Relay - 9 December 2009

SPARC

Sir Terry McLean Sports Journalist of the Year Award Shared - 7 Dec 2009
New Zealand's top sports journalists and photographers were recognised at the 2009 Sir Terry McLean National Sports Journalism Awards Dinner in Auckland held on 4 December. (SPARC website)

Steps taken to grow our own high-flying coaches - 2 Dec 2009
SPARC, the New Zealand Academy of Sport and New Zealand sports organisations are working together to develop our own world class coaches. (SPARC website)

High Performance Sport

MDC National Stadium to be ready by Dec 15 - 4 Dec 2009
The showpiece pitch at the historic Maj. Dhyan Chand National Stadium, renovated venue for next year's Commonwealth Games hockey competition, will be ready on December 15. (Delhi 2010)

Ottawa Celebrates 100 Days to Vancouver - 2 Dec 2009
The official 100-day marker to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games was celebrated recently in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, with a special Paralympic Sport demonstration event. (International Paralympic Committee)

Sochi 2014 Launches New Brand - 1 Dec 2009
The Sochi 2014 Organising Committee for the XXII Olympic Winter Games (Sochi 2014) recently launched its new brand, including a new emblem and tagline. (The Olympic Movement)

IOC very positive about London 2012 progress - 26 Nov 2009
The International Olympic Committee's Coordination Commission (CoCom) are 'very positive' about progress being made on the London 2012 Games after their latest visit to London. (London 2012)

London 2012 sustainability plans on track - 2 Dec 2009
London 2012 today published its updated Sustainability Plan, 'Towards a One Planet 2012', outlining the latest plans to ensure the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will set new standards in sustainability. (London 2012)

Wembley Arena to host 2012 badminton and gymnastics - 27 Nov 2009
London 2012 Olympic Organisers have agreed a deal, "in principle", for the badminton and rhythmic gymnastics to be held at Wembley Arena and prevent a 40 million pounds temporary venue being built. (Sport Business International)

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Sports Development

Winners Announced for 2009 National Maori Sports Awards - 6 Dec 2009
Rugby league star Benji Marshall (Ngai Tuhoe) is the supreme winner of the 2009 Maori Sports Awards which screened on Maori Television on Sunday December 6. Marshall beat a world-class field of finalists to take the top prize – the Albie Pryor Memorial Maori Sportsperson of the Year. (Maori Sports Awards, NZ)

All Blacks Captain McCaw named IRB Player of the Year - 29 Nov 2009
New Zealand rugby and the All Blacks have congratulated All Blacks captain Richie McCaw who was tonight named the IRB 2009 Player of the Year. (NZ Rugby Union)

Football talent Centres to hasten football's progress - 2 Dec 2009
New Zealand Football has launched a trio of National Talent Centres to speed up the progress of New Zealand teams on the world stage. (NZ Football)

Long Distance Triathlons prove popular! - 4 Dec 2009
Triathlon continues to be one of New Zealand's fastest growing sports but what is perhaps surprising is the incredible popularity of longer distance races with a number of events reporting significant growth year upon year. (Triathlon NZ)

Sports bodies urged to consider needs of migrants - 28 Nov 2009
Sports codes should consider the needs of migrants if they want to attract players and supporters, says a new report by Massey University sociologist Professor Paul Spoonley. (Massey University, NZ)

Cricket Tests Lose Popularity - 26 Nov 2009
Concerns over the sustainability of Test cricket have been raised by research which shows that only 7% of cricket followers in the sport's modern heartland, India, nominate Tests as their preferred form of the game. (Australasian Leisure Management)

Report to Sport - Oct 2009
This report outlines the direction the Australian Sports Commission is taking sport in Australia, such as significant action to drive improved alignment and cohesion in the Australian sport system. (Australian Sports Commission)

British Sports clubs weathering the storm - 30 Nov 2009
Community sports clubs are thriving despite the economic downturn, according to the biggest ever survey of sports clubs in Britain, conducted by CCPR, the umbrella body for sporting organisations in the UK. (Central Council of Physical Recreation, UK)

New legacy promise puts disabled people at the heart of London 2012 - 3 Dec 2009
The London 2012 Paralympic Games are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to challenge perceptions of disability and transform the lives of ten million disabled people across the UK, delegates at the Office for Disability Issues. (Department for Culture, Media and Sport, UK)

FEI Delays Implementation of New Proposed Prohibited Substances List to 5 April - 2 Dec 2009
The FEI has announced on 1st December, that the FEI Bureau has passed a Resolution delaying implementation of the new Equine Prohibited Substances List and the accompanying Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations until 5 April 2010. (Equestrian Sports New Zealand)

WADA Approves Harmonized Protocols and Guidelines for Athlete Biological Passport - 2 Dec 2009
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) made significant advances in strengthening the global fight against doping through additional strategies during the Agency's Executive Committee and Foundation Board Meetings held on December 1-2 in Stockholm, Sweden. (WADA)

