Early Sport Specialization

Popular culture pushes the idea that to succeed at sports, children need to know at a very early age what sport they want to commit themselves to for the rest of their lives in order to get that future scholarship or to reach the professional ranks. While there are a few athletes that have benefited from early specialization , there are more studies coming out that show that it doesn't...Read more

International Olympic Day - June 23

Join the hundreds of thousands of people around the world on June 23 to celebrate Olympic Day! Olympic Day is not only a celebration, but an international effort to promote fitness and well-being in sport for everyone across the globe regardless of their age, gender or athletic ability. Due to WWII, the Olympic Games had not been held in 1940 or 1944 so the city of London rose to host the XIV...Read more

Soccer Fever!

If there is one event that is capturing the world's attention right now it is the Euro2012 Soccer Championships! Fast, furious and very-very action packed, this game has it all. While watching these elite athletes on the field, it's easy to forget that they were children once, testing out their mettle on their hometown field. What are Small-Sided Games? Small-sided games (SSG) are any games...Read more

Forever Young

/*--> */ As we all get older, age starts to take a toll on our bodies. For most of us this is a pessimistic outlook that we do not want, therefore we need to take action. Quality of life is just as important as quantity, training is necessary for health and longevity. Exercise suggestions: When going to the gym, a workout should not be focused on a specific area of the body. Most people that work...Read more

Start2Finish Battles Child Poverty

“ Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution refers to being unable to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.” (Wikipedia) What is most troubling about poverty is that as Canadians we think that poverty refers to other people in...Read more

Is Breakfast for Champions?

Breakfast. Yup, it’s still the most important meal of the day. Nothing has changed. And no matter how many days, years and decades we hear this message, there is still a very large segment of the population who runs out the door each day without it! Even elite athletes! Apparently, the culprit is “time.” Everyone blames “time.” The literal meaning of “breakfast” is to “break a fast”. This mini-...Read more

Active Kids ... It's No Coincidence!

Is it more than a coincidence that Active Healthy Kids Canada released the 2011 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth during the same week that Montreal is hosting the Canadian National Obesity Summit ? If you grew up before the advent of technology, the thought that you or your children would only be getting 14 minutes of play time after school between 3pm and 6pm would seem...Read more

Newcomers and Physical Activity

Part of being Canadian means not only engaging in a healthy life style, but participating in some sort of physical activity. And there is no better place to do this than the vast and great outdoors of this country. There are parts of Canada that literally beg you to be outside, while there are others where the scenery may be more of the concrete persuasion, but the experience and outcome can...Read more

Aboriginal Youth Unite This Week in Prince Rupert, B.C.

The 9th Annual Aboriginal Youth Conference called “ Gathering Our Voices 2011 ” is currently taking place this week in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. This is an excellent opportunity to promote healthy living in Aboriginal communities as well as to provide education to Aboriginal youth on many important topics. Hosted by the British Columbia Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres , the...Read more

Adaptive Sports Expand Opportunities

Awareness for sports participation for persons with a disability is definitely on the rise, and there are many centres with adaptive sports programs currently being run across Canada, as well as the United States. Whether it be kayaking, hand cycling, skiing or snowboarding, these programs encourage persons with a disability to discover new abilities and confidence through sports participation...Read more