Last Days

G'day Mates! It has been awhile since I have blogged last due to my crazy schedule! Since my last blog I have learned how to sail, flew to Melbourne for the Australian Open, went to see La Soiree at the Sydney Opera House, and ofcourse have explored the amazing nightlife. I cannot believe I only have 3 days left here. These next couple of days are filled with excitement as well. Tommorow we get to play a match of netball..boys vs. girls ofcourse..and go on a farewell dinner cruise around the harbour. Saturday is Australia day which is the equivalent of the 4th of July in the United States. It will be filled with beaches, bbqs, and booze. Then, at night we get to go to the Domain to watch the Symphony perform and fireworks! On Sunday I will sadly depart back to the states:( But I can assure you this will not be my last visit to Australia!

New Mates:)

This blog post is dedicated to the amazing people I have met on this trip! The people you are with defintley make or break the experience...and this bunch without a doubt makes it! We've created some amazing..and hilarious..memories already! Can't wait to live up this last week with you guys:) Enjoy the pics...mwahaha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFL and Stadiums

This week we got to visit two of the big AFL teams in Sydney. On Monday we visited the GWS Giants and today we visited the Sydney Swans. The GWS Giants have just recently joined the AFL. The average age of their players is 19. This differs greatly from the Sydney Swans because the Swans have been around for a lot longer. The club was founded in 1874 and was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney Swans. The Swans also differ from the Giants because the average age of the players is 25. The Sydney Swans have won five premierships, including one in 2012. I am more likely to follow the Giants in the future because I was very pleased with the quality of the Giants visit. We were able to go into the training room and meet the managers and coaches of the team. The Swans visit did not give us nearly as many of the backstage privileges that the Giants visit did. Also, I want to follow the Giants to see them grow and develop. With all of the great athletes they have drafted, they are bound to put up a good fight against the other AFL teams.  

We got the opportunity to tour two of Sydney’s best sports venues which included the ANZ stadium and the SCG. The SCG is used for cricket, Australian Rules football, and some rugby league and rugby union matches. We got to see the changing rooms, the members club, and step foot onto the cricket field. The SCG is one of the oldest, most historical sports venues in Australia. There are parts of the SCG that are heritage protected, which means they cannot be changed or renovated. Our tour guide taught us that there are four types of cricket matches including: Test cricket, One Day International Cricket, Twenty20 cricket, and Fifty50 cricket.  He also informed us that the SCG has 28,000 members. Memberships have a big economic impact on whether the SCG thrives or not.

The ANZ stadium was completed in 1999. It was built as part of the Sydney Olympic Park. The opening ceremony, track and field events, and the closing ceremony were all held at the ANZ stadium. This stadium differs from the SCG because there is not nearly as much history. The ANZ stadium has state-of-the art engineering and design. The SCG preserves the old and does not add things that are not necessary. Also, the ANZ stadium seats more people than the SCG. The ANZ stadium seats 83,000 whereas the SCG seats 46,000.

As an athlete, I would prefer to play in the ANZ stadium since it has the newest modern technology. Also, from my observations, the grounds of the ANZ stadium were kept in better shape than the grounds of the SCG. There is a 5000 dollar fine for anyone who stands on the grass at the ANZ stadium. At the SCG, anyone is allowed to stand on the grass. I would also prefer the ANZ stadium because it can seat a bigger fan base, allowing more supporters to follow my team and me.

As a fan, I would prefer to go to the SCG because you can sit closer to the field. Also, the atmosphere is more relaxed and social than at the ANZ stadium where there is strict compliance with the rules of the stadium.

As a corporate executive, I would prefer to host a client at the ANZ stadium. The ANZ stadium is more impressive and offers the best of the best amenities. The ANZ stadium also offers corporate suites and fancy member clubs that businesses can rent out for their clients.

 

 

 

 

Sydney Olympic Park

Today we got to tour Sydney Olympic Park and discuss the economic impact of hosting worldwide events. We were fortunate enough to meet with Tony Houhlias who is the executive manager of sports development at Sydney Olympic Park. Sydney won the Olympic bid on September 23, 1993. Sydney must have got it right because the Sydney Olympic Games are still known as “the best games ever”.

The 2000 Olympic Games had a huge socio-economic impact on the city of Sydney. The total cost of staging the Olympic Games was 6.5 billion dollars. The Federal Government contributed 194 million dollars, the private sector contributed 1.3 billion dollars, and the NSW State Government contributed 2.3 billion dollars. The Olympic Games had record ticket sales, with over 91% sold. The Games were estimated to increase the Australian economy .12% over a 12 year period. One of the goals for the 2000 Olympic Games was to increase an interest and active participation in sport and physical activity by its residents. According to Tony, this goal was achieved. A big part of the reason why this goal was achieved is because Sydney Olympic Park has turned into Australia’s premier sport and major events destination. Sydney Olympic Park holds 6,000 events per year and welcomes everyone to enjoy the facilities and festivals in the park. The Olympic Games attracted 4 million people. Currently, 12.5 million people visit the park every year! The Olympic Games have increased the visitation to the Sydney Olympic Park area.

