NZ boost for high performance sport

Govt Boost for High Performance Sport@SPARC

The Government has today announced a major re-shaping and expansion of high performance sport in New Zealand. Minister for Sport and Recreation, Murray McCully, says the aim is to ensure that New Zealand is consistently one of the most successful sporting nations in the world.

Key features of the changes announced today by Prime Minister John Key and Minister for Sport and Recreation, Murray McCully are:

-The most significant funding injection into high performance sport in New Zealand, amounting to new Budget funding of $10 million in 2010/11, $15 million in 2011/12, and $20 million annually after that. By the 2012/13 year, total funding for high performance sport will be over $60 million annually, compared to the current annual allocation of $42 million;
- $15 million injection from Lottery Grants Board reserves, of which $10 million has already been received by SPARC, which will contribute towards high performance infrastructure development;
The establishment of a new High Performance Institute as a separate entity within SPARC, charged with overseeing government investment into world class sporting facilities and delivery of athlete support, with a distinct high performance culture of excellence;
- $40 million expansion of the Millennium Institute (into which the Government will invest $15 million) which is currently the home of the North Island Academy of Sport and the majority of our top athletes, and will become the National Training Centre for High Performance Sport;
-Plans for a further $40 million development of a network of satellite high performance facilities (to which the Government will make key cornerstone contributions) at QEII in Christchurch, the home of the South Island Academy of Sport; rowing and canoe racing high performance centres at Lake Karapiro; a centre for sailing, triathlon, and ocean kayaking at Takapuna; a new high performance centre for cycling; and regional Academy feeders in Wellington and Dunedin;
- significant boost to supporting our best athletes with direct funding, by retaining and recruiting top coaches, providing world class sports science and medicine services through the two Academies of Sport, and through innovation and technology that will give our athletes a competitive advantage on the world stage.

S'pore will be represented in all 26 sports at upcoming YOG

S'pore will be represented in all 26 sports at upcoming YOG@CNA

Singapore will be represented in all 26 sports at the upcoming Youth Olympic Games.

The selectors said the remaining five slots have been awarded and the republic will field a 130-strong contingent.

YOG social networking platform

YOG social networking site 'WhyOhGee' launched@CNA

SINGAPORE: A social networking platform for youths around the world to celebrate the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was launched Tuesday.

The WhyOhGee Community (www.singapore2010.sg/community) complements the WhyOhGee microsite (www.singapore2010.sg/whyohgee) that features multimedia content produced by young people for young people, and connects youths globally through the digital media.

The beta site was introduced eight months ago and currently has more than 10,000 registered users.

If you do not speak the same language as the other users in your group, the chat function on WhyOhGee Community translates their messages for you.

Visitors on the WhyOhGee microsite can also discuss the content featured on the WhyOhGee Community forums, as well as start discussions on topics of their own.

There will be a section soon to feature athletes who have signed up for profiles on the WhyOhGee Community.

This will allow users to follow what these YOG hopefuls are doing through their updates and allow them to send them personal messages of support.

Meanwhile, Sing! Singapore 2010 finalists performed to a lunch-time crowd at Lau Pa Sat at the central business district on Tuesday, in celebration of the upcoming YOG.

The performance is part of the Youth Outreach Initiative to bring the excitement of the inaugural games to more young working adults.

An album "Voices of Singapore 2010: In Celebration of Youth Olympic Games" will also be launched soon.

The initiative is supported by the National Youth Council.

ICPESS 10 conference review

From 25th to 28th May 2010, III International Conference of Physical Education and Sports Science 2010 (ICPESS): Youth in Physical Education and Sport was held at National Institute of Education, Singapore.

There were more than 1200 participants from over 30 countries. I have presented 2 oral presentations and 2 poster presentations:

symposium (Optimization of athletic performance in childhood): The optimization of aerobic fitness in childhood
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

ICPESS optimisation of aerobic fitness in childhood

View more presentations from Taisuke Kinugasa.

special interest group (Singapore Sports School): Sports science: empowering athletes, enhancing performance
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

ICPESS SSP sports sci intro

View more presentations from Taisuke Kinugasa.

poster 1: Effects of Ramadan fasting on physical performance and psychological characteristics in youth soccer players
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

ICPESS ramadan poster 10

View more documents from Taisuke Kinugasa.

poster 2: . Relative age effect in Singapore Sports School
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

ICPESS relative age effect in SSP 10

View more documents from Taisuke Kinugasa.