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Sports Science, Medicine and Coaching

High Performance and Selector Appointments at Table Tennis NZ - 25 Nov 2009
Several appointments have been made in the High Performance team to positions of Selectors, Coaches, a High Performance Assistant and a Talent Scout. (Table Tennis New Zealand)

Cycling training: how to approach multi stage cycling events - 25 Nov 2009
The author of this article suggests strategies based around 'if-then plans' designed to help manage emotions for all athletes competing in multi-stage races. (Peak Performance)

Caffeine and Athletes - Nov/Dec 2009
The benefits and positive effects of caffeine are examined and compared to the negative effects of this widely used stimulant. (NSCA's Performance Training Journal)

Post Workout Recovery Nutrition: It's Not What You Digest But What You Absorb That Counts - Nov/Dec 2009
Muscle is not built and fat is not lost in the gym; these changes are made when the athlete leaves the gym by applying proper nutritional choices. Many athletes ruin their program by poorly refueling. (NSCA's Performance Training Journal)

BJSM Vancouver Olympic issue - Dec 2009
The importance of sports medicine for the Vancouver Olympic Games is one of the main topics of this special issue of British Journal of Sports Medicine. Supported by the IOC, papers included in this 2nd special issue are specifically dedicated to the athletes "Injury Prevention and Health Protection" (IPHP). (Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Norway)

Cartilage damage prior to surgery does not alter function in ACL injured knees - Dec 2009
A recently published study in the ESSKA journal "Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy", demonstrates that prior to surgery, there is no difference in the function of an ACL injured knee, either with or without cartilage damage. (Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Norway)

Timing of Surgery for Knee Injuries May Not Affect Outcomes - 1 Dec 2009
According to a new study published in the December 2009 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), patients who undergo surgery more than three weeks after a multiple ligament knee injury may have comparable outcomes to those who undergo surgery within three weeks of injury with regard to knee stability. (Newswise)

adidas "JABULANI" Official Match Ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup - 4 Dec 2009
adidas and FIFA have today presented the adidas "JABULANI", the Official Match Ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, which has been developed in partnership with academics at Loughborough University. (Loughborough University, UK)

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Active Communities

How do New Zealanders give?: 2008 update - Nov 2009
This research provides an overview of how volunteering and donation rates changed in New Zealand from 2007 to 2008. This 2008 Update highlights changes by key demographics, by different subsectors of the community and voluntary sector, and by broad urban/rural region. (Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector, NZ)

Push Play Project a Success - 4 Dec 2009
A Push Play Neighbourhood project in Rodney involving Rodney District Council and a number of partner agencies has been placed second in the 2009 New Zealand Recreation Awards. (Rodney District Council, NZ)

Active Communities Strategy Launched - 30 Nov 2009
New Zealand sport and recreation agency SPARC has joined with local partners to promote Hamilton's status as an 'active city'. (Australasian Leisure Management)

The Fairfax Media sustainable commuting project - Dec 2009
This project is an excellent example of how organisations can encourage and assist their employees to incorporate active living into their daily travel. To view further sections of this case study scroll down and select them from the left hand menu. (Premier's Council for Active Living, Australia)

Participation: Women who take part in sport and active recreation - Nov 2009
An insight factsheet that provides an analysis of English women's participation in all sport (using data from Sport England's Active People Survey 2), focusing on the various demographic characteristics that influence activity behaviour. (Women's Sport and Fitness Foundation, England)

2008 Physical Activity and Sport Monitors Bulletins - 30 Nov 2009
The first two documents from this physical activity and sport monitor have been released - "Methodology" and "Attitudes Toward Physical Activity". (Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute)

An Accelerometer-Based Earpiece to Monitor and Quantify Physical Activity - Nov 2009
This study examined whether a physical-activity-sensing earpiece (PASE) could accurately and precisely detect physical activity and measure its intensity and thence predict energy expenditure. (Computational Physiology Lab, University of Houston, US)

Long-Term Physical Activity Has an Anti-Aging Effect at the Cellular Level - 2 Dec 2009
Intensive exercise prevented shortening of telomeres, a protective effect against aging of the cardiovascular system, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. (ScienceDaily)

Study Explains How Exercise Helps Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease - 12 Dec 2009
Doctors have long considered exercise to be the single best therapy for Peripheral artery disease (PAD), and now a new study helps explain why. Published in a recent Online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the findings demonstrate that a protein called PGC-1alpha plays a key role in the process. (Newswise)

Exercise Reduces Death Rate in Prostate Cancer Patients - 7 Dec 2009
As little as 15 minutes of exercise a day can reduce overall mortality rates in patients with prostate cancer, according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference, held on the 6-9 Dec 2009. (Newswise)

Rx for Office Pains: Strength Exercises - 30 Nov 2009
Strength exercises can reduce neck and shoulder pain caused by office work, a new study claims. The study is published in the current issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. (HealthDay News)

