Internet resources for sports and fitness programming - Web sites - Directory

In the June issue of Parks & Recreation we introduced a new department designed to share Internet sites of interest to professionals in the parks and recreation field. The explosion in Internet use, and the concomitant increase in sites, makes it difficult to locate information that is useful and timely. Our intent is to identify sites we perceive as useful to large numbers of Parks & Recreation readers.

This month we explore the use of the Internet as a tool to assist in sports and fitness programs. Rossman (1995) defined a program as "a designed opportunity for a leisure experience to occur." The scope of program opportunities is limited only by the creativity and knowledge of the service provider. The focus of this article is the identification of Internet sources available to assist park and recreation professionals in expanding their repertoire of program ideas in the areas of sports and fitness. We selected these areas for two reasons: they are program components in most recreation agencies, and they are well-represented on the Internet.

The sites identified were evaluated based on the criteria identified in the inaugural article in June. We selected sites for their depth of information, links to other useful sites, recency, ease of use and the expertise of the site owner.

Sports And Fitness Sites

There are many sites available for the sport enthusiast. These range from those dedicated to professional and collegiate teams to sites targeted at the sport aficionado, such as Planet Reebok (www.reebok.com) We did not include such sites in this article. Instead, the focus is on information with professional relevance.

The National Alliance for Youth Sports (www.nays.org)

The National Alliance, "America's leading advocate for healthy, positive and safe sports for children involved in out-of-school youth sports activities," provides a Home Page with links to its divisions, including the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (training and certification of volunteer youth sport coaches and officials), National Institute for Youth Sports Administration (training, education, and resources for those involved in youth sports administration), Lifetime Sports and Fitness for Youth (programs to build confidence and proficiency needed for successful sports involvement), and the National Clearinghouse for Youth Sports Information (providing a variety of information and materials about youth sport, including a free catalog of information). This site provides a plethora of information for youth sport programmers.

The American Sport Education Program (www.asep.com)

The American Sport Education Program (ASEP) is dedicated to "working to make sport safer, more enjoyable, and valuable for children and youth." ASEP provides courses and publications for coaches and sport directors. This site includes schedules of workshops as well as information on ordering materials. In addition, information about ASEP-funded youth sport research grants can be found at this site. The site also has links to the national organizations of several sports, including softball, volleyball, tennis, and cycling.

The Amateur Sports Net (www.asnsports.com)

The Amateur Sports Net (ASN) identifies itself as "Your Internet Source for Amateur Sport Information." This is an interesting site that provides a free location to list information about teams and leagues that can then be accessed by participants and players. "The main purpose of ASN is to provide an effective method of distributing information to all people involved with your sport organization (team league)." The site allows agencies to list participating teams, rosters, news, scheduling news, and other information. Participants can access the site to keep updated on schedules, practice locations, and other team-related information. The site can function as a cyberspace substitute for the phone tree. A designated editor enters the information for each team or league and then all have access to it. This site is a wonderful location for agencies without web sites to communicate information to participants in sports programs.

The World Wide Web of Sports (tns-www.lcs.mit.edu/cgi-bin/sports)

This basic sports site is brought to us by the folks at the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science. It is composed entirely of links to other sport-related sites. Nevertheless, it is a comprehensive gateway to the world of sport. In addition to the expected links to specific sports, over 70, there are links to sports software information, publications related to sports, and sports information sources. There is also a program that assists the user in creating a personalized World Wide Web of Sports page.

The Virtual Resource Center for Sport Information (www.SPORTquest.com)

The Virtual Resource Center for Sport Information features links to more than 14,000 sites. They claim to "be your best bet for information on Sports, Coaching, Statistics and Results, Sports Training, Sport Medicine, Sport Science, and Physical Education!" The page features a search procedure, allowing the user access to links to more than 80 sites related to specific sports. In addition to the expected links to sports such as baseball, football (American, Australian and Gaelic) and soccer, the user can find links to petanque, ringette and underwater hockey. However, the Virtual Resource Center provides a great deal more than links to specific sports. The user will find information on what appears to be every aspect of sport.