It was good to catch up with friends and colleagues at the conference. I also showed Japanese visitors around our school. Thanks all.

Singapore satellite centres for sports development

Govt spending S$2.5m on sports satellite centres for youths@CNA

The government is spending S$2.5 million on new satellite centres for sports development, especially for sports featured in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in August.

The YOG will be held over two weeks, but organisers hope it will leave a lasting legacy.

So the authorities are establishing satellite centres that will feature sports from the YOG.

Teo Ser Luck, co-chairman, Singapore Youth Sports Development Committee, said: "These satellite centres will be able to give a chance to all the young people to learn the different sports of their interests, of their passion.

"It does not matter if they are not in the school team today; they will still get a chance to play and to learn the sport and they will do it regularly."

The centres will be introduced in phases.

The first four - for sailing, wrestling, badminton and basketball - will start operations next month.

For more information on programmes offered at the Satellite Centres for Sports Development, visit http://www.singaporesports.sg/SCSD.

The others may be opened by the end of next year.

Singapore PE and sports development framework

An Inclusive Approach to Physical Education and Sports Development@MOE

The Framework highlights MOE’s inclusive approach to PE and sports development — to develop opportunities for all students to develop their potential to the fullest; to engender a vibrant sports culture and develop talent for the nation. The three-prongs of the framework are as follows:

“Mass Participation Programmes” aim to inculcate in students the knowledge, skills and attitudes for games and sports to enable them to lead a healthy lifestyle even after they leave school. These include the PE programme, individual school programmes and the Sports Education Programme (SEP) co-funded by MOE and the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), which are conducted at the school level.

“Specialised Sports Programmes” aim to develop advocates, leaders and organisers of sports. Students who have benefited from these programmes would have sufficient exposure to develop an interest in becoming teachers-in-charge of Sports CCAs, PE teachers, coaches, sports administrators, lecturers, sports scientists and sports patrons. The programmes include sports co-curricular activities (CCA), intra- and inter-school competitions at the school level as well as zonal programmes organised by Centres of Excellence (COEs) for the respective sports.

“Talent Development Programmes” strive to develop young sports talents and create a pipeline of athletes to represent the nation. Students in these programmes have the potential to be national and/ or professional athletes, coaches, PE teachers, sports administrators, lecturers or sports scientists in the future. Currently, talented student athletes are selected for training in Junior Sports Academies, Youth Sports Academies and the Singapore Schools Sports Teams squads, which are run with coaching input from the National Sports Associations.

3Underpinning PE and Sports development in schools are these beliefs:

PE and sports contribute towards developing psychomotor skills, health and fitness, as well as a lifelong orientation towards managing one’s health and well-being.

BOA Athlete Career Programme

BOA LAUNCHES ATHLETE CAREER PROGRAMME@BOA

The programme will be delivered in cooperation with the established networks of Performance Lifestyle in the Home Country Sports Institutes (HCSIs), and the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust (DKH Legacy Trust), which focus on giving athletes the skills and training needed to allow them to take up the employment opportunities available through the networks.


The BOA Athlete Career Programme will:

• Provide placement support for athletes, through the extensive network of the Adecco group in the UK. A pilot has been started, and a number of athletes have been successfully placed.

• For example - Craig Figes, GB Men’s Water Polo Captain: Late last year, Craig Figes was contemplating whether he could afford to stay on the GB Water Polo programme. He was working part-time as a geography teacher at Manchester Grammar School and, with no Lottery Award at that time, was struggling to make ends meet. Craig worked closely with David Platt, his Performance Lifestyle Adviser, to try and identify other employment opportunities in Manchester that might fit in with his training and teaching schedule. The pilot scheme with Adecco came at the perfect time and the proactive work by the Manchester Adecco branch led to Craig joining the Environmental Division of Bruntwood in less than six weeks. Craig commented that “all in all, the experience has been a very positive one. Adecco helped immensely and the placement with Bruntwood has enabled me to get through a tough financial period and, most-importantly, stay on the GB Water Polo team and continue to pursue my Olympic dream.”

