today)
Overwhelming Support of Clean Sport Campaign - 19 Nov 2009
In a landmark moment for equestrian sport, the FEI General Assembly today voted overwhelmingly in favour of new Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations which will ensure the welfare of the horse and guarantee a fair playing field. (Federation Equestre Internationale, Lausanne)
Ten Years after Creation, World Anti-Doping Agency Calls for Renewed Commitment to Protect Sport's Integrity - 10 Nov 2009
Exactly ten years after the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on November 10, 1999, WADA's President John Fahey emphasized the impact the Agency has had on the protection of clean sport and called on all parties involved in the fight against doping in sport to further enhance their efforts. (WADA)
Sports Science, Medicine and Coaching
Coaches Can Shape Young Athletes' Definition of Success - 17 Nov 2009
Young athletes' achievement goals can change in a healthy way over the course of a season when their coaches create a mastery motivational climate rather than an ego orientation, University of Washington sport psychologists have found. (ScienceDaily)
The Role of Monitoring Growth in Long-Term Athlete Development: Canadian Sport for Life (PDF) - Oct 2009
This document is intended to help coaches develop and deliver training, competition and recovery programs that are specific to the developmental level of the individual(s) they are coaching. It is a supplement to the resource paper: "Canadian Sport for Life". http://www.canadiansportforlife.ca/upload/docs/LTAD%20Downloads%20Eng/Canadian%20Sport%20for%20Life%20Resource%20Paper.pdf (Canadian Sport for Life)
Stress and Anxiety in Athletics - Fall 2009
All athletic trainers should be concerned with how stress and anxiety affect their athletes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences between stress and anxiety, as well as how these conditions affect athletes. (The Sports Digest, U.S. Sports Academy)
Training to improve skill and technique - 23 Nov 2009
This article's main point is that overloading on repetitious training plans will not improve an athlete's skill or technique. (Peak Performance)
Swimming training: methods to improve swimming speed - 19 Nov 2009
By applying new research courtesy of fluid dynamics and supercomputers, every swimmer can swim faster. (Peak Performance)
Loughborough joins Japan in global $14m sports science programme - 11 Nov 2009
Loughborough University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Waseda University in Japan as part of a global $14m programme designed to increase collaborative research in sport sciences and physical activity. (Loughborough University, UK)
Progressive Statistics - 21 Nov 2009
In this article the authors provide their view of best practice for the use of statistics in sports medicine and the exercise sciences. (Sportscience)
The effects of four weeks of creatine supplementation and high-intensity interval training on cardiorespiratory fitness: A randomized controlled trial - 12 Nov 2009
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of high-intensity interval training and creatine supplementation on cardiorespiratory fitness and endurance performance, time-to-exhaustion, ventilatory threshold, and total work done in college-aged men. (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition)
The effects of height and distance on the force production and acceleration in martial arts strikes - Nov 2009
This project investigated different applications of strikes from Kung Fu practitioners that have not been addressed before in the literature. Punch and palm strikes were directly compared from different heights and distances, with the use of a load cell, accelerometers, and high speed video. (Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, Combat Sports Special Issue)
Enhanced Plasma Shortens Time Off for Injured Athletes - 12 Nov 2009
Injured athletes who have their own enriched plasma injected into their bodies are healing faster and spending less time on the bench or on the disabled list. (Newswise)
Study Pinpoints Causes of 'Runner's Knee' - 23 Nov 2009
New research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has zeroed in on what appear to be the main culprits of the condition "runners knee", formally known as patellofemoral pain syndrome. (Newswise)
Hypothermia Research May Benefit Brain Injured Athletes - 16 Nov 2009
Athletes who suffer serious or multiple concussions may benefit from ground-breaking research being conducted by scientists at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. The scientists are developing a surgical technique that involves hypothermia in specific regions of the brain. (Medical News Today)
Sports jacket proves a great fit for design prize - 19 Nov 2009
Massey University industrial design student Annabel Goslin has won an international award for a sportswear creation – an all-purpose rain jacket. (Massey University, NZ)
Oscar Pistorius' Artificial Limbs Give Him Clear, Major Advantage For Sprint Running - 19 Nov 2009
The conclusion reached by human performance experts Peter Weyand of Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Matthew Bundle of the University of Wyoming is that the artificial lower limbs of double-amputee Olympic hopeful Oscar Pistorius give him a clear and major advantage over his competition. (Medical News Today)
Active Communities
Bikes Belong study quantifies benefits of recreational road rides in America - 15 Nov 2009
A new study by Bikes Belong found that more than 1 million Americans participated in recreational road ride events in 2008. The total revenue from these approximately 1,700 events topped $240 million, with riders spending nearly $140 million on food, lodging, and other purchases. (Bikes Belong, U.S.)
