In this Relay

• Young People
• Community Sport and Recreation
• Outdoor Recreation
• High Performance
• Organisational Capability
• Sports Science and Technology
• Off the Bench: Future of Sport
• Useful Weblinks

Young People

Football in Schools programme - 23 Feb 2015 The FIFA U-20 World Cup New Zealand 2015 is offering a Football in Schools programme for term two 2015. This is a theory-based programme that is designed to celebrate and promote New Zealand hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup and includes New Zealand curriculum-based learning and teaching resources for years 1-8. (FIFA) Good practice guidelines for sports coordinators workshop - April 2015 This is a specifically developed workshop for sports coordinators, that focuses on participants understanding that safety is a shared responsibility, the importance of effective planning, and best practice regarding staffing and supervision and emergency preparedness. (Education Outdoors NZ) Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan celebrates 500,000th lesson - 21 Mar 2015 Auckland's GAAAP (Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan) has celebrated its 500,000th lesson. A collaborative approach involving the swim and survive sector, the Regional Sports Trust Alliance and ASB Community Trust, the GAAAP has delivered free swimming lessons throughout the Auckland region over the past three years. (Australasian Leisure Management) What students want and need from a quality sporting experience - 30 Apr 2015 Auckland primary school St Mary's have taken a courageous step toward improving the culture of sport and coaching. (Sport New Zealand) British Association for Physical Education launches its 'Physical Education Declaration' - 19 Mar 2015 The Association for Physical Education, the only physical education subject association in the UK, has launched its 'Physical Education Declaration' (PDF), intended to be a 'simple and powerful message everyone could commit to and promote'. (Sport and Recreation Alliance UK) Sport for all, play for life: a playbook to get every kid in the game - 26 Jan 2015 Over the past two years, the US's Project Play has convened more than 250 thought leaders in a series of roundtables, identifying strategies that can address barriers limiting access to early sport activity. This report aggregates the eight most promising strategies. (Aspen Institute)

Community Sport and Recreation

Factors affecting knowledge-sharing within endurance-sports online communities - October 2014 (PDF) This New Zealand research investigates the motivations of non-team-specific online sports community users and the factors that influence their knowledge-sharing behaviour. (Auckland University of Technology) Are sports and physical activity communities a better way of getting people more active? - 16 Feb 2015 This British article discusses the popularity of 'informal', social networks engaging in sport, currently referred to as Sport and Physical Activity Communities (SAPACs). (Sports Marketing Network) Social media spawns new clubs - 31 Mar 2015 Sport clubs created on social media are becoming the modern way to organise sports, according to Sport Taranaki. In an update to the New Plymouth District Council monitoring committee in early March, Sport Taranaki general manager Ross Fulton spoke about a trend of sport clubs being created on Facebook. (Stuff) Fast forward 20 years - what will be different for community sports - 2015 This article addresses what sports clubs might look like 20 years from now and what roles volunteers would be asked to undertake simply for their clubs to survive. (Sports Community) Victorian women are more likely to exercise in a flexible, casual environment than commit to organised club sport, a new survey reveals - 19 Mar 2015 The survey reveals that men participate more in organised activities while more women participate in flexible, less formal types of physical activity. VicHealth is encouraging Victorians to team up to get back in the habit of being active and join activities that suit their lifestyle, via the free TeamUp app, a social network for getting active. (VicHealth) Canadian women in sport strategy unveiled - 7 Apr 2015 Canada has launched a campaign to build parity of esteem for women in sport. Fueling Women Champions (supported by Canadian dairy farmers) will bring together athletes, national governing bodies and commercial partners to raise awareness of the hurdles to equality in sport. (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity) Final report of the British Government's Women and Sport Advisory Board - 24 Mar 2015 (PDF) This report presents a final overview of the Board's work and highlights some of the progress that has been made in women's sport since summer 2013. It also provides suggestions for future action around women's sport. (GOV.UK) Optimal competition model for the Australian Women's National Basketball League - 30 Sep 2014 (PDF) The focus of this review was on the structure, administration and promotion of the WNBL, with particular emphasis on long-term sustainability and growth for the future. (Basketball Australia)

