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Farm Cove Intermediate
Farm Cove Intermediate School, Auckland has received assistance from KiwiSport Regional Funding for two initiatives.
During Term One 580 students participated in a Water Safety programme at Lagoon Pools, Panmure. Lynn Wilson, Physical Education Specialist Teacher at Farmcove says it was great to see the reaction of the pupils as their confidence grew accomplishing each water safety activity.
The second inititiative was the introduction to golf to the 580 students with golf
Farmcove Intermediate pupils play golf
lessons. From this, 30 enthusiastic pupils were selected for a mini Ambrose tournament at Howick Golf Club, Musick Point. They were welcomed onto the Course and many have continued to go along since.
From this initiative and with the help of Auckland Golf Association, the South Eastern Zone is now in the process of setting up a regular inter-school golf competition to be held at Howick Golf Course.
Papatoetoe Weightlifting Club (POWC)
After 12 months of the Papatoetoe Rugby Football Club Olympic Weightlifting program 75 school children have experienced weightlifting.
Sagalala Ah-Voa U17 Weight-lifter
Twelve school boys, representing Aorere College, Papatoetoe High School, De La Salle College, Papatoetoe Intermediate and Kedgley Intermediate have participated in three rounds of Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand’s (OWNZ) 2012 Interschool competition. Four won their Weight Class division at the 2012 North Island Championships.
Sagalala Ah-Voa (Aorere College) has qualified for the World Youth (U17) Championships and 7 lifters from Papatoetoe are currently Nationally ranked.
The success of these young people has been through the support of Kiwisport Funding which gave them the opportunity to participate in weightlifting.
The newly formed Papatoetoe Olympic Weightlifting Club (POWC) has been established as a result of the Programme.
Information provided by Barry George, Regional Sports Director, Counties Manukau Sport. Photo provided by Simon Kent POWC Coach.
AFL NZ
AFL NZ is the lead agency for this project, which has an investment of $15,000 per annum from the Harbour Sport allocated KiwiSport funding and an additional leverage of over $4,500 from elsewhere.
Harbour Sport adds value to all KiwiSport projects in the region by ensuring all coaches working within the projects have achieved the KiwiSport minimum coaching standards. Harbour Sport also staff review the sessions to ensure a high standard.
Kiwi 8s
Forget the bash and dash of 20/20, the longevity of a test match and middle order singles of one-dayers. Welcome to Kiwi 8s, where the bats are not willow and the balls are not leathered cork and the games don’t last all day. It’s a form of cricket that a large majority of Auckland primary school kids might argue is the most enjoyable being played in New Zealand.
Auckland Cricket has recently partnered with Sport Auckland, Counties Manakau Sport, Sport Waitakere and Harbour Sport to work with over 40 primary and secondary schools throughout the greater Auckland area, getting kids interested in cricket by adapting the game to suit. The beauty of the adapted game lies in its simplification - lighter bats, softer balls, closer boundaries, modified rules and only eight players are required per team. It’s been set up so kids can play games at lunchtime and with other schools at inter-school ‘cluster’ field-days.
Auckland Cricket has hired experienced Cricket Development Officers (CDOs) to work with the schools, teaching the fundamental skills of the sport. Hament Kasanji is one of the CDOs, who says the programme is making a big difference to kids, especially in lower decile areas that are targeted.
"Once a week for a month we do skill sessions, from about 9am to 1pm. The first week is fielding exercises, the second is batting, the third is types of strokes, like a pull shot, and the forth is bowling. At every visit we also run a lunchtime competition which they appreciate because it gives them experience before the cluster-events with other schools."
The adapted rules of Kiwi 8’s has made it easy for kids and their teachers to understand, so they can keep playing without the guidance of Auckland Cricket, should they be unavailable when the kids want to play. It’s a sustainable programme that was given life through the KiwiSport RPF.
Auckland cricket have brought a number of draw cards to this programme; they’ve got the cooperation of the Auckland Aces cricket team which boasts a handful of Blackcaps, to help promote the game through role models; they are training the teachers to understand the rules and how to field a game; and they’re creating a pathway for students by creating a stronger link between their schools and clubs.
The programme comes at no cost to the schools, yet the schools are expected to commit to the programme by cooperating through providing facilities, a contact person to help organise events, and work with local clubs.
After just one season, the programme is gathering steam. During the 2010-2011 summer season, 18,289 kids participated in Kiwi 8s and 31 teachers attended an official training session, while numerous others got involved with lunchtime sessions and inter-school cluster competitions. Evidence suggests this growth should continue to increase next season. And the proof of its value can be judged by the customers – schools are very keen for more cricket with survey results and letters from principals saying the programme is having an obviously positive impact. And Hament agrees.
