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There is a growing awareness of the direct correlation between increasing inactivity in children and rising obesity levels and the subsequent need to educate children, youth and families about healthy, active living. Research shows that children and youth require at least one hour of sustained physical activity daily and that promoting active lifestyles for the whole family and community results in a greater likelihood of the maintenance of an active lifestyle into adulthood.
 In 2002-2003, the Medical Society of Nova Scotia (now called Doctors Nova Scotia) joined forces with Sport Nova Scotia in a Health Through Sport initiative. This initiative was research-based and arose out of the recognition that the best avenue in which to promote and sustain youth activity is through organized sport. Skill acquisition, training to achieve personal goals, regular commitment and the social benefits of being part of a team are all aspects of sport, making it appealing to youth as a choice for fitness.
The Doctors Nova Scotia and Sport Nova Scotia prescription for Health Through Sport outlines a list of common activities and ranks them according to their overall fitness benefit. The Guide to Getting Your Family Physically Active outlines some benefits of participating in sports, as well as how to assess a youth sports program for its health benefits.
 A core group of parents with a wide range of expertise and interests determined that a program with a focus on fitness-for-life skills was needed in their community, and also recognized that a sport with an end result was the best glue to cement such a program together. Because competitive swimming as an activity ranks as one of the highest for its healthy benefits, the decision was made to develop a children’s swim team modeled after the program outlined by the Health Through Sport guides. Our small but dedicated and talented group of volunteers worked to initiate and develop such a swim team - one that would be focused on much more than just competition - and so began the Cole Harbour Hurricanes.
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The Cole Harbour Hurricanes swim team was established the winter following Hurricane Juan. While this storm was a devastating event in and of itself, it also held a fascination for many. Hurricane Juan demonstrated the power and strength of a full-scale storm like nothing else Nova Scotians had seen for a very long time.
Hurricanes have an eye of calm winds and low pressure, surrounded by an eye-wall of intense thunderstorms with high winds and heavy rain. These bands of thunderstorms spiral into the eye-wall of the hurricane, allowing the air to warm further and rise higher into the atmosphere, adding strength and intensity to the hurricane.
Our program is designed to help children - from the very young “Gusts” to the intermediate “Thunder” to the more experienced “Lightning” to finally, the highly-advanced “Tropical Storm” group - develop to their fullest potential as individuals.
When the groups combine as a team they have the strength and intensity associated with hurricanes - and so the name seemed a logical choice for what we were about to unleash on the swimming world! |
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 The Cole Harbour Hurricanes’ team logo is part of the official nautical warning signal for a hurricane: a red square with a smaller black square inside.
Technically, a single flag indicates a storm or gale warning and an actual hurricane-warning signal would be TWO of these flags, one on top of the other. Depending upon the intensity and direction of the storm, the warning flags are altered.
In 1878, the US Signal Service adopted two flags that were being used as the official warning signals for two specific weather systems: a high-wind warning flag and a cold-wave warning flag. Each measured 6 by 8 feet and was visible for great distances. The high-wind warning flag, a plain red flag, indicated winds were expected to exceed 25 mph. The cold-wave warning flag was white with a 2-foot square black centre.
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.jpg) Our complete logo includes a swimmer in the centre of the black square and our team name in the red area. However, the logo can be used with or without these additions and has been adapted to suit a number of different methods of communicating who we are and what we represent. It has become very quickly recognizable in the summer swimming community!
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There Must Be 50 Ways To Use a Logo |
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