• Following the London 2012 Olympic Games, a series of workshops and an Athlete Career Fair will be provided to enable those retiring following London 2012 to focus on competing until the Games, and be properly supported afterwards in their transition.

• Provide access to the Adecco suite of over 6,000 online training courses, on topics such as presentation skills, project management and computer software programmes. Career workshops will also be run to help athletes start planning for their career after sport.

• Give athletes needing to train abroad access to the international support network of the IOC Athlete Career Programme provided by Adecco, through the BOA Passport Scheme.

Sports Sci J@Mar-May10

This is the latest sports science journal update.

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Mar-May10

Long term athlete development
Expert Performance in Sport and the Dynamics of Talent Development. SM

Talent Development in Adolescent Team Sports: A Review. IJSPP

The Role of Psychological Characteristics in Facilitating the Pathway to Elite Performance. Part 1. SP. Part 2. SP

Developmental changes in cognitive reaction time of children aged 6–12 years. EJSS

Gender Differences in Motor Skill Proficiency From Childhood to Adolescence: A Longitudinal Study. RQES

Continuous vs. Interval Aerobic Training in 8- to 11-Year-Old Children. JSCR

Soccer Endurance Development in Professionals. IJSM

Motor fitness in Dutch youth: Differences over a 26-year period (1980–2006). JSMS

Correspondences between continuous and intermittent exercises intensities in healthy prepubescent children. EJAP

Influence of birth quarter on the rate of physical activities and sports participation. JSS

Elite Athletes: Are the Genes the Champions? IJSPP

Advances in Exercise, Fitness, and Performance Genomics. MSSE

Maturity Status and Injury Risk in Youth Soccer Players. CJSM

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. JSS (book review)

Performance enhancement
New Horizons for the Methodology and Physiology of Training Periodization. SM

A Biomechanical Evaluation of Resistance: Fundamental Concepts for Training and Sports Performance. SM

On the role of imagery modalities on motor learning. JSS

Kinematic and Kinetic Comparisons of Elite and Well-Trained Sprinters During Sprint Start. JSCR

Body roll in swimming: A review. JSS

Does Breathing Disturb Coordination in Butterfly? IJSM

Characterising the slope of the distance–time relationship in swimming. JSMS

Energetics and biomechanics as determining factors of swimming performance: Updating the state of the art. JSMS

An analysis of practice activities and instructional behaviours used by youth soccer coaches during practice: Exploring the link between science and application. JSS

Effect of playing tactics on goal scoring in Norwegian professional soccer. JSS

Match-to-Match Variability of High-Speed Activities in Premier League Soccer. IJSM

Activity Profile in Elite Italian Soccer Team. IJSM

Physiological Responses and Characteristics of Table Tennis Matches Determined in Official Tournaments. JSCR

The importance of being elastic: Deflection of a badminton racket during a stroke. JSS

Automated processes in tennis: Do left-handed players benefit from the tactical preferences of their opponents? JSS

Combining Hypoxic Methods for Peak Performance. SM

Sleep quality in athletes under normobaric hypoxia equivalent to 1500 m altitude: A polysomnographic study. EJSS

Ice Slurry Ingestion Increases Core Temperature Capacity and Running Time in the Heat. MSSE

Influence of Mouth Rinsing a Carbohydrate Solution on 1-h Running Performance. MSSE

Guidelines for Glycerol Use in Hyperhydration and Rehydration Associated with Exercise. SM

Glycaemic Index, Glycaemic Load and Exercise Performance. SM

Glycemic Index and Endurance Performance. IJSNEM

BJSM reviews: A–Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 6. BJSM Part 7. BJSM

Nutritional supplementation habits and perceptions of elite athletes within a state-based sporting institute. JSMS

