Baby It’s Cold Outside…

We will see 150 competitive events in the upcoming Winter Games in February but that doesn’t cover all of the activities that are available in the winter months! Winter weather has arrived in Canada and across the country temperatures can range from +9°C to -45°C. For most of the country this means it is cold outside – freezing cold – and you have two choices stay inside or go outside and play! If you are prepared for the weather, Canada can be a winter wonderland with never-ending possibilities of things to do.

Thinking it’s too cold outside? There are so many things that can keep you toasty while enjoying the outdoors. Developments over the years have led to thermal fabrics using body moisture to generate heat to boots and gloves with heating mechanisms to keep your digits nice and warm. Try not to get too overwhelmed by all the options and don’t forget there are review guides that can help you.

You may have been skating, skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, running, snowboarding, or dog-sledding but there are other possibilities. Why not try heli-skiing, snow kiting, and ice climbing. As we ring in the New Year and recover from the holiday season why not give these new winter activity a go in 2010? Information about all of these activities and many more can be found within the SIRC library.

Keep reading because there will be much more featured on winter fun in the upcoming months!

At SIRC You Learn Something New Every Day!

The SIRC Collection receives new publications everyday and it is always exciting to see what new research and fun facts are being published. It is very common to hear one of the SIRC Staff start a sentence with “Did you know…” As we come to the end of 2009 here are a few items that have completed the “Did you know…” sentence.

• About 25% of athletic trainers use pickle juice to treat muscle cramps. Some report, that 1 to 2oz (30-6- mL) of pickle juice relieves cramps within 35 seconds. The mechanism is illusive because rapid relief must mean that pickle juice empties from the stomach very quickly, yet a gastric-emptying study with pickle juice indicates it empties very slowly from the stomach.


• Simply rinsing the mouth with sports drink helps runners run faster. After an overnight fast (13-15h without food) and before and during a 1-hour run, 10 trained runners rinsed their mouth for 5 seconds with a sports drink, and then spit it out. With the sports drink mouth rinse; they were able to run 365 meters longer during the hour.


• A study of 634 nutrition supplements indicated that about 15% contained a banned substance, even though the supplement came from a factory that did not manufacture the banned substances (i.e. steroids, ephedrine). The products most likely to be contaminated with illegal compounds include bodybuilding supplements and weight loss products.

If you liked these did you knows make sure that you check out the SIRC Newsletters! Not only do they have a Did you know … section but they contain many interesting articles from the SIRC Collection.

A Holiday Poem

‘Twas the night before the holidays, in SIRC’s library stacks,
There were little librarians, shelving books back .
Books on conditioning, rowing, anatomy and wakeboarding,
Fitness, performance, skiing and snowboarding.

When out at the reference desk they heard such a clatter,
They ran out from the stacks, to see what was a matter.
It was Debra, the CEO, with journals galore,
Her arms were so full, they had fallen to the floor.

Sport Science, Sport Management, and the Sport Law Review,
Managing Leisure, Soccer & Society just to name a few.
Referee, WakeSports Canada and Swim News,
Were all over the floor and covering her shoes.

Debra had been reading, scanning the latest sports news,
Picking out key articles that SIRC’s members could use.
All the SIRC librarians read and scan journals everyday,
To make sure SIRC members are informed in every way.

SIRC’s doors may be closed during the holiday break,
But those little librarians, no rest they take.
Look to our website, blogs, twitters and feeds,
For all of your sport information needs.

May sport be the bond that continue to unite.
Happy holidays to all and to all a good night.

SIRC Holiday Hours
The SIRC office will be closed on Thursday December 24, 2009 at 12:00pm and re-open on Monday January 4, 2010 for the holiday season.

Fermeture du SIRC durant le temps des Fêtes
Le bureau du SIRC sera fermé durant le temps des Fêtes du jeudi le 24 décembre 2009 à midi au dimanche 3 janvier 2010 inclusivement.

What’s the fastest growing sport in North America?

According to SGMA’s (Sport Goods Manufacturing Association) Annual Report, Ultimate is the fastest growing sport with a 20% increase in participation from 2008. With over 1 million people playing Ultimate at least 25 times per year. Here in Canada, Ultimate Canada Magazine reports that there are over 30,000 league players registered.

First a little history: In the 1920s, Yale undergrads would toss around the pie tins from the bakery of William Russell Frisbie after they had consumed the pies. Then in the 1950s the Wham-O Inc. Toy Company created the Pluto Platter which was later renamed Frisbee in 1957. The game of Ultimate Frisbee was created by high school students in 1967, and then in 1972 the first intercollegiate game was played between Princeton and Rutgers. Now the U.S. college championships are broadcasted by CBC Sports.

