Kin Games

The Kinesiology (KIN) Games is the largest student-run undergraduate Kinesiology conference in Canada. Initiated in 2001, this competition is held each year and is hosted by a Kinesiology faculty, school, or unit at a particular post-secondary institution in Canada. The conference aims to create an accessible KIN Games environment that thrives on student diversity, promotes student health and well-being, and fosters meaningful peer-to-peer connections.
What are the KIN Games?
The KIN Games competition is held over the course of two consecutive days, and focuses primarily on four main categories: team dance, team spirit, academic challenges, and athletics.
The athletic events are designed in such a way that avoids the resemblance to established sports. In this way, competitors are tested on their adaptive athleticism - levelling the playing field for everyone, regardless of their expertise. On the academic component, the competitors will typically take part in quiz-style events that test knowledge of such topics as exercise physiology, human growth, anatomy, and biomechanics.
In 2017, the University of Manitoba (U of M) in Winnipeg will host over 800 undergraduate students from more than 30 different Kinesiology programs across Canada as part of the KIN Games. Participating schools will send teams that typically range anywhere between 15-30 members.
The Three Pillars
The Kinesiology (KIN) Games strive to promote student learning, intercultural understanding, and sustainability.
Student Learning
By engaging students in activities that demand an element of academic rigour, KIN Games will create an enriched educational experience through academic challenges that require practical application of discipline-specific knowledge, integration of Kinesiology concepts and theories and working through real-world scenarios that encompass multiple Kinesiology-related fields including but not limited to, physical and health education, recreational and community leadership, public health, sport psychology, applied movement, anatomy and physiology, and neuromuscular movement.
Intercultural Understanding
In alignment with the UBC Statement of Respectful Environment for Students, Faculty, and Staff, the 2015 KIN Games Committee aims to create the best possible environment for working and learning in which respect, civility, diversity, opportunity, and inclusion are valued. As per UBC’s Statement, the promotion of the ‘freest’ possible exchange of information fosters the expression of ideas, beliefs and opinions in diverse forms. The KIN Games Committee fully agrees with this statement, thus will place importance on creating a respectful environment where students from across Canada embody characteristics of sportsmanship and recognition of diversity through education, increased awareness and prompt action. There will be no acceptance of any forms of personal harassment during the Games as the Committee wants to create a safe environment for all of the participants.
In conjunction, the promotion of dialogue, awareness and collaboration specifically with the Musqueam nation on the campus community will occur. One initiative the Committee is pursuing is to include the traditional aboriginal game of "Lacrosse" into our athletic component. We will also look for opportunities to have speakers at our opening or closing ceremonies of Aboriginal descent to speak on their experiences pertaining to kinesiology, health and wellness, or sport.
Sustainability
The 2015 KIN Games Committee intends to cultivate a new and improved KIN Games culture that is socially and environmentally sustainable by reducing its carbon footprint by utilizing the public transit system and supporting initiatives set in place by the Center for Interactive Research on Sustainability (CIRS). Some of these initiatives will include: creating a strong recycling culture at all events, and encouraging use of reusable water bottles.
Accommodations and Venues
The upcoming 2019 KIN Games will be hosted by the University of Toronto
In accordance to the goal of promoting sustainability, the 2015 KIN Games Planning Committee has selected the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Downtown Vancouver for the event’s accommodations. The Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-Rating Program has awarded this hotel a Five Green Key rating, recognizing its commitment to improving environmental performance. The Vancouver Hyatt Regency exemplifies the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility though all areas of operations and employs cutting edge technologies, policies and programs that set the international standard for sustainable hotel operations. With the use of renewable electricity with Bullfrog Power, the integration of Ocean Wise food sources and their extensive list of hotel initiatives, the Committee is proud to house all 2015 KIN Games participants within this particular establishment.
The final banquet has been chosen to be held at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, also in the heart of Coal Harbour, Downtown Vancouver. The hotel offers not only access to the activities and cultural events of the city, but also provides a relaxing Vancouver resort experience. For this reason, the Westin Bayshore has made its way onto the Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List.
Title and Prize
The team with the most overall points at the end of the two-day competition will win the coveted ‘Golden Shoe’ trophy. The shoe gets painted in the winning schools colours every year.
Hosts
* 2020 - Brock University
* 2019 - University of Toronto (National Champion- University Of Toronto)
* 2018 - University of Alberta (National Champion- Queen's University)
* 2017 - University of Manitoba (National Champion- Queen's University)
* 2016 - McGill University (National Champion- Queen's University)
* 2015 - University of British Columbia (National Champion- Queen's University)
* 2014 - McMaster University (National Champion- University of Western Ontario)
* 2013 - University of Calgary (National Champion- University of British Columbia)
* 2012 - University of Ottawa (National Champion- University of Western Ontario)
* 2011 - University of Western Ontario (National Champion- University of Toronto)
* 2010 - University of Guelph (National Champion- University of Winnipeg)
* 2009 - University of Lethbridge (National Champion- University of Alberta)
* 2008 - Dalhousie University (National Champion- Brock University)
* 2007 - University of Saskatchewan (National Champion- University of Alberta)
* 2006 - York University
* 2005 - University of Alberta
* 2004 - University of Windsor
* 2003 - Université de Montréal
* 2002 - McGill University
* 2001 - University of Toronto

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