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Bd Terrace Review —

Wednesday, November 7, 1990

SportForum starts setting |
priorities for 1990’s ©

Contributed by Sports B.C.

A thorough examination was
performed on _ British
Columbia's sport system at Oc-
tober 20th weekend’s Sport-
Forum and according to par-
ticipants, sport is challenged
with countless opportunities for
improvement.

Members of the sport com-
munity gathered at the Robson
Square Conference Centre
Saturday,. October 20th and
joined with expert panels from
the media, athletes, officials and
coaches to determine the
obstacles facing sport, the op-
portunities facing sport and
strategies for improvement.

“Sport B.C. decided that in
order to improve the sport
system, we needed to hear
directly from those involved
every day, the athletes, coaches,
and officials for whom the sport
system is set up to serve,’’ said
SportForum Chairman, Bruce
Carlson. SportForum marked
the first time that coaches,
athletes and officials from all
sports came together to work
collectively on the future of
sport. What resulted was a
dynamic and often passionate
exchange.
Recommendations from
SportForum include:

Funding - increased funding
from lottery revenues, and the
corporate sector. ;
Facilities - better access for par-
ticipatory and high performance
sport to existing facilities, in-
cluding school gyms that cur-
rently stand empty after 5 p.m.,
and more facilities to meet the
needs of the growing sport
population province wide. Em-
phasis on both participatory and
high performance sport.
Education - of coaches in order
that we can produce more and
better qualified coaches; of
parents, coaches, and athletes

on ethics and principles; of the

media on amateur sport;
physical education in schools at
all ages; of the public on the im-
portance of health and physical
activity as a lifestyle.

Co-operation - between ail
sports to meet common goals of
participation and excellence.
Knowledge and resources must
be shared between Sports and
coaches.

With 60-70 percent of the popu-
lation involved in sport, sport must
exercise its power as a lobby
group. Sport and_ recreation
must be given more identity and
recognition for its social impor-
tance by government.
Multi-sport high performance
training centres should be

established at B.C.’s post secon-
dary institutions for use by
recreational and elite athletes.

‘Good ethics and principles of

PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECTDARFVL LAURENT =)

fair play must be exercised by
athletes, parents, coaches, the
media, and officials. Sport
should be fun for all par-
ticipants.

A “festival of sport’’ should be
held annually to. showcase
B.C.’s best athletes in competi-
tion.

Frank King, CEO of the 1988
Calgary Olympic Winter Games,
gave a motivating speech with
advice to the organizers of the .
upcoming Canada, Com-
monwealth and Western Canada
Games that B.C. will be hosting
in the next five years,

The proceedings of  Sport-
Forum will be distilled into a
document for presentation to
government and_= sport
policymakers to be used as a
guideline in shaping the future
of amateur sport in British Col-
umbia.

Here are a few comments
from SportForum participants:

‘Programs of excellence can
motivate and drive the sport
system below.” National
track coach, Doug Clement in

explaining the participation

boom in soccer which resulted
from the success of the . Van-
couver Whitecaps and recently
the Vancouver ’86ers,

“I received a $150 scholarship
and had to borrow money to go
to university in British Colum-

bia. I had to-sneak into gym- -

nasiums at 4:30 in the morning
to get individual training time.’’
— Basketbai! player J.D.
Jackson on his introduction to
elite competition.

“In Canada, we cheer athletes
as a reward; Americans cheer as
an incentive.’’
McKeachie, BCTV.

“We would like to think we
are doing what the coaches,
parents, and society want us to
do.”’
Val Parker on the enforcement
of fair and even competition.

‘*This year I watched an entire
television sports cast without
any coverage of an actual spor-
ting event. It was about coaches

being fired, contract negotia-
tions, and court cases." — National

cross country ski team member
Lars Taylor on media preoccupa-
tion with pro sports.

Sport has to put away the tin

cup and aggressively go after.

sponsors’ advertising budgets.

They (sponsors) are getting ter-.

rific product for. their sponsor-
ship money —- no other event

brings Canadians. together and in- |

stills a sense of pride and ac-
complishment in challenges met
— and they will be able to sell
their product better by their
association to sport and the
Games.’’ — Frank King, CEO
of the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
“A coach in- many youth

sports is the parent that is a little

John

— Track and field official §

slow
desk.”’ Jerry Tregaskis, ©
Baseball Umpire.

“The difficulties I have faced
as an athlete in juggling school,
running and work have helped
me in being a better person and
it has had a positive effect on my
athletic career.’? — Charmaine
Crooks, national track team
veteran and Olympic Games
silver medalist.

leaving the registration.

tournament.

| Softballers. head.
for southern sun

Who said the softball season is finished? _

Well, maybe in Terrace, but not in Mexico, where 16 locals ©
have banded together for a mixed slo-pitch team under the .
name of Skeena Hotel Athletics.
They are to leave tomorrow for an international series
where about 50 teams are expected to see action. The destina-
tion is San Jose Del Cabo for the Mexicana Silver Cup open

Spokesman Paul Lebrun says they'll see their first action
Friday and have a guarantee of at least six games.

It won’t be cold where they’re headed. It’s on the Baja .
Peninsula, where temperatures waft in the 30’s and even 40's.

Swimmers get chance to raise

money for spine injury prevention

The Terrace Aquatic Centre
will be the site of a five-day fund
raising effort beginning. this
coming Tuesday as the
B.C.—wide Laps for Loons ef-
fort begins.

Anyone in the area who en-
joys swimming is being en-
couraged to register for the

event and collect pledges.

Molson Breweries, Over-
waitea Foods and the Delta
Place Hotel have become spon-
sors Of the province-wide-event.
The Kinsmen of B.C. and the
Vancouver Lifeguards Society
have also pledged support for the
project.

Laps for Loons, organized by
the B.C. Paraplegic Association
(BCPA) and the Canadian
Amateur Swimming  Associa-
tion, B.C. Section (CASA.BC)
will raise funds and public
awareness for the Spinal Cord
Injury Prevention (SCIP) pro-
gram, as well as for CASA.BC’s

Athlete Development programs,
The SCIP program is a joint
project of the B.C. Paraplegic
Association and University

Hospital.

A total of 23 indoor pools
across British Columbia will be
hosting the event Nov. 13 - 18.

The emphasis of Laps for
Loons is particapation rather
than competition. Swimmers
eight years of age and over, both
disabled and able-bodied, are
encouraged to be part of the
event either individually or in a
team. Participants will swim for
a 30-minute period or a total of
1,000 metres, whichever comes
first.

Money will be raised through
entry fees (Youth $5, Adult $10,
Family $20) with pledges col-
lected by the participants. In-
volvement in the event entitles
all participants to a Lap for
Loons swim cap.

Laps for Loons is structured

Thank you

for being

Power Smart

B.C. Hydro would
like to thank Bill Wat-

Twin River Electric
and Heating Ltd.

son and staff for their
active promotion of

Program.

Power Smart’s Energy
Efficient Lighting

not only: to raise funds and

public awareness but to allow . -
participants to enjoy a fun, .

family event.

For more information, please -

contact Dick Coxsford,
635-6511 _ Local 285 (work),
635-3653 (home), or Marie
Hildebrandt, 635-6420.

Cal gals :

one for

three

The Caledonia senior high
school girls hosted a zone
volleyball tournament at Thorn-
hill school on October 27, 1990
and came out with a one-win,
two-loss record. They lost 15-9,
15-13 to Smithers; lost 15-9,
16-14 to Kitimat; and won 15-5,
15-10 over Prince Rupert.

- Thank} you. |
- British Columbia 7
for being

+ WERE
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