Addressing Barriers to Exercise with Older Adults - 17 Nov 2009
When training older adults, there are barriers that fitness professionals must work to address. This article focuses on the author's personal experience working with the aging population, and one individual in particular. (The National Center on
Physical Activity and Disability, US)

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Infrastructure

World class practice nets at the Basin - 2 Dec 2009
Almost 18 months worth of planning has gone into creating brand new top class practice wickets at the Basin Reserve in Wellington and it won't be long till international and First Class teams are using them. (NZ Cricket)

Waipohatu Track Receives A Makeover - 4 Dec 2009
The Waipohatu Track received a makeover yesterday with two new walking bridges being transferred by helicopter and placed in the Waikawa Forest block of Catlins Forest Park. (Venture Southland, NZ)

Utilitarian Cycling: Investigating Latent Demand in Christchurch, New Zealand - Dec 2009
This research investigated the motivations and barriers for cycling in Christchurch. The focus was on the motivations and barriers perceived by people who do not cycle, or cycle regularly, for utility purposes. (University of Canterbury Research Repository, NZ)

Safe Routes to School State Network Project: 2007-2009 Final Report - Nov 2009
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership launched a three-year project in 2007, to make it safer and easier for children to be physically active by walking and bicycling to school. This report summarizes the progress that the Project has achieved in its three years of operation. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, US)

Realizing the Potential for Sustainable and Equitable TOD: Recommendations to the Interagency Partnership on Sustainable Communities - 18 Nov 2009
This White Paper focuses its recommendations around issues related to advancing equitable transit-oriented development. The recommendations highlighted in this white paper can also simultaneously advance related goals of improving public health, safety, environmental quality, energy security and economic development. (Reconnecting America, US)

Planning By Design: a healthy communities handbook - Fall 2009
In Canada, recognition is being given to the critical role that built environments can play in shaping the physical, psychological and social health of individuals and their communities. Attention is focusing on strategies, including land-use patterns, transportation networks, public spaces and natural systems – all factors that can promote increased physical activity among other things. (Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Canada)

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Young People

White Ferns inspire young female cricketers - 8 Dec 2009
White Ferns Sarah McGlashan, Rachel Candy and Abby Burrows hosted a training session for young female cricketers in Palmerston North yesterday. (NZ Cricket)

Grasshoppers Features Again at ASB Classic - 2 Dec 2009
ASB Classic Tournament Director Brenda Perry has confirmed that Grasshoppers will feature at the ASB Classic in 2010 with three activities taking place throughout the week. (Tennis NZ)

Couch kids: the nation's future... - 26 Nov 2009
This report shows that despite concerted efforts to get UK kids more active in recent years, a high number of young people in all four nations of the UK aren't reaching the target of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. (British Heart Foundation)

Prospective associations between objective measures of physical activity and fat mass in 12-14 year old children: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) - 26 Nov 2009
The objective of this study was to investigate associations between physical activity at age 12 and subsequent adiposity at age 14. (BMJ)

Interventions for promoting physical activity among European teenagers: a systematic review - 6 Dec 2009
While many studies have investigated the effectiveness of interventions promoting physical activity among young people, none dealt with the available evidence specific for Europe. This review was conducted to summarize the effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity among European teenagers. (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity)

Validation of a maternal questionnaire on correlates of physical activity in preschool children - 2 Dec 2009
Valid measures of physical activity correlates in preschool children are lacking. This study aimed to assess the validity, factor structure and internal consistency of a maternal questionnaire on potential correlates of four-year-old children's physical activity. (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity)

Using process evaluation for program improvement in dose, fidelity and reach: the ACT trial experience - 30 Nov 2009
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how formative program process evaluation was used to improve dose and fidelity of implementation, as well as reach of the intervention into the target population, in the "Active by Choice Today" (ACT) randomized school-based trial from years 1 to 3 of implementation. (International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity)

Sports-based Youth Development: Benefits for Girls - 2 Dec 2009
A new fact sheet which discusses trends and benefits of physical activity and sports in relation to girls. (Up2Us, US)

Young adults who exercise get higher IQ - 3 Dec 2009
Young adults who are fit have a higher IQ and are more likely to go on to university, reveals a major new study carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital. (Alpha Galileo, Europe)

Kids should get moving to avoid obesity - 27 Nov 2009
Vigorous exercise may be an especially good way to keep kids lean, but sitting around, in and of itself, doesn't appear to have a major role in making them fat, new research shows. (Reuters Health)

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Useful Weblinks

International Council for Coach Education (ICCE) Global Coach Conference, 12-15 November 2009, Vancouver
The conference was held in conjunction with the Coaching Association of Canada 2009 Petro-Canada Sport Leadership sportif conference. Presentations are available in pdf format and can be viewed on the Coaching Association of Canada 2009 Sport Leadership sportif website.

Volunteering Unleashed: Volunteering New Zealand Conference 28-29th October 2009, Wellington
Copies for most of the session papers, presentations and speeches from this conference are now available to download.

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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 | 18 Jan 2010.

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