Approach the Millennium with the Benefits Originally published in Recreation Saskatchewan

Approach the Millennium with the Benefits Approach. Whereever you come from and whatever you do within the Saskatchewan parks and recreation movement, the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association encourages you to believe in the value of creating more awareness of the benefits of recreation.

As we begin the eve of the Millennium, we celebrate the incredible accomplishments at the community level in the decades before. Dedicated volunteers and professionals combined their hearts, voices and strengths to advocate the long-term benefits of recreation, fitness, sports, arts, culture and parks toward a healthy and fit lifestyle.

Over the next while, S.P.R.A. will present ways you and your community can apply the principles of the "benefits" approach. The benefits approach can effectively improve planning, policy, advocacy, and program development and design in your organization or community.

So far, S.P.R.A. and its members and partners introduced the Benefits Catalogue as one way of providing practical assistance, a resource supporting the economic, social, personal, and environmental impacts of program development and service delivery in Saskatchewan. S.P.R.A. has also developed a strategic plan to support the commitment to take a benefits approach in all aspects of the organization, and to guide us toward successfully using the benefits approach.

To really be effective in our delivery of recreation programs and services, there must be a focus on outcomes to ensure that programs, services and other investments are oriented towards the ‘ends’ or desired outcomes. The ‘means’ or process to accomplish the means include promoting messages that describe why recreation is essential to personal health, balanced human development, quality of life, reducing anti-social behavior, building strong families, reducing health care, social service, and police/justice costs, generating economic growth, and ecological survival.

It’s all up to us. Getting the message out. Believing in our ability to achieve desired results. Utilizing eight key messages in our program and service delivery promotes the benefits and outcomes of recreation. Doing so ensures we really are delivering the benefits of recreation within those programs and services to our full potential.Watch in 1999 for our continuing S.P.R.A. series on the benefits of recreation, to be published in following issues of Recreation Saskatchewan.

Fourteenth SaskFit Conference on its way! There are benefits to offering your expertise to our 14th SaskFit Conference Committee. You may be actively involved in the fitness community, just excited about fitness development or someone who wants to lend your skills to organize S.P.R.A.’s legacy to the Saskatchewan fitness community.

SaskFit, the province’s premiere annual fitness conference, will be presented in Regina on November 5,6,7, 1999! In our fourteenth year of offering continuing education and practical techniques to fitness leaders through SaskFit conferences, you can be sure the conference in 1999 will provide exciting and innovative ways to help you build upon your base of fitness leadership skills.

Please consider becoming a part of SaskFit’s exciting organizing committee. You’ll experience the benefits of recreation and Active Living if you do! Call Karyn Mossing at (306) 780-9206 to discuss this rewarding volunteer opportunity.

The Value of Fitness Leadership Certification The S.P.R.A. Fitness Division’s vision is to encourage all residents of Saskatchewan to lead a healthy active lifestyle through fitness classes led by S.P.R.A. certified fitness leaders. S.P.R.A. is recognized as the provincial certifying organization for fitness leaders in Saskatchewan and presents a full program of Fitness Leadership Certification courses throughout the year.

To this end, the Fitness Division Committee continuously responds to innovative and emerging trends in the fitness field. Committee members provide direction concerning the content and implementation policies and procedures for the Fitness Leadership Certification Program. Chief among its goals is to provide fitness leadership certification programs of the highest standard of excellence.

In addition to a Basic Theory course, certification is awarded in specialty module areas according to need. On a national level, The Fitness Division is also represented on the National Fitness Leadership Advisory Council (NFLAC), a collective collaborative partnership dedicated to developing, promoting and recognizing the use of national guidelines and standards for fitness leadership and certification, leading to improved quality and safety.

For more information on S.P.R.A.’s Fitness Leadership Certification Program, including the courses listed below, or to inquire about hosting a S.P.R.A. Fitness Leadership Certification course in your community, please contact the Fitness Division office at (306) 780-9206.

S.P.R.A. Fitness Certification Course Schedule – 1999 Winter/Spring JanuaryJanuary 8-10 Basic Theory University of Saskatchewan SaskatoonJanuary 22-24 (30/31) Aerobic Specialty Module University of Saskatchewan SaskatoonJanuary 22-24 Aqua Fitness Specialty Module Harry Bailey Aquatic Centre Saskatoon

FebruaryFebruary 5-7 (February 12-14 Evaluation) Strength Training Specialty Module University of Saskatchewan SaskatoonFebruary 6,13,20,27 Basic Theory Kinsmen Sportplex Moose JawMarchMarch 5-7 Basic Theory University of Saskatchewan SaskatoonMarch 13, 14 (April 10 Evaluation) Aqua Fitness Specialty Module Kinsmen Sportplex Moose JawMarch 19-21 (March 27/28 Evaluation)

Aerobic Fitness Specialty Module University of Saskatchewan SaskatoonAprilApril 9-11 (April 17/18 Evaluation) Strength Training Specialty Module University of Saskatchewan SaskatoonMayMay 8-10 Basic Theory University of Saskatchewan SaskatoonMay 28-30 (June 5/6 Evaluation) Aerobic Fitness Specialty Module University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon.

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