Human Hydration Indices: Acute and Longitudinal Reference Value. IJSNEM

Influence of Beverage Temperature on Exercise Performance in the Heat: A Systematic Review. IJSNEM

Effects of Post-Exercise Recovery Interventions on Physiological, Psychological, and Performance Parameters. IJSM

What is the biochemical and physiological rationale for using cold-water immersion in sports recovery? A systematic review. BJSM

The Effect of Prior Endurance Training on Nap Sleep Patterns. IJSPP

Fitness and Exercise as Correlates of Sleep Complaints: Is It All in Our Minds? MSSE

The Effects of Precompetition Massage on the Kinematic Parameters of 20-m Sprint Performance. JSCR

Effects of a Whole Body Compression Garment on Markers of Recovery After a Heavy Resistance Workout in Men and Women. JSCR

Mental toughness profiles and their relations with achievement goals and sport motivation in adolescent Australian footballers. JSS

Analysis of a reactive agility field test. JSMS

Being an Elite Sports Scientist: A Balancing Act? IJSPP

Injury prevention and management
Neuromuscular Training for Sports Injury Prevention: A Systematic Review. MSSE

To stretch or not to stretch: the role of stretching in injury prevention and performance. SJMSS

Does motor imagery enhance stretching and flexibility? JSS

Pilates for Improvement of Muscle Endurance, Flexibility, Balance, and Posture. JSCR

Altered oxidative stress in overtrained athletes. JSS

Low vagal tone is associated with impaired post stress recovery of cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune markers. EJAP

Match Injuries in Professional Soccer: Inter-Seasonal Variation and Effects of Competition Type, Match Congestion and Positional Role. IJSM

The effects of an exercise intervention on forward head and rounded shoulder postures in elite swimmers. BJSM

Funky treatments in elite sports people: do they just buy rehabilitation time? BJSM

Technology development
GPS Analysis of Elite Women's Field Hockey Training and Competition. JSCR

The validity and reliability of a global positioning satellite system device to assess speed and repeated sprint ability (RSA) in athletes. JSMS

Kinanthropometry and body composition: A natural home for three-dimensional photonic scanning. JSS

Polar Activity Watch 200: a new device to accurately assess energy expenditure. BJSM

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AUS pathway to success

Australian Sport: The Pathway to Success@AUS Health Gov

On 11 May 2010, the Government released its new sport policy paper entitled Australian Sport: The pathway to success, which includes its response to the Independent Sport Panel Report.

The policy seeks to deliver on three key goals for the Australian sport system: increasing participation numbers, strengthening sporting pathways and striving for success.

AUS budget 2010

Coates welcomes funding boost but warns, work smarter@AOC

AOC President John Coates has welcomed the allocation of $195m to sport in the Federal Budget and has urged the Olympic sports to work together to save costs as they plan for the London Olympics in 2012.

Coates also backed the Government initiative to provide more money for talent identification.

Six more Junior Sports Academies in Singapore

Six more Junior Sports Academies launched to develop young sporting talents@CNA

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced another six new Junior Sports Academies (JSAs) to develop young sporting talents in Singapore.

Two new sports – Artistic Gymnastics and Bowling have been introduced with the new JSAs at Hwa Chong Institute (Artistic Gymnastics), Rosyth School (Badminton), Singapore Sports School (Bowling), Victoria School (Soccer), Ai Tong School (Table Tennis) and Cedar Girls’ Secondary School (Track & Field).

Singapore Olympic Pathway Programme (OPP) budget

$1 million each, for Olympic glory@CNA

SINGAPORE: The national women's table tennis team ended 48 years of hurt when they won silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In a bid to win Singapore's first individual medal since weightlifter Tan Howe Liang finished second at the Rome Olympics in 1960, the six athletes currently in the Olympic Pathway Programme (OPP) will be funded to the tune of approximately $1 million each.

"With so much money pumped in, we are targeting an individual medal at the 2012 London Games," said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Teo Ser Luck on Thursday.

Mr Teo was speaking on the sidelines of the Singapore Youth Sports Development (SYSD) committee visit of the Youth Olympics badminton squad at the Singapore Sports School.