Online Sports (www.onlinesports.com)

This site provides a directory of sports services and products available online. The site includes four primary sections: a free online newsletter, Online Sports, providing information about companies involved in the sport industry; a sports career center that includes a resume bank as well as job listings; a sports business center; and a site devoted to sports resources and newsgroups. The primary focus of this site is sport merchandise, although it also provides many links to other sport sites of interest.

The Canadian Sport and Fitness Administration Centre (www.cdnsport.ca)

This is the Home Page of the Canadian Sport and Fitness Administration Centre, a not-for-profit agency. The Centre's purpose is to "facilitate the work of the Canadian government and national sport and active organizations as they provide Canadians with a strong national sport and active living system." The site provides links to many Canadian sport sites, ranging from badminton to wrestling. These links transport the user to the pages focusing on individual sports and provide information useful to all individuals involved in the provision of sport. There are other links related to sport worldwide. For example, the one to the Sport Information Resource Centre (www.sirc.ca) will allow the user to access a wide range of sports information.

SearchSport (www.oldsport.com/search/main.htm)

This is the search page of the SearchSport site. As with several of the sites reviewed this month, this site contains links to a wide variety of sports.

Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association (www.sportlink.com)

This site features information provided by the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association. A highlight of the site is access to Active and Ageless, a 200-page directory of more than 1,000 listings of groups and organizations with fitness programs for adults over age 50. Sportlinks also includes a product search procedure providing a mechanism for identifying manufacturers of sports-related products. In addition, there are job listings and links to a few nonprofit organizations involved in sport.

Fitness Link (www.fitnesslink.com)

This site bills itself as "The Health and Fitness Source," and its goal is to be the health and fitness source. It succeeds in reaching that goal. Fitness Link is designed to provide information for the fitness professional as well as the fitness participant. The site is comprehensive with hundreds of links, as well as many fitness-related articles. The FitnessLink Index includes eight sections, each with a multitude of links: FitnessLink Features; Links, Links, Links; Mind/Body Connection; Nutritional Information; Your Fitness Program; Exercise; Lifestyle Changes; and, Fitness Pro's Center. There are links to more than 30 professional organizations, including the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Federation of Professional Trainers, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The site also provides links to fitness associations and organizations, ranging from the Amateur Athletic Union to the Wilderness Medical Society. There are links to providers of fitness-related services and products, links to a vast array of information sources, links to continuing education opportunities for professionals, and links related to children and seniors. This site is one of the most comprehensive we have found and provides an outstanding array of information.

Alliance of Youth Sports Organizations (www.aoyso.com)

The Alliance of Youth Sports Organizations encompasses local youth sports associations and clubs. Membership in the organization is free and includes a newsletter and discounts on Alliance manuals and coaching aids. The site also provides a forum for interaction among members, providing a location for sharing ideas and information. At the time this article was prepared, for example, there was a request for assistance in developing a youth football program, an information request related to maintenance and operation of a youth basketball and volleyball complex, and a posting from an assistant sports director at a YMCA seeking ideas related to youth and adult sports.

The Institute for the Study of Youth Sport (zwww.educ.msu.edu./units/ DEPT/PEES/ysi/working/ysihome.html)

The Institute is located at Michigan State University and has three purposes: to research the benefits and detriments of participation in youth sports; to provide educational programs for parents, coaches, officials and administrators; and to provide educational materials for parents, administrators, coaches, and officials. The site provides access to the Institute's newsletter, Spotlight on Youth Sports, as well as to a series of sport-related publications.

There is an abundance of useful websites for those professionals involved with sport programming, as well as for those seeking sports information for planning and promotional efforts. In fact, there are thousands of sport-related sites. The ones identified above represent those that are the most useful to recreation professionals. Please contact us with other sport and fitness sites of interest.

Drs. McGuire and Alien are professors at Clemson University's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. They can be reached at lefty@clemson. edu and lalln@clemson.edu respectively.

COPYRIGHT 1997 National Recreation and Park Association
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