Young Indigenous athletes shine

The College of Kinesiology is proud to partner with the Saskatoon Tribal Council and Huskie Athletics for the first in a series of planned opportunities that will give young Indigenous athletes the chance to connect with Huskie coaches and athletes, as well as the personal trainers and fitness experts from the Human Performance Centre. With support from the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, we were pleased to welcome kids from the STC communities to the Physical Activity Complex for our first event on Sunday, November 26, 2017.

The schedule was a full day for the athletes but by the time they left, they had the opportunity to participate in fitness testing led by HPC trainers and staff as well as a nutrition session and a yoga class. Each participant received a "workout in a bag" including all of the tools they will need to set and achieve individual fitness goals until we see them again.  They learned how to use these tools in strength and conditioning sessions designed to give them a practical introduction to the major components of fitness. These three sessions covered all of the basics:

• dynamic warm ups and their importance
• an introduction to strength training including squats, lunges, push ups and core strength
• circuit training

The focus of the day was on individual development, not competition, with a goal of encouraging the kids to see themselves in their Huskie mentors, student-athletes from the wrestling and track and field teams. These young people can take the skills and messages back to their peers and become leaders in their own communities.

We look forward to seeing them again for the next session and welcoming them as University of Saskatchewan students one day!

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Media highlights:

• The National Post - A joint U of S and STC program helped kids kick-start their dreams this weekend
• MBC News - U of S, Saskatoon Tribal Council partnership puts young First Nations athletes to the test
• The Star Phoenix - Kick-starting a dream: First Nations kids take a peek at elite-level sport
• Global News - New indigenous youth sports program stars at University of Saskatchewan and video
• CTV News - U of S program aims to train and inspire young Indigenous athletes and video