"It’s my first summer in a teaching environment. I’ve played cricket all my life, but when I went to school there wasn’t anything of this nature. We never had anything like this for primary school. Now, having people qualified to coach the kids is great. The kids appreciate someone who knows the game. It’s a great opportunity and it’s helping to grow New Zealand cricket."
Hoop Club and Basketball in the Hutt Valley
Michael Jordon made flying through the air and slam-dunking a basketball look easy. But for many Kiwi kids, ten foot hoops and basketballs bigger than their chests can be off-putting. However, a KiwiSport programme is changing that for many young people in the Hutt Valley, where they’re being taught the fundamentals of the game, and teachers and volunteers are being taught how to coach them.
Terry Stallworth is the Chairman and Senior Coach at Hoop Club Hutt Valley. He grew up playing basketball in America, where he says kids are coached well in the fundamentals of the game.
"The United States has organised basketball coaching for kids, mostly operated by local parks and recreation centres, and paid for by the city to cater for lower socioeconomic areas. But when I arrived here, I didn’t see any outside facilities for basketball, I thought there must be a high youth crime rate, because kids had nothing to do," Stallworth says.
After immigrating to New Zealand, Terry decided to do something about that, and with the help of three other American expats set up Hoop Club.
"When we first started coaching here, we found the rep teams weren’t up to standard and we spent time coaching the fundamental skills, but they should have known those already. We had to focus on basic skills instead of concentrating on game plans and practice plans. With Hoop Club we’re fixing that, so they can go into a rep side ready."
Hoop Club runs two KiwiSport-funded programmes. Its ‘Introduction to Basketball’ programme is aimed at increasing participation levels and teaches children the basic fundamentals of the game. It also provides a pathway to leagues, basketball clubs and the Hutt Valley Basketball Association, with which Hoop Club is closely associated.
The club’s other KiwiSport programme is for volunteers, teachers and parents who don’t have a basketball background, but want to coach at junior levels. It coaches future coaches by providing mentoring, a structured practise plan and an informative website. And for coaches who want to progress, they offer the opportunity to take a Basketball New Zealand accredited Level 1 Coaching Certificate.
In the past year, ten Hutt Valley schools have taken part in Hoop Club programmes, with over 500 children actively involved. There’s been an increase in both school teams in the Hutt Valley miniball league, and the number of youngsters joining the Hoop Club junior programme which runs on Saturdays.
Terry says the KiwiSport investment shouldn’t be seen as solely providing sport to children. He strongly believes it’s doing much more.
"We operate in low socio-economic levels, and the KiwiSport investment allows us to do that. Now we’re offering after-school programmes, which is great because it gives kids something to do. We’re also helping single parents and working parents look after their kids when they can’t be there. It keeps these kids out of gangs and gives them pathways, leads them in the right direction and it’s great for society. It’s another outlet. It’s definitely helping.
"We also run a Saturday morning class, which is separate from KiwiSport - it’s our own Hoop Club sessions. And we’re seeing lots of kids and parents showing up who started through KiwiSport at school. And they’re doing the sessions together. It’s bringing families together and giving them a mutual interest.
"I hope you guys continue to support our vision for everyone, not only for the haves, but the have-nots. It’s invaluable."
Waiuku Schools Take to the Waves
New Zealand boasts hundreds of kilometres of coastline, just waiting for anyone with a surfboard and the nerve to take on the waves. Yet the initial challenge of just standing up on a board can be so off-putting, many of us remain spectators for life.
That won’t be an issue for a new generation of kids from the greater Auckland region and the Bay of Plenty, thanks to a KiwiSport initiative developed by Surfing New Zealand and a group of Regional Sporting Trusts called ‘Surfing 4 Schools’ and ‘Have a go days’.
The project aims at getting more school-aged children actively involved in the increasingly popular sport of surfing. It introduces surfing to primary and intermediate schools around the country and assists schools to develop a structured surfing programme as part of the school curriculum. The programme includes up-skilling primary and intermediate school teachers with an International Surfing Association (ISA) Level One Coaching Certificate. This allows them to continue the surfing programmes within their schools after the ‘Have a go days’ have ended. Once trained, teachers can use the Junior Surf Logbook as a resource to help surfers under the age of 12 advance through five levels of surf instruction.
One of the regions lucky enough to be involved last summer was Waiuku, where over 175 school children experienced surfing at Karioitahi Beach as part of a KiwiSport initiative.
Glenbrook School, Waiuku Primary and Pukeoware Primary all took part in the free surf lessons delivered by Surfing New Zealand’s team of professional instructors.
"The emphasis is on fun and safe surfing. Having the right equipment and expert tuition from the beginning is the key to success in surfing," said Surfing New Zealand Development Manager Lee Ryan, who spearheaded the project. "It’s great to see the smiles on the kids faces when they stand up for the first time."