Non-response bias in physical activity trend estimates - 22 Nov 2009
Increases in reported leisure time physical activity (PA) and obesity have been observed in several countries. One hypothesis for these apparently contradictory trends is differential bias in estimates over time. The purpose of this short report is to examine the potential impact of changes in response rates over time on the prevalence of adequate PA in Canadian adults. (BMC Public Health)
Physical activity patterns during pregnancy through postpartum - 19 Nov 2009
The aim of this study was to describe the mode, duration, intensity, and changes in physical activity during pregnancy through one year postpartum among a cohort of women. (BMC Women's Health)
Exercising to End of Pregnancy Is Healthy for Baby and Mother, New Study Suggests - 13 Nov 2009
Contrary to more conservative customs, exercising up to the end of pregnancy has no harmful effect on the weight or size of the foetus, new research suggests. (ScienceDaily)
Motivational Impact Of Virtual Workout Partners - 14 Nov 2009
Based on evidence people work harder with a partner than when working alone, a team of Michigan State University researchers are pairing college-age students with a virtual workout partner to study the impact on exercise trends. (Medical News Today)
Studying Ways To Use Robots To Encourage People To Be Active - 23 Nov 2009
Maja Mataric', who directs the USC Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems (CRES), will lead an effort to evaluate robots as exercise coaches for adults of all ages, with a particular focus on the elderly. (Medical News Today)
Can Playing Active Video Games Equal Moderate Intensity Exercise? - 18 Nov 2009
Active Wii sports video games and some Wii fit activities may increase adults' energy expenditure as much as moderately intense exercise, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009. (ScienceDaily)
Lifelong Exercise Keeps Seniors Young at Heart - 18 Nov 2009
Lifelong exercise helps seniors keep their hearts healthy, new research shows. The study included healthy people over age 65 without chronic diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure who were recruited from another study in which they'd been reporting their weekly physical activity for the previous 15 to 25 years. (Medline Plus)
Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women - 23 Nov 2009
Moderate-to-high intensity exercise such as jogging, swimming or tennis may help reduce stroke risk in older men but not in women, researchers report. (HealthDay News)
High-Impact Activity May Be Good for Old Bones - 14 Nov 2009
Playing high-impact sports might help boost bone mineral density in mature athletes. The findings appear in the November/December issue of Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach. (HealthDay News)
Strength training can help people with lung disease - 18 Nov 2009
People with chronic lung disease like emphysema or bronchitis can strengthen their arms and legs with resistance training, and this strength may help them perform everyday tasks more easily, a new review of 18 studies confirms. (Reuters Health)
An Ounce of Prevention - Nov 2009
Check out some of the latest fitness trends that you can be used as "medicine" by anyone with a disability. (The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability, US)
Infrastructure
Work to Start Soon on New Artificial Sportsfield - 24 Nov 2009
Wellington's sporting community can look forward to fewer cancelled games as work on another artificial turf sportsfield gets under way in Newtown next week. (Wellington City Council, NZ)
New Dargaville Pool to Open in December - 19 Nov 2009
Dargaville's new swimming pool is getting set for an official opening ceremony on Sunday 20 December 2009, and the public are invited to come along and test the waters. (Kaipara District Council, NZ)
Leading the way in urban design with Auckland's first shared space street - 11 Nov 2009
The final concept design for the upgrade of Elliott Street in Auckland's CBD has been approved by two Auckland City Council committees, for what will become Auckland's first shared space street. (Auckland City Council, NZ)
The Berry Sport and Recreation Centre's Sports Hall Wins International Architecture Award - 5 Nov 2009
A Sports Hall has won the top prize in the Sport category at this year's World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards. The jury examined a number of very impressive projects in the Sport category, eventually settling on Allen Jack + Cottier's Berry Sports Hall in Australia as the winner. (World Architecture Festival, Barcelona)
Artificial Turf is the Future Says FIFA President - 17 Nov 2009
FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter has expressed his support for artificial turf and believes that one day every country will convert to playing on synthetic surfaces. (Australasian Leisure Management)
Grey to Green: How we shift funding and skills to green our cities - Nov 2009
This publication provides fresh ideas and evidence, showing how places could be designed and managed in radically different ways to ensure urban design emcompasses green spaces for recreation and community living. (CABE)