In Canada, Ultimate is played within the elementary, secondary, college and university systems as well as recreationally in many cities throughout the country. A great example of how this sport has grown in Canada is the Ontario Disc Sports Association (ODSA), since its inception in 2005 ODSA has focused on grassroots outreach programs which have reached over 30,000 youth throughout the elementary and secondary school systems. When the ODSA first began there was only 4 member clubs representing 275 players, today there are 30 member clubs representing over 11,000 players, a very significant growth in just 4 years.

The ODSA has just recently become a SIRC member! The resources SIRC has to offer will be a great benefit to this growing sport and Provincial Sport Organization. Some examples of recent SIRC content on disc sport include:

Kerins, Andrew J.; Scott, David; Shafer, C. Scott, Evaluating the Efficacy of a Self-classification Measure of Recreation Specialization in the Context of Ultimate Frisbee. Journal of Park & Recreation Administration Fall 2007, Vol. 25 Issue 3, p1.

Johnson, Tyler, G.; Darst, Paul W.; Brusseau, Timothy A., "Got Disc?" The "Ultimate" Experience in Physical Education. JOPERD: The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance Nov/Dec 2006: Vol. 77 Issue 9. p. 27-33

Smith, Matthew, Schools. Physical Education Matters Summer 2008, Vol. 3 Issue 2, p27.

Ultimate drills: the go-to drill. Ottawa Outdoors Spring 2003: p. 45.

Bethea, Charles, Ultimate Frisbee (a brief history). Outside Jul2008, Vol. 33 Issue 7, p24 1/4p.

Sit-up Straight!

Ever find yourself hunched over your computer at work with back pain or rubbing the back of your shoulders or neck to get rid of the knot in your muscle? Many of us suffer from the pains of poor posture at the computer workstation. Those that use computers for more than 5 hours a day can be more than twice as likely to have back problems as those that don’t. These problems could be prevented by an ergonomically correct set-up at your station which aids in proper alignment. If you are looking to improve your posture or to give your tired muscles a break, try some work-based posture exercises for relief.

A great article in the SIRC Collection that will help you set up your workstation and gives you some posture exercises is:

• Desk Posture. SportEx Medicine. Issue 41 (July 2009), p.17-19.

And for those of you who are looking to create a happier and healthier work environment, remember that research from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has shown that workers are more productive and work better with others after an exercise break. So get up off those chairs and start moving!

SIRC Newsletter - Healthy Holidays!

Check out the latest SIRC Newsletter -Healthy Holidays!

For 11 months of the year we watch what we eat and stick to our exercise routine. Then the holiday season rolls around and the wheels fall off. Tempted by wonderful goodies every time you turn around and overloaded by a hectic holiday schedule it is easy to let your healthy habits slip, overindulge, neglect your workouts and become stressed. But with a little moderation, organization and motivation it is easy to keep on track and have a healthy, active holiday season straight through to the New Year!

http://www.sirc.ca/newsletters/december09/index.html

GPS Not Just For Your Car Anymore!

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace these days and there are applications available for almost everything. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are now considered standard equipment in cars and vehicles to help you get where you are going.

Recently, SIRC has discovered that more and more journals in the SIRC Collection are including articles on ways to use a GPS to help you in your sport and fitness training. From running, skiing, cycling, and walking to rowing, soccer and tennis, a GPS can provide a multitude of information to coaches and athletes to improve their training.

A GPS can help you:

• track speed and distance
• track an athlete in team sport
• simulate a race course
• even monitor heart rate when connected to other applications

These are only a few of the ways a GPS and technology in general can help you in your training. There are more innovative ways to use technology to push the envelope and achieve your next personal best.

Check out the following resources to help jump start your GPS training :

• GPS Applications in Sport
• Athletic Sports and GPS
• Get Back in Shape With GPS for Fitness and Training

Be sure to visit SIRC for even more great resources on GPS and training.

SIRC@Sport4Ontario Wins Congeniality Award in SAO’s Torch Competition

Tenants of the Sport Alliance of Ontario building honoured the upcoming Olympics on Thursday with a special celebration. Three tenants of the building will be torch bearers in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Organizers thought it would be great to bring the Olympic Spirit to the Provincial Sport Organizations. Part of the celebration involved a “design your own torch” competition. SIRC and Sport4Ontario decided to participate in a unique way. Using resources from the SIRC collection, SIRC@Sport4Ontario was able to design a torch that both celebrated the event and the torchbearers from the building. James Worrall was the flag bearer in the 1936 Olympics. SIRC’s entry incorporated pictures from the 1936 Olympics as well as a picture of James carrying the flag. The same was also accomplished for Torch Bearer John Craig; giving SIRC’s entry a personal touch. SIRC was pleased to win the Congeniality award for our torch!