He added: "The amount for the OPP is one of the highest in support of our Olympic athletes. We will build an eco-system and athletes can hire the best coaches, therapists and psychologists, and this will help benefit the teammates and sport."

Paddlers Feng Tianwei, Sun Beibei, Wang Yuegu and Yu Mengyu, swimmer Tao Li and shooter Jasmine Ser joined the OPP last year.

Funding for the programme, which right now is at $6.3 million, is from the Tote Board and MCYS. Selection for the programme is based on criteria such as an athlete's world ranking and results at major international meets.

A steering committee led by Mr Teo oversee the OPP, assisted by three sub-committees in the areas of athlete identification, training and development, and sports medicine and sports science support.

A joint management team comprising a representative from the respective national sports association (NSA), coach and an official from the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) will manage the fund for each athlete. They will monitor his or her progress on a regular basis.

Regular performance reviews will be submitted to the training and development sub-committee.

On Tuesday, the SSC revealed that a total of $50.22 million will be distributed to 63 NSAs for FY2010, a 6.9-per-cent increase from last year.

Last month, the Singapore National Olympic Council revealed that Olympic-bound athletes would received additional support from a new scheme, the Singapore Olympic Foundation, which aims to raise between $5 million and $10 million from companies to support the development of young athletes.

Said Mr Teo: "The OPP will add to the annual funding that SSC gives out, along with the Singapore Olympic Foundation."

The planned Singapore Sports Institute, which will be located at the $1.87-billion Sports Hub at Kallang and is expected to be ready by early 2014 at the latest, is expected to take over the running of the OPP by 2016.

The current Olympic programme follows the success of Project 0812, a $7-million government-led initiative to help Team Singapore attain medal success at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

The women's table tennis team of Li Jiawei, Wang and Feng clearly benefited when they returned home with a silver in 2008.

Swimmer Tao Li, who made a splash at the 2008 Games after finishing fifth in the women's 100m butterfly final, is already gearing up for the battle in 2012.

"This is very good news and it'll definitely help me ... I will grab this opportunity and I hope to help Singapore reap the rewards in London,'' she told MediaCorp.

Also on the radar for the OPP are the athletes from August's Youth Olympic Games, with Mr Teo saying potential talent in sports like swimming, sailing and shooting could be added to the programme in the future.

Singapore Sports Council multi-year funding strategy

Sports Council starts multi-year funding so sports associations can plan for long term@CNA

SINGAPORE: More than S$50 million will be disbursed to National Sports Associations this year and for the first time, multi-year funding will be introduced so that NSAs can better plan for the long term.

33 NSAs will be given funds for a two to three period starting this fiscal year.

They include bowling, sailing, swimming and table tennis.

By the end of this year, all NSAs are to register as charities, if they are to get their funding from the Singapore Sports Council.

Singapore multi-year funding for National Sports Associations

SINGAPORE SPORTS COUNCIL BEGINS MULTI-YEAR FUNDING TO NATIONAL SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS@SSC

Singapore, 6 April 2010 - As part of its Annual National Sports Association Grant Exercise (ANGE) for Financial Year (FY) 2010, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) announced today that 33 National Sports Associations (NSAs) are given in-principle approval for multi-year grants, ranging between two to three years. This announcement follows the SSC's call in September 2009 for NSAs to have foresight and adopt multi-year planning that focuses on medium to long-term strategies. This is the first time that the SSC is granting multi-year funding to NSAs.

2 Commenting on the introduction of multi-year funding for the NSAs, SSC's Chief Executive Officer Oon Jin Teik said, "Sporting success takes years to build and will require multi-year planning. Hence, it is vital that NSAs plan beyond their annual cycle and take a more holistic perspective to grow and develop their sports. The SSC understands that it would be more efficient and useful for NSAs to have greater certainty of the grants that they receive from the SSC to do multi-year planning. For a start the SSC has locked-in indicative funding for 33 NSAs, to facilitate them with their programmes and activities beyond just one year."