Shaping the Future of America's Outdoor Resources - Oct 2009
This wide-ranging study, delves into the status of America's outdoor resources, the demand for recreation, and the financing of conservation, parks, and open space. (Resources for the Future, US)
Children and Cities: Planning to Grow Together (PDF) - Oct 2009
The article draws on a number of research studies, including participatory projects and studies of children's mobility (biking and walking), to highlight the importance of neighbourhood schools in terms of community life, child development and family well-being. (The Vanier Institute of the Family, Canada)
Healthy Planning Policies: A Compendium from California General Plans - 2009
A new US resource which highlights innovative examples of strategies for integrating health (including physical activity) into planning. (Public Health Law and Policy, US)
Analysis and synthesis of evidence on the effects of investment in six Cycling Demonstration Towns (PDF) - Nov 2009
This paper provides a summary of evidence on changes in cycling and physical activity in six towns following the first phase of the Cycling England/Department for Transport Cycling Demonstration Town investment programme between October 2005 and March 2009. (Cycling England)
Comparing objective measures of environmental supports for pedestrian travel in adults - 19 Nov 2009
This study examined associations between walking and local pedestrian supports (as measured with an environmental audit), comparing the results of models using three different methods to aggregate and weight pedestrian features. (International Journal of Health Geographics)
Young People
Unique Kiwi kids' cricket programme celebrates tenth anniversary - 18 Nov 2009
More than 50,000 New Zealand children have participated in a unique cricket programme over the last ten years – with many more lined up to enjoy another summer of the sport. (NZ Cricket)
Grassroots football sees World Cup windfall - 24 Nov 2009
Junior football teams around New Zealand will be the first to see benefit from New Zealand's FIFA World Cup qualification windfall with 3500 newly trained coaches for the 2010 winter season. (NZ Football)
Next generation of hot shots - Nov 2009
Tennis NSW is nurturing a new generation of 'hot shots' through its kids' starter program. "Aviva Tennis Hot Shots is Tennis Australia's official kids' program for children aged five to 12 years," says Michelle Clarke from Tennis NSW. (Sportshorts, NSW Sport and Recreation, Australia)
Young Athletes Need Dual Screening Tests for Heart Defects, Study Suggests - 15 Nov 2009
To best detect early signs of life-threatening heart defects in young athletes, screening programs should include both popular diagnostic tests, not just one of them, according to new research from heart experts at Johns Hopkins. (Newswise)
Take Action: A guide for those working towards getting children and youth more physically active (PDF) - 2009
This Canadian guide is for organisations who are working towards getting children and youth more physically active. It covers the topics of physical activity and sport participation, school, family and peers, and built environment. (ParticipACTION, Canada)
Team Sports Participation Increases Some Unhealthy Behaviors in Male Teens: Positive Associations Seen for Females - 9 Nov 2009
Contradicting what most parents might think, participation in team sports doesn't necessarily result in teenage boys adopting healthier behaviors. Instead, new research finds that it is actually associated with increased fighting and drinking. (American Public Health Association)
Students With A Lower Socioeconomic Background Benefit From Daily School Physical Activity - 18 Nov 2009
German school students - especially those with low socioeconomic status (SES) - significantly improved their exercise capacity and body leanness after a year of daily physical activity classes, according to research presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009. (Medical News Today)
Exercise important in teens' blood pressure control - 20 Nov 2009
Researchers found that among nearly 1,300 Canadian teenagers they followed for five years, declining exercise levels over time were linked to small increases in blood pressure. (Reuters Health)
Useful Weblinks
Physical Literacy in Canada
Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada), through the support of the Government of Canada, has launched a Physical Literacy in Canada website – a site that targets educators and parents to support the development of physical literacy in children and youth.
Rio 2016
This is the official website for the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games. The site contains the latest news and will be updated on a regular basis. Information is included about the city of Rio, there is a separate section for the press and there is a gallery of photographs.
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.
How to subscribe to Relay
To subscribe to this newsletter email relay@researchnz.com.
Updated | 10 Dec 2009.
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