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Day: July 29, 2016

3 ways technology has changed the world of sports and fitness

Posted on by ARRC Technology

Over the years, technology has managed to change a little portion of every part of our lives.  We experience these changes when we sleep, when we relax, work, eat, socialize, travel…

You name it, and technology has probably changed it… and only stands to change it more.

One facet of life technology has changed immensely would be the world of sports and fitness.  It’s given us instant access to personalized fitness data.  It’s shown us how to approach exercise in a more effective manner.  And it’s allowed us the opportunity to interact with games on a different level with a different mindset adopting different expectations.

But how is this all happening?  Here are a few examples.

Apps

Smartphone applications have turned the fitness world upside down.  From tracking and monitoring to personalized workout suggestions and ongoing motivation, there’s a fitness app on nearly everyone’s phone.

  • The Johnson & Johnson’s Official 7 Minute Workout will start you off at a customized fitness level, give you access to a library full of workouts, and walk you through a perfectly balanced 7-minute session.
  • MyFitnessPal won’t just track your workouts and calories burned, but it will also provide you with a database of foods and drinks to help you manage what you eat.
  • Pact wants you to track your workouts and food consumption; however, if you don’t reach your daily goals, you’ll be forced to pay up. On the flip side, if you do reach your goals, you’ll get paid.

Wearables

Wearables like Fitbit, Garmin, and Jawbone are well known by the general public.  Many people use wearables like these to track their daily activities, but nowadays, wearables go above and beyond high-tech watches.

  • The Welt is a belt made in the name of wellness (hence the term Welt), and it will monitor the steps you take, as well as any overeating that you may partake in.
  • The Sensoria smart sock is a sock that can track how fast you run, how far you go, and well you do it.
  • A Misfit wearable can be worn like a typical watch to track your swimming, running, and activity levels, but it can also be worn as a necklace, tucked into a diamond encrusted bracelet, slipped inside your pocket, or attached to your sock.

Gadgets

Technology in sports and fitness isn’t all about monitoring how far you go and how much you lose.  Technology also aims to help you become a better player at your game of choice and to help you stay safer in the process.

  • FitGuard is an intelligently designed mouth guard that can be used to sense the likelihood of a head-injury from high impact sports like Football.
  • VERT is a jump monitor that allows people involved in sports such as basketball and volleyball to understand their jump loads and effectively prevent injuries.
  • 94Fifty is a smart basketball that pairs with a smartphone application to show you how to shoot better, dribble harder, and improve follow through.
  • SmartMat is designed for a better experience with yoga. It detects alignment and connects with your smartphone to give you real-time feedback.

 

These aren’t the only adjustments technology has made to the sporting world.  Just take a look at the Levi’s Stadium.  This high-tech stadium combines super modern Wi-Fi technology with smartphone applications and colossal LED TVs.  You can order food from your seat, check on the wait times at any nearby bathroom, and watch live replays right from your phone.  Technology has done some rather exciting and extremely useful things to the world of sports and fitness.  It’ll be interesting to see where it takes us next.

Fostering Fundamentals with Covenant Community Services

Posted on by ARRC Technology

On Tuesday, July 26th and Wednesday, July 27th, ARRC Technology, in partnership with Covenant Community Services (Covenant), provided fifteen former foster youth the opportunity to attend a two-day training program called Fostering Fundamentals. During this event, they were trained by ARRC Technology and CharTec employees about the skills necessary to enter and succeed in a professional work environment. At the completion of the program each attendee was able to take home a desktop computer complete with Microsoft Office.

 

covenant-arrc-main-training-room-shane-shannon

ARRC’s COO, Shane Swanson, and CharTec’s HR Generalist, Shannon Craig, discuss what they expect from a candidate during the interview process.

“[Covenant and ARRC] have a history that goes back to around 2005, and as of August 1st of 2008 ARRC has provided around $87,000 worth of products and services to Covenant,” said Randy Martin, CEO of Covenant. “We literally would not be able to do the stuff we do without the support of ARRC.”

 

Covenant is a nonprofit that serves former foster youth, and their families in Kern County. “Covenant impacts over one hundred 18 to 25-year-olds every day who would not be able to get educational, vocational, mental health, spiritual, and housing without the platforms we use,” said Randy. Covenant provides hope through a unique set of services and support that includes coffee shops, mentoring, transitional housing, vocational training, and more.

“The harsh reality is that once they leave high school, they’ll want to go to college.  But only 1% will actually graduate,” said Randy. So the goal behind Fostering Fundamentals is to encourage these young adults to feel like they have the tools necessary to succeed in college, as well as in the workplace.

“The Fostering Fundamentals experience not only provided a computer and computer education, but a journey of self-discovery and hope. Each participant was encouraged and enabled to embrace their life story for the purpose of finding hope and skills that lead to personal transformation,” said Randy. “What a powerful and impacting two days! On behalf of the youth we serve I want to thank the team at ARRC for investing their time, talent and treasure!”

During this event, each young adult attended sessions about what human resource managers and corporate executives look for in candidates, and they had the opportunity to work on their resumes and cover letters in the presence of an HR professional. They were involved in sessions that discussed proper workplace etiquette and communication, the importance of a strong work ethic, organizing their finances and taxes, and applying for financial aid. The computer that each attendee used during the session are the computers they took home with them.  Each computer contained the documents and handouts they were given.

 

“The purpose of this training was to give these young adults the tools, training, and confidence they need to be successful at whatever it is they decide to do with their lives – whether that means attending college or immediately entering the workforce. ARRC Technology is truly invested in the lives of former foster youth, and our hope is to continue this program every year to reach even more young adults.”

 

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Go1v5apInU” width=”800″]

 

Covenant Community Services and Covenant Coffee (covenantcoffee.e-beans.net) is located at 1700 N. Chester Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301. For more information about Covenant visit covenantcs.net or connect with Covenant on Facebook, facebook.com/covenantcs.

Be sure to follow this link (http://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/former-foster-youth-attend-a-two-day-educational-program-on-succeeding-in-the-professional-world) to see the segment 23ABC put together to showcase Fostering Fundamentals.