Outdoor Recreation

On track - 4 Mar 2015 A group of local government geospatial experts is building a national dataset of our country's walking and cycling tracks. This article explains what they've achieved so far and what they've learnt along the way. (NZ Local Government Magazine) Akaroa harbour lands preserved for public - 23 Apr 2015 Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced two key remnants of the native landscape of the Banks Peninsula will now be open for public access. Two properties on opposite sides of Akaroa harbour have been bought with help from the contestable Nature Heritage Fund. (DOC) Rails-to-Trails Conservancy launches digital travel magazine - 10 Apr 2015 Trail Traveller, a newly launched digital magazine from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy aims to inspire-and make it easy for recreational travellers to go exploring outdoors. (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy) Students capture NZ's 'Top Outdoor Spots' - 29 Apr 2015 The national competition invited students to send in photos, drawings and descriptions of their favourite outdoor places for display on the New Zealand Walking Access Commission's Both Sides of the Fence education website. (New Zealand Walking Access Commission) Monitor of engagement with the natural environment quarterly report: September to November 2014 - 13 Feb 2015 (PDF) This survey provides trend data on how people use the natural environment in England and shows the highest recorded level of visits for this period since recordings began. The series displays a positive trend with a gradual increase recorded every year since 2010. (GOV.UK) Venture Outdoors 2009-2014 programme highlights - 30 Jul 2014 (PDF) The aim of this Northern Irish project was to address the barriers limiting the use of the outdoors by three under-represented communities: those with a disability, those from minority ethnic communities and those living in areas of high social need. (Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland) Good green fun: visiting national parks/forests on holiday - 17 Apr 2015 Nearly one in five Aussies who took a holiday in the past year visited a national park or forest on their last trip, the latest findings from the Roy Morgan Holiday Tracking Survey reveal. (Roy Morgan Research)

High Performance

'Fever Pitch' fan hubs ready for the FIFA U-20 World Cup - 13 May 2015 When the FIFA U-20 World Cup kicks off on 30 May, spectators can be guaranteed to see some of the best footballing talent on the planet. Away from the football, the Local Organising Committee is working with Host Cities across the country to guarantee a fan experience to match what's happening on the pitch. (FIFA) Silver Ferns' power towards NWC2015 glory - 9 Apr 2015 This article looks at the role of Stephen Hotter, high performance strength and conditioning coach with the Silver Ferns, in the lead up to the Netball World Cup in August. (Netball World Cup 2015) Rio 2016 releases times for competition schedule - 9 Apr 2015 A full competition schedule (PDF), including specific session times, has been released for next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. (inside the games) UK Sport board sets future direction for high performance sport beyond Rio - 19 Mar 2015 The board of UK Sport, Britain's high performance sports agency, has undertaken a strategic review of its performance investment policy to begin to determine the way the organisation will invest in sports beyond Rio 2016. (UK Sport) Sports Tally shows Australia set to improve in Rio - 27 Apr 2015 The latest assessment of Australian sport, Sports Tally 2015 has predicted the Australian team at next year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio will perform better than it did at the London Games in 2012. (Australian Institute of Sport) Commonwealth Sports Movement sets out transformational journey to 2022 - 2 Apr 2015 A transformational blueprint which puts athletes at the heart of ambitions for growth and innovation across the Commonwealth Sporting Movement now begins a formal process of consultation. (Commonwealth Games Federation) IOC President announces ground-breaking educational service for elite athletes - 17 Apr 2015 International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has announced that the IOC will launch a free, online education service aimed specifically at Olympians, other elite athletes and their coaches. (International Olympic Committee) It's how you play the game -matching a region's priorities with the right mega-or not so mega-event - April 2014 (PDF) This report presents a framework for helping a city or region decide which event to host, based on key questions under the categories of overall readiness, venues, legacy, supporting infrastructure and intellectual capital. It explores a number of key aspects on hosting sports event, including ways in which a city or region can maximise the impact of hosting events. (PwC)

Organisational Capability

Beyond the game: issues with social media and sporting events - December 2014 (PDF) Society today is being transformed through the use of social media. While the resulting changes are typically marketed as having positive benefits on society, there is a negative side to social networking platform usage. This New Zealand conference paper presents how rumour can lead to ramifications beyond the social networking platform and can affect platform users. (AUT) Fans crucial to Phoenix wins, says data company - 23 Apr 2014 Data analysis conducted by a Wellington company has revealed just how important home town support is to the success of the Wellington Phoenix on the field. (Football Federation Australia) International sports fans can now financially motivate their favourite players and teams with FanAngel - 10 Mar 2015 A new crowdfunding site is allowing fans to pay professional athletes to achieve certain in-game challenges, and even tempt them from leaving their favourite team. (sporttechie) How augmented reality will change sports ... and build empathy - Mar 2014 (VIDEO 9 minutes) This talk looks into the future of sports and how technology will help not just players and coaches, but fans. It envisions a future in which augmented reality will help people experience sports as if they are directly on the field. (TED Talks) Transforming sports fan habits, engagement factors in the digital age - 2 Mar 2015 Sure, teams must improve ticket sales, while maintaining and expanding corporate and media partnerships. But new revenue streams must also be identified: fan engagement and loyalty must be leveraged to improve existing product sales and effectively release new ones. That's where digital and social media will play a huge role. (Sportscaster) Why the sports market must play the long game - 18 Aug 2014 Technological advances and the way fans view the game changes greatly in the span of four years, as do the fans themselves. Sports franchises, sports media and sports marketers need not only to keep up, but keep ahead of the game and think hard about the next generations of fans. (Advertising Age) Sport Management magazine - 2015 (PDF) In this edition, topics include: a digital health futurist urges sports professionals to get to grips with technology; emerging nations as the future powerhouses of global sport; England netball's grassroots growth; and the spreading popularity of quidditch. (Sport Management) The power of earned media in social images - 12 Apr 2015 Large-scale analysis of social media images to identify brand logos and gather useful information about audience and engagement is now emerging as a credible approach to earned media measurement, especially for sport sponsorship. (TechCrunch) Environmental scan 2015 - sport, fitness and recreation - 30 Apr 2015 (PDF) Service Skills Australia's scan analyses trends in the service industries and their implications for workforce development. This report highlights the pressure to adapt owing to changing demographics, increasing demand for personalised service, competition for natural resources and new technology. (Service Skills Australia)

