15 February 2016
Hello Oceania Sports Community,
Happy New Year!!! Welcome to the second issue of
Oceania Highlights of 2016. In this issue we explore family, finance and education.
I have ordered books on high performance, sports analytics, coaching and other topics in sports. If you are part of USP member country, we can send it through the interlibrary loan process. If you are not a member of the library you can only read books in the library. I can even scan a few pages of something needed. OSIC has access to the power of online databases to research all different topics. Not to mention we can collaborate with other university departments such as psychology, biology and engineering to assist your NOC or NSO to solve problems.
If you have any topics that you would like OSIC to cover in another issue, please let us know. You can reach us at osic@onoc.org.fj or osic@usp.ac.fj. Our phone number is +679-323-1958.
Sincerely,
Martin V Burrows Jr.
Coordinator
Oceania Sport Information Centre (OSIC)
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***Invitation***
We all have some type of sporting activity we like to watch or participate in. We swim in the ocean for fun and to stay fit. On any given day, you can find school kids and adults enjoying a game of rugby.
What would happen if we added climate change to the equation? The fields where we play rugby could be swallowed up by the sea and homes destroyed. The change in climate could increase diseases like malaria, dengue or things like heat stress. Climate change would have an impact on sports and our health.
In an attempt to reach more people about climate change the the Pacific Centre for Environment & Sustainable Development (PaCE-SD) and the Oceania Sport Information Centre have teamed up to create a sport and climate change module for the MOOC on Climate Change and Pacific Islands. (MOOC- Massive Open Online Course)
We are inviting you to take part of a focus group that will assist in the direction of this module. 22 February 2016 @ 11AM at the PaCE-SD conference room located at the USP Lower Campus. Prepare to have some fun.
If you plan on attending and/or need directions, please email us at osic@usp.ac.fj .
Education
The first courses after the United States Sports Academy are offered through Coursera. You only pay if you want a certificate. Maybe we will do a special newsletter for free academic courses.
United States Sports Academy
Link to free courses offered by this organization.
The Olympic Games and the Media
This course analyses the intersection between the Olympic Games and the media and how television and other media contribute to fund, shape and disseminate the major sporting spectacle in the world: the Olympic Games. Sign up for future sessions.
Sports and Society
Sports play a giant role in contemporary society worldwide. But few of us pause to think about the larger questions of money, politics, race, sex, culture, and commercialization that surround sports everywhere. This course draws on the tools of anthropology, sociology, history, and other disciplines to give you new perspectives on the games we watch and play.
Open Learn
Free course on various aspects of sports.
Doping: Sports, Organizations and Sciences
The objective of this course is to encourage a critical understanding of doping. To achieve this goal, this course will rely on a multidisciplinary approach that allow you to see how different disciplines get into a single object, in different perspectives and in often complementary ways. This approach will also allow us to appreciate the complexity of a subject like doping.
Examining Academic Performance of Polynesian Student-Athletes Using the Theory of Planned Behavior
This is a thesis submitted by Sierra Keung for a Master of Science in recreation management. The study found the impact of social pressure from such variables as academic performance, family and culture of Polynesian football student-athletes.
How Pacific Islander Students Are Slipping Through the Cracks
Insight to the lives of Pacific Islander student’s life in college.
Family
Olympic Moms Share their Best Advice to Parents of Ambitious Athletes
Parent Resources from Team USA-Volleyball
General resources on parental involvement in sports.
The First in their Family
Research article by the National College Athletics Association in the USA about student athletes being the first in their family to enter college.
Finance
Polynesian Athletes Face Stresses and Strains in Order to Give Back to Families
Insightful article on the issues facing islanders dealing with family expectations and the stresses. Many of the issues faced by the athletes in the article are true for Fijian and other Pacific Islander cultures also.
Student-Athlete Financial Education App
I ran across this multi-purpose app that serves as a financial literacy and career development learning tool.
FIBA Athletes Financial Handbook
As basketball is a team sport, this publication offers the athlete a map on building a financial advisory team.
Well-Being (Last minute section that I just added today. Depression doesn't hit just athletes but everybody as you already know.
Top 20 Athletes Who Have Battled Depression
It's real for many people not just athletes. What people need to know is that they're not alone.
Life After Sport: Depression in the Retired Athlete
When people retire, all of a sudden their routine stops. Depression sets in.
Exercise and Meditation-Together- Help Beat Depression, Rutger Study Finds
Rutgers University in the USA study.
Meditation for the Athlete: 8 Steps to get you Started
An actual meditation practice that anybody not just athletes can use.
I actually brought some articles that I have used over the years from Omni Magazine that helped me perform better. If you want a copy, I can scan it to you.
Have a great day!!!
