Successful Kiwisport Projects

Papakura Central and St Mary's - Making It Possible (2011)

Papakura Central School and St Mary’s Papakura are working together to increase the opportunities for
students at their schools, with the help of KIWISPORT funding.

Term 1 2011 saw students from both schools involved in Learn to Swim activities at their local council
facility. Both schools were also able to be involved in Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s Beach Education
programme.

Term 2 has seen the students engaged in a Basketball programme at their local Recreation Centre, with instruction from Tania Hunter and the crew at Counties Manukau Basketball. Children have developed their basketball skills and were able to participate in a tournament day where the two schools played each other. Improvements in children’s skill levels have been noticed by all.

In preparation for the competition games the children had to name their teams – competing were the Lakers, Central Mavericks,Central Heat, Sapphires and of course the Breakers to name some. The games were modified to ensure all children were engaged and actively involved in the games.

David Tennent of St Mary’s Papakura e-mailed us recently with this: “Earlier in the week I watched our
Year 4 – 6 students playing with Papakura Central School. Both groups were having a great time, all
have been fully involved and are just buzzing aboutthe opportunity to experience basketball that Kiwisporthas made possible. My teaching staff have been very positive about the opportunity for the children that has arisen out of our Kiwisport programme.”

Waiuku Schools take to the Waves

Through the 8-10th March over 175 school children in the Waiuku region got to experience the thrill of surfing at Karioitahi beach thanks to Kiwi Sport funding from Counties Manukau Sport.

The “Have a Go Surfing Days” are part of Surfing New Zealand’s “Surfing 4 Schools” project which aims at getting more school aged children actively involved in the increasingly popular sport of surfing.
Glenbrook School, Waiuku Primary and Pukeoware Primary all took part in the free surf lessons delivered by Surfing New Zealand’s team of professional surfing 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.” commented SNZ 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.” Ryan continued.

The two hour surf lesson covers both practical and theory components. The novice surfers are first taken through a beach safety talk outlining the dangers on their beach (rips, currents etc.), then a fun warm up (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 then it’s time to get in the waves and give it a go.

Mark Ellerston, owner of Surfin’ Safaris, Surfing New Zealand’s Approved Surf School in Waiuku, is overwhelmed with the response from the local community. “I am fully booked up this weekend” commented an ecstatic Ellerston proving the instant success of the project.

The “Surfing 4 Schools” Project is aimed at introducing surfing to Primary and Intermediate schools around the country and assisting schools in developing a structured surfing program as part of the school curriculum. SNZ have introduced a 28 page Junior Surf Logbook to accompany the project and help beginner surfers’ advance to the next level.

The “Have a Go Surfing Days” were delivered thanks to great support from SPARC, Kiwi Sport, Counties Manukau Sport, Hyundai Motors NZ, Water Safety NZ, Surf Lifesaving NZ and NZ Surfing Magazine.

For more information on the Surfing 4 Schools Project please contact Lee Ryan by email on lee.ryan@surfingnz.co.nz

Lee has put together a short video clip about the Have a Go Surfing Days we delivered in Mount Manganui and Waiuku over the past few weeks, thanks to KiwiSport.

You can view the video by clicking on the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS26ztE3Ees

A KiwiSport Success Story - Orienteering

A contract between Counties Manukau Sports and Counties- Manukau Orienteering club has been a dream come true for orienteering in schools.
For a sport which struggles for publicity and funding in comparison with the big sports, the birth of kiwi sport is like a life line.

The program was from the start rather ambushes. To make an orienteering map of every school in the Counties-Manukau region is a Hugh undertaking. Then add in a competition after school for secondary schools and teaching orienteering in all divisions primary through to secondary has stretched our clubs resources to breaking point.

The program also provide the teaching of secondary school pupils in the art of field work and map making through to the production of orienteering maps.

So where are we now after the first year?  Our club now has ten new young mappers. 34 schools have been mapped. We have a new competition for secondary schools which attracted 300 students in the first year. We have a second region, Howick /Pakuranga starting this year.(Pukekohe/Manurewa started last year) There will be over 1000 students participating in the expanding competition.

This year will see further competition where the top six from each grade in our two regions will compete against two regions Waitakere / North shore in a grand final. So we will now have an overall schools champion for all of Auckland.  Schools are buzzing and the students love orienteering.

Thank you Counties-Manukau sport and thank you to the kiwi sport concept. This is a real winner!