May 7th - Insiders Series: SickKids Centre for Healthy Active Kids

• The Healthy and Happy campaign is founded on the belief that every child deserves to be healthy and happy.

• Through the 2014 Healthy and Happy campaign, SickKids hopes to engage and empower Canadian families to introduce more activity, good nutrition and positive thinking in order to achieve a healthier and happier lifestyle

Please click on the link below and check out the Healthy and Happy Challenge!

http://healthyandhappy.sickkidsfoundation.com/images/resources/HH%20Poster.pdf

Introducing Taylor Rogalsky - uOttawa GeeGee's Softball Player

            I like to think of myself as a motivated person with a passion for sports. That is why I have dedicated my last four years to studying and completing my undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa in Human Kinetics. This program has allowed me to share my passion for sports along with learning a variety of new things that revolve around sports. These past four years have flown by and now I will continue to specialize my knowledge at Algonquin College in Sport Business Management, in hopes of having a career in that particular area of study.

            I am originally from a small town called Napanee, if you have never been, is about halfway between Ottawa and Toronto. I grew up there participating in almost every sport you can think of. As a child I tried soccer, gymnastics, swimming, track, softball, basketball, hockey, volleyball, and the list goes on. If there was a sport being played in the town, I played it at least once. I can’t thank my parents enough for letting me try all of those sports because it has allowed me to have a high degree of physical literacy and excel in many of them, in particular hockey and baseball. In my early teenage years, I specialized in hockey and softball and played elite level up until university. Once it came time to go to university I had to make a choice, which was one of the hardest choices I had to make, but I had to choose whether to pursue a university career playing hockey or softball. In my grade 12 year, I was scouted by the coaches of the University of Ottawa Softball Team at a tournament in Montreal. After meeting them, and hearing about their team and successes, I chose softball. Saying that, I played for the University’s Softball team all four years of my degree. During those four years our team experienced great success, winning a silver medal the last two years at the provincial championships, and one silver medal at the national championships.

            Outside of being an elite athlete and student, I also love to give back to the sporting world that I have long been a part of. I give back by helping out younger softball teams by giving catching or hitting sessions, and in the winter I referee hockey. I love that I still get to share my passion for two sports that have become a part of me, and at the same time pursue a career that lines up nicely with my passions.

 

            This year I did an eight month placement in the office of the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport), which is almost exactly what I want to eventually do. I worked along side the Manager of National Championships. Having that experience has confirmed that I made the right decision to attend Algonquin next year. While attending, I will continue to referee, and I hope to also help coach a women’s hockey team.

Mental Health Week: May 5-11, 2014

Since 1951, the national office of the Canadian Mental Health Association has commemmorated Mental Health Week. The week is an annual event where CMHA branches and divisions across the country bring the mental health message to the broader community. It is designed as a celebration of mentally healthy lifestyles and positive attitudes, as well as a source of information and support. For Mental Health Week, CMHA branches in BC have organized presentations, pancake breakfasts, thrift store sales, craft fairs, kite-flying events, barbecues, fun runs, yoga fests and other community events right across the province. Both the National office and BC Division support branches with marketing support via media and educational or promotional materials. Mental Health Week is the first full week of May from Monday to Sunday

Please visit the Canadian Mental Health Association for more information.

Home Runs for Autism

Home Runs for Autism is a fantastic charity event, in tandem with CHEO's Autism Intervention Program, that raises money in the hopes of making a difference in a child's life.

Go to their website, or check our their Facebook page and see what they are all about.

This is a fantastic opportunity to take part in the wonderful sport of baseball, while also giving to a wonderful and local cause.

Announcement: Tryouts for the Stittsville Minor Softball Association Bantam Girls Saturday, May 3rd

This year's coaches for the Bantam Girls Selects, Mike Dunnigan and Phil Beingessner, are very excited for the new crop of girls moving up to join their ranks. Last year Stittsville had two Bantam girls teams, which won first and third at the Provincials. This is a very talented group of young women.

The tryouts will take place from 7:00 - 8:00 am tomorrow (Saturday) morning at the Bell Sensplex.

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Please come prepared to play indoors, with proper running shoes, glove, helmet, bat (if owned), etc. It is bright and early, so please arrive on time (if not a few minutes early).

Announcement for all Stittsville Minor Softball Players and Parents: Peewee Girls Selects Tryouts Saturday, May 3rd

2013  Squirt Girls Selects - Provincial Champions

Off the heels of a fantastic win at last year's Provincial's, a number of the same girls have now moved up to the Peewee (Novice) level and are looking forward to the tryout this Saturday at the Bell Sensplex from 7:00 am - 9:00 am.

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As an added bonus, this year's 2014 Provincials for the Peewee Girls Selects is be hosting here in Stittsville!

Coach Kevin Daize has the following to say:

I’m honored to have the opportunity to pull together the 2014 Stittsville Minor Softball Assocation (SMSA) Girls Pee Wee Selects team.  We have a strong base of talent coming up from last year’s SMSA Squirt Select OSSTA Provincial Champs, Tier II players, and other girls that amount to hidden gems.  The Stittsville and surrounding area have been known to produce some very gifted softball players.

Our tryouts this Saturday will give the girls a chance to demonstrate their proficiency and attitude that may ultimately secure themselves a spot on the team.  I’m hopeful that as many girls as possible will come out.  It doesn’t cost anything, and they’ll never know unless they try!

Seven Step Guide To Windmill Pitching - Want To Learn Or Improve Your Game?

Although I'm not particularly a fan of swinging the arm back at the start of the delivery, as it requires a significant amount of extra energy without an equal amount of added power generation and can tip off the opposing team to the incoming pitching, the rest of the video is quite good.

By all means, feel free to add your input, make suggestions, and question certain aspects. 

Keep in mind, this is a general guideline and is focused more for beginners. Always work within a pitcher's natural movement (unless there are serious issues with their delivery). Forcing a pitcher into a strict mold will not allow them to develop on their own, and has a good chance of reducing their
effectiveness.

As well, you always want your pitcher to be challenged. That is, whatever guidelines and goals you set, they should attain a ~80% success rate. What that means is if they are at step 1 and hitting their target 100% of the time, try moving them on to step 2 or have them throw from farther away. Tweak various aspects to challenge them, and remember to keep things fun.

Pitching Clinic