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Sport Yukon begins YouTube broadcasts

Yukon sports fans now have a new outlet for local sports news. Sport Yukon has launched a YouTube channel, the association announced Wednesday.

Yukon sports fans now have a new outlet for local sports news.

Sport Yukon has launched a YouTube channel, the association announced Wednesday.

“I was thinking about how we could increase our pull on social media and make sure our messages are being distributed to the right audiences,” said Kevin Patterson, Sport Yukon’s communications coordinator. “So we did a social marketing plan, and the YouTube channel is at the head of that marketing plan.”

The non-profit society, which oversees sport clubs and governing bodies in the territory, posted its first video on Wednesday. The launch coincided nicely with Tuesday’s announcement that Whitehorse’s Mount Sima will open for this ski/snowboard season.

The Sima announcement was the topic of the channel’s first video, which runs one minute and 22 seconds.

“We were hoping the (press conference) was going to be positive,” said Patterson with a laugh. “It was good news, so it was good timing.”

Sport Yukon hopes to post new videos every week. The organization, which organizes the Klondike Road of ‘98 International Road Relay, oversees the territory’s sport Hall of Fame and hosts an annual sports awards banquet, among other things, has a lot to draw from.

The videos could include athlete and team profiles, especially on those competing at major Games, such as the 2014 Arctic Winter Games this March in Fairbanks, Alaska, said Patterson.

“There is a lot of content we can draw from,” said Patterson. “From our Kids Recreation Fund, from our physical literacy program, from the Klondike Road Relay, from the Arctic Winter Games, the Canada Games - any of the different Games we have going on.”

Wednesday’s premier broadcast was hosted by Patterson and included a short clip from the Mount Sima press conference.

The video had a bit of an exposure problem. Some over-exposed filming could be a little distracting as the outline of Patterson’s head was hard to detect over the background.

But the “floating head” situation, as described by Patterson, was just a small bump in the road, he said.

“It was a very bright day ... but the message was clear,” he explained

“We’re trying to make it a main resource for our member organizations in Sport Yukon so they can get out their messages and we can grow sport in the Yukon by getting that information out.”

The channel and the first video, “Mt. Sima to Open,” can be found at www.youtube.com/sportyukon.

Sport Yukon will post links to upcoming videos on Facebook, Twitter and on its website.

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com