3 The in-principle approval for the extended cycle funding is based on the NSAs' multi-year sports plans and programmes. Additionally, the NSAs must have demonstrated that they have the corresponding support structures in place to ensure delivery of these multi-year programmes. NSAs will need to meet basic criteria such as corporate governance and fulfillment of pre-agreed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), before the funds can be disbursed on a quarterly basis.

4 For ANGE FY 2010, the SSC will be channelling $50.22 million to the NSAs and other sports partners. The amount includes direct and indirect grants of $35.78 million and $14.44 million, respectively, to the NSAs. This is up from FY 2009's grants of $46.98 million (Direct grant: $34.10 million; indirect grant: $12.88 million).

5 Indirect grants to NSAs refer to SSC's sports medicine and sports science services (FY 2010: $4.58 million; FY 2009: $4.95 million) and sports facilities subsidies (FY 2010: $3.54 million; FY 2009: $2.38 million).

YOG tickets go on sale

YOG tickets go on sale Wed@Straits Times

Around 320,000 tickets will be made available for the 200 events across 26 sports with tickets priced at $10 (preliminaries), $15 (quarter-finals/ semi-finals) and $30 (finals).

Official YOG website to buy tickets

YOG updates

YOG moving smoothly@Straits Times

IOC president Jacques Rogge 'We still have a couple of months to fine-tune the preparations but I can say that I am extremely optimistic, I believe this is going to be a great event.'

IOC president visits YOG venue and Games Village@CNA

In conjunction with the his visit to Singapore, the IOC on Tuesday launched the Young Ambassador Programme.

Under the programme, 30 young people have been nominated by their National Olympic Committees to promote the Games in their respective countries and also assist the athletes during the Games.

IOC President Rogge gives S'pore glowing report on YOG work@CNA

Mr Rogge said: "The most defining characteristic is the association between elite sport, high level sport, and culture and education - something that for many reasons we are not able to do at traditional Olympic Games because at traditional Olympic Games, there is much more pressure on time, on training, on expectations, also on the athletes."

Turning to athletes, the IOC has signalled that it will be tough on doping. It will also not hesitate to act against those who cheat about their age, as this had happened in past youth events.

Steven Gerrard opens the new £25.5m sports science centre

Steven Gerrard launches new £25m facility@LJMU

In 1975, the Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) became the first to recognise sport as a science and is now again leading the field with a £25.5million facility, launched by LFC captain and LJMU Honorary Fellow Steven Gerrard.

LJMU chose to name the facility the Tom Reilly Building after the late Professor known as the ‘Father of the Science of Football.’

- Appetite laboratories, psychology testing labs, neuroscience labs, an indoor 70-metre running track, physiology suites, a DEXA scanner, a driving simulator and a chronobiology lab

YOG Culture and Education Programme

Youth Olympic Games is more than just winning medals@CNA

SINGAPORE: The Olympic Games has always been the pinnacle sporting event for athletes wanting to establish themselves as the numero uno sportsman in the world.

However, at the coming Youth Olympic Games Singapore 2010, it's not just about winning medals, as the inaugural Games has already been labeled as an event that encompasses sport, culture and education.

To achieve that aim, the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee (SYOGOC) has integrated a Culture and Education Programme (CEP) that will allow athletes to embrace, adapt and live by the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.

The highlight of this programme is Friends@YOG, since forging friendships is the best way to learn about other countries' culture and develop respect for cultural diversity.

This will see Singapore schools paired up with each of the 205 National Olympic Council home countries under a twinning programme under Friends@YOG endorsed by the International Olympic Committee.

Since the programme began in December 2008, the pairing has seen 229 local schools matched up more than half of the 204 participation nations, with some schools wasting no time in introducing Singapore culture to new friends.

At Evergreen Secondary School, students had their Mongolian counterparts join them in a Home Economics lesson.

Learning how to prepare a Malay dessert – Kueh Dada – was only part of the fun.

"The dessert was very sweet. It was soft and had a nice coconut taste," said 17-year-old Manlai Chinbayar after taking a bite of his kitchen creation.

He was among some 10 Mongolian students who dropped by the school during their four-day visit to Singapore where they also put up a cultural performance.

