Making Lemonade out of Lemons: The Red Shirt Effect, Inspiration from Physical Educators Makes an Impact.
Creating something positive out of a challenging situation is the very definition of leadership, initiative, determination and commitment. All found in the creation of The Red Shirt Effect.
It is hard to be believe that we are into the 2nd consecutive April locked down and shut out of most sports activities. Ontario, Canada started a 28 day lockdown yesterday, a difficult measure by authorities to stem the once again rising number of COVID-19 cases.
In observing the events of the last year, one of the groups hit hardest are our young athletes. Those athletes that have lost the opportunity to compete in their favorite sport. We are not only referring to the high end elite athletes like those in the Ontario Hockey League, but also the thousands of young athletes who have lost their outlet for regular physical activity, both in the schools and with community teams. The concerns are significant on the ongoing impact to mental and physical health.
These are the times where true leaders shine through in creating lemonade out of lemons.
Enter the Red Shirt Effect.
The Red Shirt Effect (RSE) is a virtual sports platform created by Michelle Lange, Coordinator of Athletics for the Thames Valley Regional Athletic in London region, and her counterpart in Thunder Bay, Dave Pineau. The RSE is a virtual program geared to provide high school students with a connection to coaches and fitness experts to enhance their athletic skill, training ability, and nutrition.
The inspiration of the RSE is from pro basketball player and Canadian Kelly Olynyk. Now with the Houston Rockets of the NBA, Olynyk took a year off of competition after year 2 of his college career at Gonzaga. In university athletics, red shirting refers to a year off the competitive roster, often for development purposes. This year does not count towards college athletic eligibility. Olynyk came back with a better game, received all American honors, became a 2013 first round NBA draft pick , and gone on to a successful career with the Celtics, Heat and now Rockets.
Hence the virtual training series is called the Red Shirt Effect.
Creator Michelle Lange loves the Olynyk story.
“I thought of how Kelly took that third season off and came back stronger than the year before,” Lange is quoted in an article in the London Free Press *. “If he does not red shirt, then you don’t know his name. This has been a year of minimal games for everyone. Maybe some kids who did not make a football or basketball team do when everything comes back or maybe it’s just about being physically fit for life. I wanted this to target kids who need some exercise when they’re at home and underserved youth who don’t have a club sport to go to at night.”
Initiatives like this are exactly what are youth need during this crazy time.
As reported in a March 22nd article in the TVO, a public affairs communication organization**. In London and Thunder Bay, Lange and Pineau each work with local partners to develop programs tailored to their communities.
In Thunder Bay, where the program launched in February, Pineau asked a Sudbury firm to develop an easy-to-use virtual-training platform that coaches can use to interact with their students. He’s identified ambassadors —athletes and coaches — and recruited an Indigenous fitness trainer to connect with Indigenous students.
In London, Lange worked with local athletes and coaches to coordinate a series of high-performance videos that tackle basics including speed, agility, and strength and conditioning. They're done in real time so that kids can watch and follow along.
Launched in January, each week of the eight-week program features a range of videos for different skill levels and intensities. “Students can follow along from their mobile device,” Lange says. “They can follow along on their computer at any time of the day that they want to. They can choose which trainer they want to work with, or they can choose to mix it up if they want.”
Lange and Pineau are also working collaboratively to develop other components, such as an interview series with coaches to provide development resources for volunteer team coaches. They plan to share elements between the regions; a three-part series on sports psychology, for example, is being developed in Thunder Bay. Most of the funding has come from local school boards, the two say in the TVO article.
All students can access the program, regardless of whether they’re involved in team sports, Lange and Pineau say — and they want to see the program continue after the pandemic. “I feel like I’ve reached a lot of underserved populations,” says Lange. “It just really opens up doors for more opportunity for kids that you otherwise wouldn't have even seen in a traditional high-school sports year.”
There are many additional benefits to the program in addition to development of physical skills.
The social dimension is important, says Molly Driediger, an assistant professor in the school of kinesiology at Western University; the Red Shirt Effect adds “that extra element of engagement, especially if you're into fitness and performance-level athletics.” But online programs, she notes, do come with benefits: they’re easier to fit into a busy schedule and allow kids to work out at home.”**
The Red Shirt Effect has filled a void in providing an outlet to young people in getting some guidance and proper instruction on training safely and productively.
We need more of these stories initiated and shared to offset this challenging time. This is the kind of leadership that allows us all to show how to overcome challenges and make the best of situation where we have little control.
The online workouts are available here (notice the waiver and elements of risk form): http://tvraa.com/index.php/virtual-trainer-videos/
Sample workouts:
Resources and information used in the creation of this story:
** https://www.tvo.org/article/how-these-online-training-videos-are-getting-kids-active-during-covid-19
PLAY. LEAD. BE STRONG.
The Red Shirt Effect is not the only initiative designed to encourage, guide and inspire young people to keep moving during this challenging time. Regular activity not only improves performance on the field but also in the game of life. We are all athletes to a certain degree, and deserve the guidance and opportunity to move regularly.
Please share via our comment section of any initiatives you are aware of for online programming around getting young people active. We will share that with our network.
Other examples:
· Matrix Fitness, an equipment supplier launched a youth fitness initiative here.
· Playball Academy Canada in Kitchener, Ontario launched Play Ball @home in the spring of 2020 targeting both baseball & softball as well as fitness skills in 2020.
A sample PBA @home workout:
Feel Good Sports Story of the Week:
Trey Mancini plays baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. In 2019 he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. His recovery and return to play this spring is inspiring. https://www.si.com/mlb/2021/04/01/trey-mancini-colon-cancer-baltimore-orioles-return
Recently the players from the rival Boston Red Sox went out of their way to let him know how important his return is to all of them. A great gesture showing the respect and camaraderie athletes have for each other.
https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/red-sox/red-sox-make-trey-mancinis-return-cancer-extra-memorable