The introduction of the sport of Floorball to the Northland Secondary School Sports Association calendar this term has created an opportunity for some secondary school students to play a new sport and represent their school in sport for the first time.

Eleven teams from five schools travelled to Whangarei to trial this new competitive tournament based on a game that most students would have played, as part of their school PE programme, and referred to as Unihoc. This was the first time that Floorball had been played competitively between Northland Secondary Schools and was the brainchild of the Secondary School Team at Sport Northland with support from Floorball NZ.

Each of the five schools that entered did so for varying reasons. Kerikeri High School used the event as a chance to give their international students a taste of a Northland tournament. Te Kura Kaupapa o Te Rawhiti Roa viewed a locally held tournament to offer sport to some of their younger students. Huanui College who were the eventual winners, beating Kaikohe Christian School in the final 5-3, enjoyed the tournament so much that they are considering the next step for their students who played.

Floorball is offered on the NZSSSC calendar as part of the annual summer tournament week. Consistently held in Wellington it is entirely possible that come 2017 there just may be a school from up this way that will effectively be our very first Northland representative.

“We know that at secondary school level there are a number of opportunities for students to be exposed to new sports. For the number of students who fall out of traditional sports or stop playing sport we hope, by offering new sports or variations on sports to motivate them to continue to be active.” “This floorball event showed that students can enjoy sport in all its variations. Outcomes of social interaction, fun and creating memories can be a higher priority than championship success for some students.” enthused Robyn Richards Northland Secondary Schools RSD