The two-hour surf lesson covers both theory and practical components. Initially, the novice surfers are taken through a beach safety talk outlining the dangers like rips and currents. A fun warm up then follows to help prevent injury. They then learn the parts of the surfboard, how to lie in the correct position, how to paddle for waves, how to pop up to their feet and how to fall off (wipe-out) safely. When the instructors are confident the kids have a good understanding, they head for the waves.
Local surf schools have reported an increase in business from school-aged children who’ve been through the programme. Mark Ellerston, owner of Surfin’ Safaris (a Surfing New Zealand’ approved surf school in Waiuku), says he’s been overwhelmed by the response from the local community.
"I am fully booked up this weekend. I’m really pleased to see projects like this one creating a new generation of surfers."
Grasshoppers Tennis
During late 2010, the United States' Tennis Association literally changed the landscape of junior tennis in America. They decided that 10-and-under tournaments would be played with new rules, including the use of slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls, smaller courts and utilising shorter, lighter racquets (see promotional clip below).
In 2007, in tune with this innovative philosophy, Tennis New Zealand created Grasshoppers Tennis. The new approach, combined with a significant funding injection through KiwiSport has seen the number of Kiwi kids playing tennis significantly increase.
The programme gives children under the age of ten a game more suited to their size and ability. The user-friendly improvements have made tennis fun for them, and that increases the likelihood that they’ll come back to play again.
In line with KiwiSport's requirements, Grasshopper tennis is designed to be delivered within schools’ physical education curriculum. The programme also trains school teachers, teaching them how to coach their young students at introductory levels.
KiwiSport also funds the school equipment. Each school receives 30 child-sized tennis racquets, two mini tennis nets, 72 low-compression tennis balls, a kit bag, activities manual, and participation certificates that importantly list the contact details of local clubs, should their students be wanting more.
Feedback is strong, with principals reacting positively to Grasshopper Tennis.
Mark Leggett, Deputy Principal of Khandallah School, says "We are into our second year and believe that Grasshoppers is a high-quality programme that fits well with our PE objectives. There is also a clear pathway in place for our students to access tennis at a local club if they enjoy their experience at school."
Tracey Arthurs, Sports Coordinator Miramar North School, agrees, "Our Grasshopper coach is brilliant! We think that the equipment, resources and training for teachers are excellent"
At last count, 32,731 Primary school students are involved in the Grasshoppers KiwiSport initiative and 179 secondary students were up-skilled to coach early levels of tennis.
BikeNZ’s Learn to Ride Programme
KiwiSport Funding is vital for the delivery of BikeNZ’s Learn to Ride programme in Hawke’s Bay. The programme teaches school children the fundamentals of riding a bike and complements the work done by the New Zealand Police with cycle skills on the region’s roads.
BikeNZ Hawke’s Bay Regional Development Coordinator Vicki Butterworth, who delivers the programme into the region’s schools, says her goal is to have 480 kids take part in five modules over a five week period.
"I actually achieve that number easily and it’s getting more popular with word of mouth spreading around the schools. The principals and teachers are really positive, one said he noticed heaps more kids riding to school and in some cases the confidence is transferring into the classroom. A good example was a girl who came to school with a note from her caregiver, who was her Nana. It requested the girl was excused from the programme because she was overweight and couldn’t ride. I discussed it with the teacher and we decided I should work with the girl one-on-one. By the third session the girl was riding with the class. And for probably the first time, she felt like she was good at something. She was less shy and engaging with her classmates more in the classroom."
Butterworth says she always finds children who don’t have access to a bike or have never been taught how to ride one. To remedy this, BikeNZ approached AvantiPlus who sponsored the programme with four bikes and helmets for less-fortunate kids to learn on.
The programme begins with bike safety, such as helmets, parts of the bike, safety checks and understanding the mechanics of the bike. The second level is practicing scooting, guiding the bike and developing balance. The third level moves on to pacing and braking, using slow skills to teach further balance. Level four deals with converging and manoeuvring. And the final level focuses on the advanced skills of one-handed riding and riding in pairs. All of these modules are taught by using fun games and activities, making these lessons more engaging for the kids.
To make it more fun, the kids receive their own cycling passports, which are signed off at the end of each module, like a certificate. The passport also gives explanations on the different forms of cycling - including track, BMX, Mountain Biking and road bikes – profiles elite cyclists and bikers, and gives a full list of local club contacts.
Butterworth says creating a pathway is also important, so providing strong links to local clubs gives those who want to take it another level a way to do that. Many of the children who take part in the programme set a goal to ride in the local leg of the Meridian Kids Bike Jam - an introductory mountain biking event.
"This pathway is essential to ensure children that learn to ride have further opportunities to stay involved in cycling. It’s been a vital missing link we believe, from the pathway to regular participation in cycling. It’s great being able to teach children cycle skills, and then give them an educational pathway and a number of opportunities to carry on.
"At the end of the day, the kids love it. If anything, it’s harder to get them off the bikes at the end."