As for 21 students at Singapore's Jurong Junior College, they got to experience life in Moscow when they travelled to the Russian capital to be part of their twinned school, the Secondary School of Humanitarian University.

With most Singapore students more focused on their books, the ten-day trip which included visits to schools and places of historic significance, proved a socio-cultural eye-opener for the students such as Tee Yang.

"Russians marry at a very young age. Most of the people we interact with are aged about 19 to 22 and they are already engaged or married."

The Jurong Junior College students also managed to introduce a few aspects of Singapore local culture to their host.

Student Alan Chee Wei Feng said, "The fact that we brought our traditional games, and costumes and food over to Russia for them to try out, it really got them to understand what Singapore culture is really like."

The Friends@YOG programme even allowed 50 students from the Primary, Independent and Barker Road branches of Anglo-Chinese School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College to meet up with Australia's two-time gold medal Olympic champion Michael Klim.

With swimming a key sport in ACS, being twinned with Australia and getting tips to refine techniques in the pool was priceless for the 50 students who met the bold, bald swimmer.

"I'm glad I could come here to learn from Michael Klim. He's really helped me to improve my strokes," said 13-year-old swimmer Gabriel Yao of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).

17-year-old Lennard Yong who will put down his meeting as an unforgettable experience added, "Michael Klim is such a well-known swimmer, it's been great to be able to see him, learn from him and talk to him."

Despite countless medals to his name, Klim can't help but agree that sporting events such as the Youth Olympics offer participants a more valuable prize of friendship and understanding, and endorses the Culture and Education Programme.

"It's [The Olympic Games] more than just winning medals. It's the friendships that you make over the years that you'll remember for the rest of your life," said the Australian who made his first Olympic splash in Atlanta before re-writing records at the Sydney Olympics.

"It's a great initiative to share with the younger generation. They can learn more about the whole Olympic Movement; how to deal with being in a new environment and sharing a message with people from different countries," said the swimmer who retired in 2007.

Sports Sci J@Nov09-Feb10

This is the latest sports science journal update. Please note that I have change the categorization from sports science discipline to key terminologies which are relevant to us.

Long term athlete development is main focus for Sports School and the some topics include growth and development, youth coaching, and talent ID etc. In Performance enhancement, high performance coaching and new training methods etc are covered. Prevention of injuries and rehabilitation of injuries are important for the Injury prevention and management category. In Technology development, the keywords are performance analysis and development of gadgets and devices etc.

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Nov09-Feb10

Long term athlete development
The Effect of Chronological Age and Gender on the Development of Sprint Performance During Childhood and Puberty. JSCR

Relative age effect in elite sports: Methodological bias or real discrimination? EJSS

Age-related differences in repeated-sprint ability in highly trained youth football players. JSS

Circumstantial development and athletic excellence: The role of date of birth and birthplace. EJSS

Anthropometric and fitness characteristics of international, professional and amateur male graduate soccer players from an elite youth academy. JSMS

Basic physiological measures determine fitness and are associated with running performance in elite young male and female Ethiopian runners. JSMPF

Resistance training among young athletes: safety, efficacy and injury prevention effects. BJSM

Effects of SAQ Training and Small-Sided Games on Neuromuscular Functioning in Untrained Subjects. IJSPP

Female adolescent athletes' coping: A season-long investigation. JSS

Self-regulation and performance level of elite and non-elite youth soccer players. JSS

Detecting over-age players using wrist MRI: science partnering with sport to ensure fair play. BJSM

Gender, age, and sport differences in relative age effects among US Masters swimming and track and field athletes. JSS

ACTN3 and ACE Genotypes in Elite Jamaican and US Sprinters. MSSE

Is There an ACE ID - ACTN3 R577X Polymorphisms Interaction that Influences Sprint Performance? IJSM

Relationships between maturity status, physical activity, and physical self-perceptions in primary school children. JSS

Oversized young athletes: a weighty concern. BJSM

Performance enhancement
The use of sports science in preparation for Olympic competition. JSS (Special issue)

The big sports events—How does sports medicine and sports science contribute? JSMS

Why Great Britain’s success in Beijing could have been anticipated and why it should continue beyond 2012. BJSM

