This is a really interesting video where 4-time Olympic speed skating medalist Kristina Groves talks about the evolution of her goal setting. Most people would assume that an Olympian would be very goal oriented and focus on the numbers (beating her times or improving upon her ranking). This was the case originally for Kristina but as she describes, after a while it didn’t work for her any more. Really interesting perspective from one of Canada’s all-time great Olympians.
Archive for May, 2011
95. Kristina Groves – Part 2.
Posted in Self-awareness, tagged Excellence on May 30, 2011 | 1 Comment »
94. All Sport One Day – Year 3
Posted in For The Love Of It, tagged Sportsmanship, Value of Sport on May 25, 2011 | 3 Comments »
In June of 2009, Sport Calgary teamed up with two recreational facilities in Calgary for an event called All Sport One Day (www.AllSportOneDay.ca). The event was about exposing 6 to 12 year-olds to sports that they might not otherwise get the chance to try. Each of the two founding facilities (WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park and Cardel Place) offered several sports to choose from and after registering online, kids could come in and try them for free on the day of the event.
In its first year, All Sport One Day was a huge success. Not only did the approximately 500 positions fill up within a few days of the first announcement but the event itself was great fun and well received. There were a few factors that went into creating that environment, probably the most significant of which was the staff of the facilities themselves as well as members of the individual sports organizations involved in presenting the sports. As is always the case, the front line coach or instructor has the most direct impact on the experience of the participants.
In its second year, as a testament to the strength of the program, All Sport One Day grew significantly. The two founding facilities were joined by four others for a total of six, and the number of sports offered as part of the day grew to over 30. In the end, 1200 kids were able to participate which was over double the number from year one.
Today, was the press conference to announce the details for year three of All Sport One Day. I was very proud and excited to learn the event has grown again to now include 7 facility partners and 28 sport organization partners who will work together to offer 34 different sport activities. In all, the program has grown from about 500 spots in year one to an expected 1500+ spots available this year on Saturday, June 18th. The numbers are a testament to what All Sport One Day has been about since day one - fun. It’s about being involved and it’s about trying new things, and hopefully it’s about finding something you love to do. Ultimately it’s about living a healthier and happier lifestyle through physical activity and this is why fun is the key component.
Congratulations to Sport Calgary and all involved with such a great and vital program for Calgary’s youth. I can only hope that All Sport One Day continues to grow and becomes a model for similar programs like this across Canada and around the world. Have a great day on June 18th – I’ll see you there!
93. Sarah Stevenson – Tae Kwon Do World Champion.
Posted in The Big Picture, tagged perspective, The Challenge on May 15, 2011 |
This is an e-mail I got recently from a reader who thought this story exemplified Sport At Its Best. I agree – this is an amazing story. Thanks for the heads up Andy.
*****
Sarah Stevenson is a British TaeKwonDo athlete that I have been following for a while. She is already a 3 time Olympian (2000, 2004, 2008), having won bronze in Beijing. As a Brit, there’s obviously a ton of pressure on her for the upcoming 2012 games. In TaeKwonDo, World Championships is a much tougher tournament than the Olympics, as the field is much larger. To compete in Korea, home of the sport and where TaeKwonDo is as part of their sporting fabric as hockey is in Canada, just adds to the difficulty in medalling.
Earlier this year, Sarah had to cease her training/competing to care for her terminally ill parents. Her mother has terminal cancer and her father has a brain tumour.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/taekwondo/13155175.stm
In spite of the emotional upheaval and the interference to her preparation, Sarah became World Champion this morning, citing her family as inspiration for her to persevere and battle on.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/taekwondo/13264914.stm
http://www.sportinglife.com/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=others/11/05/03/manual_095114.html
92. Respect for Officials.
Posted in Sportsmanship, tagged Sportsmanship, Values on May 13, 2011 |
A few weeks ago a friend sent me this link to an article about a tribute the Montreal Canadians had for referee Bill McCreary following what would be his last game in Montreal. The friend was actually at the game and said the impromptu salute from both the players and fans at the end of the game was genuinely heartfelt. Sadly it is a rare occasion when we acknowledge the often thankless and yet so vital a service that referees perform. It’s important to highlight the respect officials deserve and in this case, a lengthy career of service to the NHL.
Even when they can’t buy a goal, the Canadiens never lose their touch as an organization. Prior to last night’s opening faceoff, Bell Center public address announcer Michel Lacroix acknowledged referee Bill McCreary, who was working in his final game in Montreal after an NHL career that spanned four decades.
When was the last time you saw an organization other than a governing body give so much as a courtesy nod to a referee, umpire or other game official for services rendered over an extended period of time?
For the rest of the article:
http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/03/30/nod-to-mccreary-a-classy-gesture/
91. Kristina Groves – Obsession with Perspective
Posted in The Big Picture, tagged Excellence, perspective on May 5, 2011 | 1 Comment »
I’ve always been a fan of Kristina Groves and her attitude about sport and competition. It’s one that has served her well as a four-time Olympic speed skating medalist. I had the pleasure of interviewing her last week and this is a segment of that interview in which we talk about being so dedicated to a sport but at the same time realizing that in the big picture, the world will go on whether you win an Olympic medal or fail dramatically trying. It speaks a lot to the kind of person she is. Hope you enjoy it.
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