Recently a group of 27 passionate people from a range of sport and recreation organisations in Te Tai Tokerau came together to discuss the past, present, and future of sport. It was a great day of reflection and discussion, helping to align perspectives and start thinking about priorities moving forward.

The Past and Present

Reflecting on the past three years, the inception of Balance is Better – a philosophy developed to support quality experiences for youth in sport was discussed, including the progress that has been achieved and the issues which remain.

Improvements of note were the reduction in the number of exclusive U16 representative structures, increased opportunities for skill development, and breaking down of traditionalism in sport.

Charissa Barham, Sport New Zealand, explained the huge progress in the youth sport space throughout the country “90% of participants feel their club provides an encouraging environment to participate in sport”.

The Future

As a group, the need identified to focus on going forward is valuing and uplifting coaches. This includes providing the development to encourage coaches in our community to thrive, and ensuring they are provided with the education they need so they can provide quality experiences and learning opportunities for their participants.

To bring together the ideas circulated during this session, a Steering Group has been formed to drive the development of a Regional Coaching Plan. This plan will allow the Northland Sports Coalition to have a document to refer to and guide the sector collectively and collaboratively to improve our current coaching landscape. Watch this space!

If you are interested in knowing more about this kaupapa, contact Ellie Eastwood, Sport Northland on elliee@sportnorth.co.nz

Article written by Ellie Eastwood, Regional System Connector