News from Niagara Sport Commission

November 2010

Niagara Sport Commission to play host to Ontario Basketball Provincials

The Niagara Sport Commission is happy to announce that we have been named a host of the 2011 Ontario Cup Provincial Championships in association with Ontario Basketball Association. The Championships take place each spring and draw male and female competitive teams over nine age divisions from all across Ontario. Last year's Championships took place throughout nine communities across the province and included more than 1,170 teams and nearly 15,000 athletes. Niagara's specific age divisions and Championship dates will be announced at the Ontario Basketball Annual General Meeting on November 13^th.

For more information on the Ontario Basketball Provincial Championships, click here.

St. Catharines to host World Juniors Pre-Competition Hockey

Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Hockey League, will be hosting four pre-competition games throughout Ontario leading up to the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, NY. These pre-competition games will provide fans with an added opportunity to watch world-class hockey and give the athletes a chance to face off against their opponents before heading to Buffalo.

The fourth game will take place in St. Catharines between Sweden and Switzerland, with the other three games in Oshawa, Toronto and Kitchener. Puck drop for the Sweden-Switzerland game will be at 7 p.m. ET at the Gatorade Garden City Complex in St. Catharines, home of the Niagara IceDogs.

Tickets range from $14 to $19.50 and are available as of November 1 through all IceDogs ticket outlets including the team office, arena box office, and www.ticketmaster.ca or by calling 905-481-4444. A full schedule of pre-competition games in Ontario can be seen here.

For more information on the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship, please visit www.buffaloworldjuniors.com.

Community Leader Workshop to be held in Fort Erie

The Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre will be hosting a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) workshop in the New Year. The Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) Community Leader Workshop will target community-based leaders who operate programs for young children.

Twelve units will be covered across a one-day clinic with each unit placing emphasis on a specific movement skill. Participants will have the opportunity to assess and improve their instruction of fundamental movement skills to children. These movements lay a basic groundwork for youth that will ultimately lead to the more complex skills used in recreation and sports.

This workshop is ideal for parents, coaches and leaders interested in teaching children aged 3-12 to develop physically through movement and play. Anyone interested in the workshop should contact the Niagara Sport Commission at info@niagarasportcommission.com.

Please let us know if you have an interest in attending as soon as possible so that we can finalize numbers and book a date. The workshop will take place in late January or early February of 2011.

Swim Synchro! now in Niagara

Synchro Swim Ontario's new program, Swim Synchro! is now available in the Niagara region. This new program focuses on participation and fun for the grassroots swimmer.

Participants will be engaged in a creative, routine-based program that works with music and improves on existing swimming skills. No experience is required and it is a program that is sure to be enjoyed by one who appreciates both water and music. The six-level course is designed to allow new swimmers to successfully complete one level each session. The sessions are taught by Red Cross/Lifesaving instructors who attend a four-hour Swim Synchro! course. Swim Synchro! has the option to be implemented in weekly sessions over 9-12 weeks or in camps.

For a limited time, a Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport government grant is able to offer Swim Synchro! almost free of charge. For more information on being involved in community implementation of the program, you can contact Karen Wilson Davis at 905-572-SYNC (7962) x 224 or by e-mail at kwilsondavis@synchroontario.com

Niagara Flag Rugby Expands into Fort Erie!

Niagara Flag Rugby is proud to announce a new flag rugby club in Fort Erie! Flag rugby is a fast paced, non-contact version of rugby that is for boy's and girl's aged 5 to 15.

Nicole Stewart will be the head coach and chief organizer of the new team. "I am super excited about opening Niagara Flag Rugby to the 'Greater Fort Erie' area." said Stewart. "The Central location of Stevensville or Ridgeway will be a wonderful and accessible area for more children in the local communities that normally wouldn't be able to attend due to driving restraints."

Niagara Flag Rugby President, Caleb Smith, is pleased with the growth of the game. "When we started flag rugby in the Niagara Area 7 years ago we had only 10 kids show up. Now we have grown to 130 as of last year!" Smith continued "We are so happy to continue the growth of the game into Fort Erie."

Niagara Flag Rugby will have six locations, St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-lake, Niagara Falls, Grimsby, Port Colborne and Fort Erie, for the 2011 season. For more information about Niagara Flag Rugby please go to www.niagaraflagrugby.com.

Get your FREE Risk Management Guide while quantities last...

Our friends at the Centre for Sport and Law have published a free Risk Management Guide for Community Sport Organizations. The Guide is a collection of their 20 years of experience in the sport industry helping sport organizations with their risk management policies and procedures.

The Guide is over 100 pages long and contains tip, tools, and strategies for risk management practices. You can obtain the free Guide by clicking on this link and registering with 2010 Legacies Now. The 20 seconds it takes to register is time well spent to obtain this useful document.

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