A little while ago, I had promised the announcements of a few new features this month. Well, I am here to deliver on that promise as I have three new segments to tell you all about!! These segments include the Athletics for Life Science Series, the extended Gaming Against Disease, and lastly, the Video Blog. Here’s a few more details on the new additions and upgrades to the Athletics for Life site.
So first up, and probably the thing I am most excited for is the Science Series. This series of videos is all about education. Since the beginning of this past school year, I had been performing double duty, both going to school to get my education, but also reading, dissecting, and collecting research articles and information regarding chronic diseases and physical activity/sport. I couldn’t dedicate much time to it during the school year, but with the school year being over, I have some spar time on my hands. So what that means is that I will be researching certain themes, compiling and learning the information, and then producing a video to educate you guys on the topic! I am also hoping to release a written version of the information for those of you who are like me, and can only really learn by reading the material. Now, here is where it gets complicated. I have no plans of just regurgitating the data and information I read, but rather I will be relaying the information as well as help you guys to connect the dots between what I have read and the foundation of AFL principles. It’s going to be really cool. The plan is to be releasing one of these segments each month, but keep in mind that these things take time! I know a month can be a long time for new content, but I am going to do my best to give you the best and most entertaining information possible!
The second new feature coming in May is an extension of the Gaming Against Disease platform that was launched back in March. For the first “episodes” of Gaming Against Disease, we launched the Gear Up Against Disease series, which will be returning this weekend, alongside Sarcastic Owl Productions. This was met with open hands, and now will be featuring new games. With my interest surrounding E-Sports, a FIFA stream will soon be available once the Twitch and Beam accounts have been set up. For more information regarding these streams, head over to the Gaming Against Disease tab. Gears of War and FIFA 17 not your thing? Don’t worry, there will be a variety of games and a rough schedule will be released to give you an idea of what game will be on what day. Also, a new Twitter account will be launched alongside the Twitch and Beam accounts in order to give live scheduling and let you know when AFL goes online. These video game streams will run under the same idea as the Gear Up Against Disease streams where you can send in your questions and have them answered in real time during the stream. Even if you don’t have a question you want answered, just come hang out and have fun!
The third and final new feature to be added to AFL is the use of Video Blogs (or Vlogs for short). While I am a huge fan of written blogs, I know it can be hard to always find yourself with the time to read the pages I write, especially when it could be so much easier to throw on a video in the background and go along with making dinner, or doing something else. With that in mind, I will be transferring current blogs to a video format which will be uploaded on YouTube, as well as on the site. These videos will cover a whole range of topics from living to chronic disease to sport to new and fascinating things I’ve learned, or one day you may even get a rant. These will center around things that are not fully structured, like what you would get in the Science Series, but are more so just a free-for-all with my thoughts, ideas, and rants of the day. Every now and then I may add in some soccer highlights, or training material I’ve been doing. Anyway, I think you guys get the idea!
So that is it for today! Keep a look out for these new things as they roll-out throughout May. The first of the Science Series videos will hopefully be released by May 27th (remember, one Science Series video per month). As for the Gaming Against Disease, I will be test trialing Twitch and Beam in the next few days and then releasing the date of the first stream. Video Blogs will start as soon as possible! Thanks everyone so far for all the support and keep checking back for all the new and exciting additions!