Australia benefited as a whole from the Olympic Games. An extra 1.6 million international visitors came to Australia as a result of the Games. This generated an additional 6.1 billion dollars in tourism earnings and created 150,000 new jobs. Australia was the first Olympic host nation to take full advantage of the Games to pursue tourism for the benefit of the whole country.

The unqualified success of the Games was an unexpected impact. Also, the ability to utilize the facilities in Sydney Olympic Park and actually increase visitation and revenue since the Games was an unexpected impact. The results exceeded the expectations of the organizers.

The societal benefits, improved infrastructure, and economic advantages makes hosting a mega-event profitable. The games increased the national pride of residents of Australia. They were proud of their athletes and the Games that their country had staged. As mentioned earlier, the Games created tremendous job opportunities and tourism earnings. The future of Sydney Olympic Park will continue to thrive through increased visitation, retail, and sports participation.

 

Fun Fact: McDonalds is referred to as "Mackas" in Australia and "Scum" is the U.K. (according to our tour guide Christian)

 

The Blue Mountains

              Today we went on a four hour educational hiking tour of the Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are a magical mountainous region in New South Wales, Australia that border Sydney’s metropolitan area. This was my favorite part of my trip thus far! We had a great tour guide, named Justin, who taught us about the history, importance, and beauty of the Blue Mountains. There is a lot of biodiversity in the Blue Mountains. Hiking through some areas felt as if you were in a rain forest while others felt as if you were in the desert. I observed many plants, trees, and animals that I had never seen before. One of the plants we saw could eat insects, which I found to be quite fascinating. Another plant we saw was a dwarf mountain pine. These plants are neat because they are very rare and can only be found where water is constantly flowing. Tee trees could be found all around the Blue Mountains. If you take the flowers off these trees and crush them up they smell like fresh basil and pesto. Some of the animals we ran into included cockatoos, skinks, lizards, chameleons, and snakes. We also saw many beautiful waterfalls. I heard the sounds of birds chirping, snakes rattling, water falling, and our own echoes. I learned from Justin that each meter of rock takes one million years to form…keep in mind the highest point of the Blue Mountains is 1,215 meters! I also learned that the Blue Mountains are inhibited by over 400 different forms of animals. While hiking the mountains, I felt a range of emotions including fear, excitement, and amazement. The steep and slippery climb is not for the young at heart. But if you are cautious you will not be disappointed by the breathtaking sights the mountains have to offer.

              I think that this hike was incorporated into our syllabus because it gave us an appreciation for the environment. It was a reminder to all of us that it is important to take every step possible to preserve the environment so that beautiful places, such as the Blue Mountains, can survive and thrive. It also was a reminder to stay active and enjoy what the world has to offer. Justin gave us a depressing statistic that an overwhelming amount of kids in Western countries spend 50% of their days behind screens. Their days are consumed by TV, computers, and video games rather than living an active lifestyle. I also think that we went to the Blue Mountains simply for the fact that the views we got to see were more beautiful than any place we have ever been before. I highly recommend for anyone who visits Australia to hike the Blue MountainsJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sports Participation in Australia

Participating in sports and physical recreation are important features of the Australian lifestyle. Australia does a great job educating the community about the benefits for participants. These can include making social connection, improving one’s health, and having a better overall well-being. I have observed that Australians hold their well-being and health at high importance. People fill the parks, beaches, and walking trails in Australia to partake in leisurely sports with friends or to do their daily exercise. Along many of the trails you can find stations set up for pushups, chin-ups, and other circuit training exercises. Around Australia there are a number of tennis courts, golf courses, and sports clubs that are open to the public. This makes it very accessible for anyone who wants to participate in the sport of their interest to have a go!

Sports participation is different in Australia than in the United States because it is more accessible, highly encouraged, and incorporated into everyday life. Also, there are more elderly participants in Australia than in the United States. According to the article we read for today, only 31% of older Americans report that they do the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity most days compared to 54% of older Australians.

People of all ages can be seen participating in sports in Australia. Today we went to the Clovelly Bowling Club to participate in lawn bowling. There were young adult participants as well as elderly participants. This illustrated the range of ages that participate in Australian sports. It also showed that the elderly are more active than the sedentary life we stereotype them to live. The more physically challenging sports, such as rugby, surfing, football, soccer, etc., attract younger participants. The more leisurely sports, such as lawn bowling, golf, and tennis, attract older participants.

