Major changes to how school sports are funded have been signalled by $77,218 in Tū Manawa funding into the Waitomo district over the past six months.
The Sport NZ funding is facilitated by Sport Waikato and was discussed at the recent Waitomo District Council meeting with Sport Waikato chief executive Mathew Cooper and regional connectivity officer Robbie Matthews.
The Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa funding is intended to provide quality opportunities in play, active recreation and sport for those who are missing out.
Within the Waitomo district during the first reporting period, funding was allocated to several key initiatives including: Active Kura Active Kids – Te Kūiti High School, Come Ride BMX – Te Kūiti BMX, Volleyball in all schools & Festival in GRC – Waikato Volleyball, Empower Wāhine – I am Yoga (Waitomo and Ōtorohanga), Rural Tamariki Wellbeing (Aria and Benneydale) – I am Yoga.
Sport Waikato is working with future applicants for the next round of funding by providing support and advice through the expressions of interest process.
Robbie said there were targets funding recipients had to align with, and the requirements were being workshopped.
Matthew said the funding meant the King Country was predominantly covered for the next three years in getting young people active.
“We talked about competition structure,” he said.
“The biggest issue at the moment is you have a lot of your young ones having to go and play in Matamata, or they might have to go and play sport in Hamilton all the time.
“It might mean that we start changing – except for the first XV.
“We might actually play each other every three weeks, but at least we are playing, and we might not have to travel so far.
“There might be a rotation of having to play each other quite a lot during the year. Is that a bad thing? As long as you are actually playing, rather than having to think, ‘jeez I’ve got to go to Hamilton, I’ve got to go to Morrinsville’.”
Robbie said “mini competitions” could be held, just to give young players an introduction to competitive sport.
Until now there had been a strong focus on play at primary and intermediate level, but that was going to change, Matthew said.
“It looks as though we will see a shift back to the importance of, still recreation, but the actual sport once they hit 13.”
For ages 5-12, the focus of active recreation had been around play, and not specifically sport, he said.
“It looks as though that will come back now and sport will be introduced into the primary/intermediate system of New Zealand much stronger in the next few years.”
Asked if the fund was equipment or human resource-based, Robbie said it could be equipment-based if equipment was needed to start an activity.
“If it was lacrosse [for example] they would have to work out a plan of what they need and that all the students here have said that that’s what they want,” she said.
“It’s evidence based as well, not just a little group making a decision.”
Waitomo Mayor John Robertson was told there could be funding available for developing Centennial Park if the facility was added to a list that would be part of future conversations between Sport Waikato and outside funders.
Funders did approach Sport Waikato, Matthew said.
Robbie said there was also an opportunity to approach iwi.
“They have their money, and this is a perfect space where they could have their huge impact with their own iwi.
“So, I would like to see us having those conversations as well, I think there’s so much potential there if we get the right people on board,” she said.
John said there were months of work to do before the council would have a plan together for consideration.
Matthew said an issue around women’s and girls’ sport was providing appropriate changing rooms.
A lot of young women were playing sport on fields with very tired facilities.
“While everyone’s riding a wave of change to make it a truly good experience, we need to make sure for females that they have the appropriate facilities.
“That comes at a big cost, but it’s really important going forward.”
This was discouraging to young players, Robbie said.
“I’m someone who is coaching in that space and playing in that space, and with these young people, the younger girls in my team they come dressed for the game and they leave in the same clothes because they don’t want to change.
“And if they do change, they go and stand in the toilets to change.
“Even some of the younger boys, I know they are very shy about where they change too.”