Social Media: How do you choose?

Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, YouTube, Widgetbox, MySpace, Picasa, Hipcast, Google Video, Meebo, Gabby, 30Boxes … The list goes on!

Social media is here to stay. With so many choices it can be difficult to figure out what type of social media to tap into. Aspects of social media pepper the literature that passes through the SIRC Collection, examples include:
• Lessons in social media
• Guidelines for sports officials posting on Twitter
• YouTube views during the Beijing Games
• Keeping your members informed through social media
• Marketing your organization, meetings and events
• Putting competition videos on YouTube
• Official team and event blogs
• Using the web as a tool in teaching health and physical education
• Relationship between journalists and bloggers

For the most part blogs (Blogger/Typepad), Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn and YouTube seem to be the essentials. If you are looking for information on how to incorporate them into your organization and/or is it out there!

What you are reading right now is a blog and is part of the Blogosphere. If blogging is where you would like to start check out the following resources to get you started:

Definition: Blog -Wondering that a blog is? Personal blogs, corporate blogs, search engines, advertising and more are summed up in this definition.

Digging Deeper: Your Guide to Blogging -Provides a quick overview of a blog touching on common elements, how to blog, getting your blog noticed and searching for blogs.

Technorati: Blogging Central -Everything that you may need to know and more on blogging. Today’s leading story is Top Ten Tactics for Driving Blog Traffic.

Check out SIRC's other social media sites:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube (coming soon)

Did you know … SIRC has a regional office in Toronto? You can check books out of the Ottawa and Toronto locations if you are a member of SIRC?

Recently SIRC and SPORT4ONTARIO hosted an Open House at our NEW regional office in Toronto. After consulting with Amanda Street-Bishop, the Information Specialist at the SIRC@SPORT4ONTARIO Office, Nancy Rebel and Brandie Adams brought over 400 books, journals and DVDs from the SIRC Collection to the Toronto office for people to browse through. The event was fantastic! Numerous sport groups in the GTA attended the event to find out about SIRC services and to help choose what they would like included in the SIRC@SPORT4ONTARIO Library. Debra Gassewitz, president and CEO of SIRC, gave a brief presentation and then launched the new Check Out service.

SIRC members in Ottawa and the GTA are now able to borrow SIRC resources on a weekly basis. Currently there are over fifty publications being circulated on nutrition, team building, officiating, mental training, administration, coaching, strength training, leisure management and more. Popular books include:

o Successful Sports Officiating: fundamentals for all officials.
o The Women's Basketball Drill Book: More than 180 drills from the game's top coaches.
o Speed for Sports Performance (DVD)
o Complete Conditioning for Tennis.

SIRC is looking forward to organizing other events in the future. Stay tuned to see what we’re hosting next!!

Also, as a new feature to our blog entries, SIRC is excited to let you know about new titles that have recently been added to the SIRC Collection:

o Actively Engaged: A Policy on Sport for Women and Girls. (Canadian Heritage)
o Rock Climbing. (Human Kinetics)
o Softball Coaching Development Program Level 3. National Coaching Certification Program. (Softball Canada)

SIRC and the Centre for Sport and Law announce partnership

The Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) and the Centre for Sport and Law (CSL) have joined forces to offer quality and relevant educational programming to Canadian sport administrators. Topics for the 2010 calendar year include practical and expert-driven advice on management issues including strength-based planning, risk management, dispute resolution, intellectual property, and social media.

“As SIRC continues to focus on connecting sport leaders with helpful and relevant resources, we are pleased to announce a partnership that will see us collaborating to provide professional development opportunities for sport leaders at our office in Ottawa and our new satellite location in Toronto,” said Debra Gassewitz, President and CEO of SIRC.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with SIRC in offering relevant and practical workshops and seminars that sport administrators can apply immediately as they manage issues, seize opportunities, and navigate their ever-changing and complex external environments,” stated Rachel Corbett, one of the founding partners of the CSL.

This partnership emerged out of the positive experience both organizations had when collaborating on two unique workshops in 2008 – “Preparing for Beijing: Are You Dispute Ready?” in April of that year, and “Not Your Normal Risk Management Workshop” in June. Registration for the 2010 workshops will begin in December and will be coordinated online via SIRC. The partnership will see four to six workshops offered per year at each location, on leading–edge topics relevant to sport administrators.

For more information, please contact Dina Bell-Laroche at 613-591-1246 or 613-294-4118 or Kim Sparling at 613-231-7472