One change that I would like to see in American sports is the accessibility for kids who want to join club sports.  In America clubs can be extremely expensive, competitive, and hard to get into. In Australia clubs are really cheap which allows kids to get involved in the sports they are interested in. Below are some pictures of my lawn bowling experience. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Australian Football

Sports are an important part of the culture of the United States and Australia. Today we got to meet with the director of exercise science, the head of development, the sports manager, and the coach of the Western Sydney Giants to learn about Australian football. The Giants are a new football league in the AFL and are only in their fifth year of development. The goal of the Giants’ athletes and trainers are to produce elite sportsman who perform at an elite level.

Australian football is a mix of rugby, soccer, and basketball. It is played on an oval fiend with 360 degree action with 38 players on the field at one time. The only protection Australian football players wear is mouth guards. The average length that a player runs in one game is half of a marathon!

Unlike American football athletes, Australian football athletes are drafted right out of high school. The average age of a player on the Giants is only 19 years. The players on the Giants are not treated as “untouchable” like athletes in America. They are treated very well and closely monitored. Their housing and food are all paid for. On top of that, they make anywhere from 100,000 to one million dollars per year for playing. 

The fans have accessibility to professional leagues practices which is very different than in America. Today we got observe a full Giants’ practice and even meet some of the players! Below is a picture of some of the players lifting in the training room. One of the challenges for Giants football is the development of supporters and fans. Since they are a new team, it will take about 20 years to create the fan base of 80,000 per match that they are hoping for.

The teams in Australia are not privately owned like some of the teams in America. Sponsors play a huge role in supporting Australian sports. They are especially important when starting up a new organization, such as the Western Sydney Giants. Skoda and Life broker are two of the big sponsors for the Giants.

Fun Fact: “Dodgey” is an Australian term for “sketchy” or “janky”

 

 

Sydney Festival

Sydney Festival is a major arts festival that runs for three weeks every January. The festival offers over 100 events including dance, music, circus, drama, visual arts, and artist talks. The majority of the events are free! Last night we saw the band Sing the Truth play for free at the Domain. This band encompassed the sounds of jazz, gospel, blues, folk, and R&B. The concert attracted close to 500,000 people!

The people you see in the street in Sydney look different, depending on the area you are in. If you are in Martin’s Place, you will see people in business clothes since it is the financial district in Sydney. If you are anywhere else in the city, most people are dressed in casual wear. People of all ages live in Sydney; however I have noticed that the city is dominated by backpackers and tourists in their 20s and 30s. I have not met one rude person yet. The people here are very friendly and are happy to help you with any questions you may have.

We have been to Bondi beach and Manly beach thus far. Bondi beach is a hot spot for the younger crowd. When you are there, it feels like one big party. Bondi beach can be compared to the “Jersey Shore” in America. Manly beach is a more family friendly, calmer beach. Both of the beaches have a boardwalk where you can shop, eat, and enjoy the scenery.

The transportation in Australia includes bus, train, and ferries. My favorite way to get around is on the ferries because you can sit outside on the ferry and get a breathtaking view of the city! It is very easy to navigate your way around Sydney with all of the transportation that is available.

 

Pylon and Horse Racing

 

Racing and Sponsorship

Today we visited the V8 Motor Cars Eastern Creek International Raceway to learn about racing in Australia. The development of the raceway was approved by the NSW state government in 1989, and opened in 1990. This raceway hosts a range of events such as concerts, free ride days, Ferrari experiences, driver trainings, and a variety of motor/car racing festivals. Although racing is a relatively new sport in Australia, it is still important for the economy. Since the track offers multiple events, the sport attracts all ages and types of people. The opening of the raceway created many jobs for people, staffing over 500 people for each big event. Small businesses around the area, such as shops, hotels, pubs, and restaurants, benefit from the fans that attend the raceway. The races and events themselves bring in a big profit, selling up to 27,000 tickets at the bigger events. Overall, racing positively affects the Australian economy.

Corporations decide whether to sponsor an event or sport by creating a sponsorship policy and adhering to it. This policy specifies what a company will sponsor, what it won’t sponsor, which audiences should be targeted, quantity of sponsorships that should be undertaken over a given period, and the level of sponsorship de voted to each event. Corporations must also keep in mind that sponsorships can be used and interpreted by consumers as a symbolic expression of organizational identity. From the Australian sports we have experiences thus far; KFC, Jack Daniels, Nissan, Corona, Altima, Coca Cola, and Carleton Draught are all big corporate sponsors.