Psychological stress in sports coaches: A review of concepts, research, and practice. JSS

Effect of in- versus out-of-water recovery on repeated swimming sprint performance. EJAP

Inspiratory muscle training improves 100 and 200 m swimming performance. EJAP

Effects of Warming-up on Physical Performance: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. JSCR

Electrophysiological correlates of cognition improve with nap during sleep deprivation. EJAP

A comparison of modelling procedures used to estimate the power–exhaustion time relationship. EJAP

Measuring submaximal performance parameters to monitor fatigue and predict cycling performance: a case study of a world-class cyclo-cross cyclist. EJAP

Physiological characteristics of elite and sub-elite badminton players. JSS

A biomechanical analysis of common lunge tasks in badminton. JSS

Physiological determinants of Yo-Yo intermittent recovery tests in male soccer players. EJAP

Induction and decay of short-term heat acclimation. EJAP

Mental toughness and athletes' use of psychological strategies. EJSS

The Standard Difference Score: A New Statistic for Evaluating Strength and Conditioning Programs. JSCR

Comparison Between Linear and Daily Undulating Periodized Resistance Training to Increase Strength. JSCR

Optimizing Resistance Exercise Adaptations Through the Timing of Post-Exercise Carbohydrate-Protein Supplementation. SCJ

Energy Drinks: A Review Article. SCJ

A comparison of ratio and allometric scaling methods for normalizing power and strength in elite rugby union players. JSS

Effect of Glycemic Index Meals on Recovery and Subsequent Endurance Capacity. IJSM

BJSM reviews: A–Z of nutritional supplements: dietary supplements, sports nutrition foods and Ergogenic aids for health and performance Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Oxygen Uptake Kinetics: An Underappreciated Determinant of Exercise Performance. IJSPP

Insulin-Like Growth Factor I as a Biomarker of Health, Fitness, and Training Status. MSSE

Effects of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Sports Performance and Training: A Review. IJSPP

Effect of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Aerobic and Anaerobic Performance and Perception of Fatigue in Male Elite Judo Athletes. JSCR

Injury prevention and management
Injury prevention in paediatric sport-related injuries: a scientific approach. BJSM

Efficacy of injury prevention related coach education within netball and soccer. JSMS

Injury prevention in professional sports: protecting your investments. SJMSS

On the value of team medical staff: can the “Moneyball” approach be applied to injuries in professional football? BJSM

Interrater Reliability of the Functional Movement Screen. JSCR

Using the Body Weight Forward Lunge to Screen an Athlete's Lunge Pattern. SCJ

Prediction and prevention of musculoskeletal injury: a paradigm shift in methodology. BJSM

No injuries, but plenty of pain? On the methodology for recording overuse symptoms in sports. BJSM

Heat injury in youth sport. BJSM

Setting standards for the prevention and management of travellers’ diarrhoea in elite athletes: an audit of one team during the Youth Commonwealth Games in India. BJSM

Golf-related injuries: A systematic review. EJSS

Incidence of Injury Among Adolescent Soccer Players: A Comparative Study of Artificial and Natural Grass Turfs. CJSM

Reliability and validity of field-based measures of leg stiffness and reactive strength index in youths. JSS

Comparison of Active Stretching Technique and Static Stretching Technique on Hamstring Flexibility. CJSM

Technology development
Application of four different football match analysis systems: A comparative study. JSS

Validity and reliability of GPS devices for measuring movement demands of team sports. JSMS

greenhouse gas management at Vancouver 2010 Olympics

David Suzuki's suggestions for greenhouse gas management at Vancouver 2010 Olympics@David Suzuki.org

To undertake a carbon neutral program Vancouver Organizing Committee
for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) will require a comprehensive green-
house gas management plan.

Key elements of this plan would include:
• Determining emissions scope
• Conducting a greenhouse gas emissions inventory
• Engaging partners and sponsors
• A policy for procuring carbon neutral or low carbon products and services
• Reduction strategies
• Procurement of renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets
• Reporting requirements to ensure transparency
• A communications strategy with a strong public engagement component.