Sports Science and Technology

UC students helping NZ athletes for the Olympics - 30 Jan 2015 University of Canterbury engineering graduates Kim Hedley and Matthew Pottinger are helping New Zealand athletes prepare for next year's Olympic Games next year with the aid of their power meter which has gained worldwide recognition. (University of Canterbury) How the Internet of Things will change the future of sport - 6 Apr 2015 The Internet of Things is essentially about sensors - tiny general purpose and specialist devices that can be used to track virtually anything that can be measured quantitatively. This article explores its possible impact on sports injury prevention. (iTWire) Recapping the sports tech news from the Stanford GSB sports innovation conference - 20 Apr 2015 The landscape of sports is changing and a new-age Darwinism is prevailing. Gone are the days of brute strength. Enter the days of intelligent strength. This article discusses some of the innovations that are happening in the sports industry. (sporttechie) Sports science is getting gnarly, dude - 14 Nov 2014 A company more traditionally associated with energy drinks has been busy making waves in the world of sports science. Red Bull recently took two top professional surfers and a team of scientists to Mexico to test a range of new performance-enhancing technologies in one of the harshest arenas possible. (CSIRO) Rowing innovation recognised at British Sports Technology Awards - 1 Apr 2015 J.A.S Product Design Services won the Sport England-sponsored Sports Technology Design Challenge, where entrants are asked to submit innovations that will help more women, young and disabled people play sport. (Sport England) Running economy: measurement, norms, and determining factors - 27 Mar 2015 (PDF) Running economy (RE) is considered an important physiological measure for endurance athletes, especially distance runners. This review considers how RE is defined and measured and physiological and biomechanical factors that determine or influence RE. (Sports Medicine- Open) Running barefoot may increase injury risk in older, more experienced athletes - 24 Mar 2015 A new study suggests that runners over the age of 30 who transition from traditional running shoes to minimalist shoes should do so cautiously to avoid injury. (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

Off the Bench: Future of Sport

Future of Sport in New Zealand - 13 Apr 2015 (PDF) Commissioned by Sport New Zealand to help sports leaders at all levels and across all codes think about the future of sport, this report looks to New Zealand's future to 2030 and the opportunities and challenges for sport. (Sport and Recreation Knowledge Library) The 'future of sport' through a digital lens - 28 Sep 2014 This slide presentation highlights how emerging technological trends and future predictions might change the New Zealand grassroots sports landscape in the not too distant future. (slideshare) Sport and climate impacts: how much heat can sport handle? - 31 Jan 2015 (PDF) Climate change and extreme weather events threaten the viability of much of Australian sport as it's currently played. This report, which includes case studies, says sports venues and heat policies must improve dramatically to protect the health of athletes at both professional and amateur level. (The Climate Institute) What the park and recreation professional of the future needs to know - 1 May 2015 This article looks back on how the park and recreation industry has evolved and speculates on what knowledge and resources a park and recreation professional will need to thrive in the coming century. (Parks & Recreation Magazine) Future Sport Project: Oakley - 14 Nov 2014 (VIDEO 6 minutes) Oakley pairs elite Australian athletes Cadel Evans, Scotty James, and Jack Robinson with leading design teams to imagineer the future of sport. What will be the next great leap in snowboarding? How will tomorrow's surfers push their sport forward? (YouTube) Reforming youth sports - 2015 (PDF) This report came out of a recent US summit and includes discussions about the future of youth sport, improving accessibility and coach competency. (LA84 Foundation) Youth Sport Trust unveils 'Class of 2035' - 5 Feb 2015 The Youth Sport Trust has launched its Class of 2035 microsite, which looks ahead to what young people's relationship with PE and school sport might look like 20 years from now. (Youth Sport Trust) International sports research: ball sports will be king - 7 Apr 2015 Ball sports are set to lead the global sports market by 2020. So says US company Persistence Market Research which reports the global sports equipment market is set to reach US$ 81,821 million in 2020. (sportslink)

Useful Weblinks

Sport New Zealand's Connections 2015 presentations This site has videos and slides from the recent Connections 2015 conference, which had the theme "walking in your customer's shoes". Sports Think Tank's Left Field Left Field is a page that intends to challenge our understanding and perceptions by getting new or different perspectives on sports policy: a place where sport can learn from other disciplines, think tanks or sectors.