Today we also got to visit the Sydney Wildlife Park where we got to feed kangaroos and pet koalas…so cuteJ

 

Tennis vs. Cricket

Today we got learn what tennis and cricket are all about in Australia! All in one day, we got to attend the Medibank Sydney International Tennis Tournament at the Sydney Olympic Park and watch a cricket game between the Sydney Sixers and the Melbourne Renegades. One notable difference between the two events was the patrons/fans that attended each of them. At the tennis tournament, the fans used “gentlemen’s etiquette”. There was minimal talking while the match was going on and there were no vulgar comments and booing towards the opposing tennis player(s). The majority of the crowd was middle age and older fans. The cricket game was a completely different scene! The fans were rowdy and in full spirits for their favorite team. Fans ranged through all ages. It was more of a social event where talking with your mates, drinking multiple beers, and cursing at the opposing team was the norm (all in good fun of course). One of the activities that some fan members took place in was “shooting the boot”. This is when you pour your whole beer into a shoe and chug it in front of the crowd. After someone “shot the boot”, there was a lot of cheering and a count down from eight, signaling the start of the Mexican Wave (known as the wave in the US).

Volunteers are crucial when running a major sports event. They are important for club and sport operations and in fostering the growth and development of the game. One area where I found volunteers to be extremely helpful with at the events today was crowd control. At the tennis match, the volunteers made sure that people did not enter while the match was in play. They kept a constant eye out for open spots and guided fans quickly and efficiently to the open seats when the match was not in play. They did a great job respecting the players, while also making sure that all of the fans were accommodated. At the cricket game, the volunteers were helpful getting fans through the gates quickly and guiding you where you needed to be.

             One bloggable moment…as my professor Shelly would say…was having the doors of the train shut on me while the rest of my group had already disembarked. With no phone and my nonexistent sense of direction, I was a bit worried. However, I was eventually reunited with my group safelyJ Below are pictures of my group at the cricket game, Anderson from South Africa, and the Bryan brothers from the USA!

 

Pictures

       Unfortunatley, the slow internet is making it close to impossible to post pictures. But here are a few including a visit to North Head and a tour of the Rocks District!

Backpacking

After walking on a 3 mile coastal trek from Cogee Beach to Bondi Beach with a backpack on, I have a much greater appreciation for backpacking! Backpacking is a form of low-cost, independent international travel. The backpacker market is continually growing and has an impact on both the economy and the environment. The backpacker market contributes significantly to marginal communities in less developed countries. This seems to be the case because they are directing the majority of their spending toward local goods and services in the area where they are staying. Backpackers also have a positive economic impact on youth hostels, where they can stay at an inexpensive rate. As an American, when I think of a hostel, I think of staying in a rat infested room with criminals as my hostel mates. Contrary to my stereotype, the hostels in Australia are known for their cleanliness and safety.

 Backpackers seem to have a better impact on the environment due to their desire to spend less, thus consuming fewer resources than the average consumptive mass tourist. When combined with volunteer tourism, backpacking can make a positive contribution to the social, natural, and economic environment. Volunteer tourism involves both the volunteer and host gaining from the backpacking experience.

Backpackers are less likely to attend a sporting event due to their focus on living minimally. However, they are more likely to participate in a sporting event because they are highly interested in immersing themselves into new cultures and meeting new people. Backpacking can be a great opportunity for self-discovery and is now on my bucket list:)

Fun Fact: The Australian term for swimsuit is “coozies” or “bathers”

 

 

First Day in the Big City!

After a full day's worth of traveling, I finally made it to Sydney! The weather was a balming 86 degrees today...a drastic difference from the negative temperatures the Midwest is experiencing right now! It is hard for me to think that I am here taking a class when it feels more like I am on a tropical vacation! Once we landed at the Sydney airport, we were greeted by our tour guide, Russ, and escorted to the apartments where we would be staying. After we settled in, Russ took us on a walking tour of Sydney to get us acquainted with the city. First, Russ took us to lunch at a local vendor who is known for his meat pies. When I received the pie with green and gray mush on the top, I was less than excited. However, to my surprise, it was very tasty! All in one day, Russ gave us a quick glance at the Opera house, Harbour Bridge, Hyde Park, Darling Harbour, the Botanic Gardens, and Chinatown. After we finished our brief introduction to Sydney, we ate a nice dinner at the Bluebird Cafe in Darling Harbour which was delicious! After a long day of walking and some serious jet lag, I am getting some much needed sleep tonight. Pictures to come later in the week:)

Study Abroad 2013

I am using this blog to document my first study abroad experience in Sydney, Australia! Enjoy:)