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Under Armour Trampoline

The Importance Of Sports In Our Lives

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It’s funny to look back and remember a time when I was worried that my kids wouldn’t love sports the same way I had as a child. I’ve made a conscious effort not to push them down any path they didn’t want to venture down but it seems as though the sports bug has attached itself to them and I couldn’t be happier.

Don’t get me wrong, had they decided to love computer programming, science or cooking, we would have figured out a way to support them and learn it together, but I’m extremely happy that they have chosen sports as their hobbies of choice. Balancing sports, meal planning and life schedules isn’t always easy but we have found a way to make it work for everyone so far.

Julia UA Gymnastics

The lessons they have learned through sport are invaluable as we see them growing more confident in all aspects of their lives each and every day. For our son, who is playing hockey, track & field and competitive baseball, he is learning to become a leader by demonstrating a determination that I am constantly surprised by. As a competitive gymnast and soccer player, our daughter has a focus and drive that she definitely did not get from either one of us and we know she is destined for something very special someday.

As parents we get the incredible opportunity to watch the kids beam with pride as all of their hard work pays off in different ways and it is the greatest feeling in the world. Some people see chaos in all of this but all the shuttling, travel, hotels, weather and bills are worth the friendships, laughter, fun, competition and personal growth that come with being a sports family and I wouldn’t trade a single thing.

Lucas Under Armour Baseball

The kids were really excited when I told them that Under Armour and Sport Chek were looking for their 2018 Team UA NEXT Canadian Youth Ambassadors and we started planning out our audition video right way. All 7 to 12 year-old hard-working athletes are eligible to compete to become the face of Under Armour in a brand campaign at Sport Chek stores across Canada and can submit a nomination by visiting TeamUAnext.ca!

The winning boy and girl will join the elite roster of Under Armour athletes and serve as a youth ambassador for the brand. In addition to being featured in the brand campaign, winners will receive exclusive access to Under Armour gear. Parents, guardians, mentors and coaches have until August 31, 2017 to nominate a young athlete online at TeamUAnext.ca.

For more information on TEAM UA NEXT Canada powered by Sport Chek, or to submit a nomination, visit TeamUAnext.ca. You can follow along and share at the @UnderArmourNext Instagram page as well. Also check out Sport Chek on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as Under Armour on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #TAKEYOURSPOT and #UANEXTCANADA.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this campaign.

Team UA Next Ambassadors

Under Armour & Sport Chek Are Looking For The 2018 Team UA NEXT Canadian Youth Ambassadors!

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This month marks the launch of the 2nd annual Team UA NEXT Canada Powered by Sport Chek campaign, as it sets out to find the NEXT generation of Under Armour athletes! All 7 to 12 year-old hard-working athletes are eligible to compete to become the face of Under Armour in a brand campaign at Sport Chek stores across Canada.

When I showed this to my kids they both immediately begged me to start shooting video so they could enter the contest. After about an hour of filming for just one of my children I would like to suggest to Under Armour and Sport Chek that they also look for the Team UA NEXT Dad Ambassadors for next year, haha. I’m kidding, I love how passionate they were about having their entry videos look just right!

The winning boy and girl will join the elite roster of Under Armour athletes and serve as a youth ambassador for the brand. In addition to being featured in the brand campaign, winners will receive exclusive access to Under Armour gear. Parents, guardians, mentors and coaches have until August 31, 2017 to nominate a young athlete online at TeamUAnext.ca.

You simply have to submit videos throughout the summer showing your kids’ passion and athleticism to make a compelling case for why they should the next Under Armour athlete. “Last year hundreds of talented young athletes from coast to coast showed us how they hustle, persevere, and compete and we are excited to see who will tryout this year,” said Shana Ferguson, Marketing Director, Under Armour Canada.

The current Team UA NEXT Canada Powered by Sport Chek campaign features twelve-year-olds Brenden McLeod of Newmarket and Maya Rajhans of Etobicoke. Brenden is a hockey and lacrosse player and Maya is a basketball and soccer player. They were chosen because they had the right mix of determination, passion, teamwork, and WILL. Here is a promo video showing Brenden and Maya as Team UA NEXT ambassadors.

I know my kids are pumped to start making videos and I hope you’ll join in as well! For more information on TEAM UA NEXT Canada powered by Sport Chek, or to submit a nomination, visit TeamUAnext.ca. You can follow along and share at the @UnderArmourNext Instagram page as well. Also check out Sport Chek on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as Under Armour on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #TAKEYOURSPOT and #UANEXTCANADA.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this campaign.

Nike Running SportChek

Back To School Also Means Back To Fitness

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This is a tough thing to admit but I tend to make a lot of excuses when it comes to my health and well being. No matter how often I think about being active, I always seem to have an excellent reason to do the exact opposite of that. Take this past year, for instance. I was working out at my local GoodLife Fitness at least 4 times a week and started training for my first 5K in the Canada Army Run. How many times do you think I’ve gone running from that day to about a week ago, almost a full year later? Zero! That’s right, in some twisted trick that my brain played on me, I had completed my goal and therefore had nothing left to prove. Even my time at GoodLife has been reduced to once a week, which is completed unacceptable.

Now that the kids are back in school and I have realized just how many hours there are in the day, I have decided to pick myself up off the couch and get my butt moving again. I figure one of these days it’s going to click, so as many times as I get off track I think it’s equally as important to keep fighting for consistency in my exercise regimen. I also decided that I couldn’t keep running in the discount running shoes I had been using, so I turned to Sport Chek for some assistance and decided on the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 32 running shoes. Between the sole support and the mesh uppers, these shoes make it feel like I am running on top of clouds. Look at them up there in all their orange glory!

Just so you don’t think I’m a selfish monster, I also let my wife and kids pick out some new shoes. Besides, back to school seems like a special enough occasion to warrant some shiny new kicks, right? That and the fact that my kids have been running with me to keep me motivated. My wife, who has also been joining me on this exercising adventure, went with the Nike LunarGlide 7 women’s running shoes and I could tell by the spring in her step that she made the right decision. The kids? Well, my daughter saw the Skechers Twinkle Toes shoes, glittery with light up ability, and practically started shaking with excitement. My son chose the Under Armour Micro-G Velocity shoes because of the colour… Kids, am I right? I told both children that they could pose any way they would like to show off their new shoes and, go figure, they both decided to wear the shoes on their hands instead of their feet. Again, kids.

Under Armor SportChek

Under Armour Mirco-G Velocity Kids’ Grade-School Running Shoes

Skechers Twinkle Toes SportChek

Skechers Twinkle Toes Sport Chek

And there you have it. I have now successfully run 5 times in the last two weeks and I am starting to get that confidence back in my stride. Here’s hoping it sticks around but as you all know, I won’t be afraid to admit it if I get knocked down again. I would also like to say thanks to Sport Chek for helping me select my awesome new running shoes. I expected the price to be obscene and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was going to cost me an arm and a leg for excellent quality equipment. You can find out more about what’s happening at Sport Chek by checking out their Facebook and Twitter pages.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this program, however I did in fact fall off the health wagon again and the shoes really do feel like what I imagine clouds to feel like.