First Edition - April 2012 - Sport Southland

the
First Edition
Inside this
Issue
Ki O Rahi Page 10
Step It Out Page 12
SportStart
Southland Page 8
Events Page 18
www.sportsouthland.co.nz

Getting to Know
Suzie Harrington
Receptionist
If you’re calling Sport Southland or calling in to see us in our Invercargill office, Suzie
Harrington will most likely be your first point of contact. She has been our receptionist
and Director of First Impressions for the past two years.
What does your role involve?
Everything! Answering the phone, being responsible for equipment and room bookings,
taking payments and receipts for activities, from KiwiSeniors to holiday sports
programmes and events, general administration, arranging catering for meetings,
dealing with general queries, assisting staff with anything from uniform issues to
booking accommodation and flights and anything else as and when required.
What do you enjoy about it?
The people contact and when the customer goes away satisfied. Seeing the kids come
out of the ILT Holiday Sports Programme, when they’ve really enjoyed the sport is great!
I also enjoy helping out at events like the BNZ Surf to City and the AMP Kids Tryathlon –
it’s great seeing the kids getting into sport when they wouldn’t normally have a go or be
able to have a go at it.
It’s also good just seeing people being active. The KiwiSeniors really show that you can
enjoy physical activity at any age – you’ve just got to get out and make the most of the
opportunities that are out there.
What sports are you involved with?
I used to run a few times a week for fitness, but now I do more recreational cycling. This year I completed my first team triathlon
with fellow staff members Tracy Simpson (who now works for Netball Southland) and Jerrie Andrews, and we finished as the
first team.
I’m also heavily involved with my two daughters’ sports – they do swimming (I spend a lot of time at the pool!), netball, triathlons,
basketball and waterpolo. I am the secretary of the Orca Swimming Club and I usually coach a netball team but am having a
break this year.
What are the busiest times for you?
The ILT Holiday Sports Programme is always really busy – we have more than 270 kids involved in the programme every school
holidays, taking part in different sports. Going through all of the registrations can be very busy and we start taking enrolments
three to four weeks out.
It also gets busy when we have events – the BNZ Surf to City gets more than 3000 entries and the Ascot Park Hotel Southland
Marathon (which will be the Ascot Park Hotel Southland Festival of Running this year) gets about 600. We take a lot of
registrations here at the front desk.
The KiwiSeniors can also keep us busy – they always have so many walks on and are always looking to sign up for the next
one, which is great!
Lucy
Anderson
Lucy Anderson, our 4 Sport Development Officer
based out of the Eastern Southland office, will be
taking maternity leave from the end of June. She is
expecting a baby boy in July.
Sport Southland will be joining one of its
principal partners, the BNZ, to ‘Close for
Good’ on Tuesday May 8. Staff will be joining
with volunteers to work on projects to benefit
the community, and Sport Southland staff
will be working in particular on sport and
recreation projects. The Sport Southland
office will be closed on May 8, but it will be
business as usual from May 9.
Major Funders and Partners:
2

CEO Report
Richard Hoskin
CEO
Consider a typical weekend in New
Zealand.
Pre-dawn, trampers prepare for a day of
activity. In urban centres, rowers begin
arriving at smooth stretches of water
for training or racing, and swimmers
start their early-morning schedule of
conditioning work. Cyclists and runners
eat a carefully considered breakfast
before setting out for their exercise.
As the morning progresses playing fields,
stadiums and gymnasiums are filled
by tens of thousands of young people
engaged in sports competitions, spurred
on by large numbers of parents and
siblings supporting them on the sidelines.
More adults become involved in sport and
recreation in the afternoon, taking part
in a range of water-based activities on
rivers, lakes, in harbours, at the beach or
swimming pools, or travelling to parks for
bike or walking trails. A range of sporting
competitions and top-grade contests are
played, after which clubrooms provide
opportunities for members to socialise.
Sport and recreation activities continue
into the evening. National competitions
involving franchises or provincial
representative teams play out on
television – competitions are typically
organised by professional sports
administrators and many of the players
are paid.
All day, however, thousands of people are
involved as volunteers, helping people of
all ages get the most from their activities.
Local professional or volunteer
organisers may have arranged
events or tournaments – fun runs,
road cycle races, rowing regattas,
sporting tournaments, regional or
national championships and the like,
attracting hundreds.
Is Southland any different from the
above?
I think not, and this illustrates the
importance of the economic and social
value of sport and recreation to our
region.
Like other New Zealanders, people in
Southland enjoy sport and recreation
24/7.
A recent Sport New Zealand
(formerly SPARC) survey
shows that in Southland:
• Over 9 out of 10 (94%) of people
aged 15-17 take part in at least
one sport or recreation activity
over a year
• Almost 7 out of 10 (69%) take
part at school during school hours
• Almost a third (29%) take part
before and/or after school
• Over a third (34%) take part with
a club
• Almost 7 out of 10 (68%) take
part with family or friends
• Over 6 out of 10 (64%) received
some coaching
The New Zealand Secondary Schools
Sports census also suggests that
participation rates by secondary schools
students (56.7%) and teachers (36.7%)
in the Southland region sits above the
national averages of 51.8% and 35.3%
respectively.
So what does all of this mean and
what does it suggest should happen in
Southland’s sport and recreation sector
as we look to the future?
23
To quote an influential personality from
our region:
Given the global financial
crises and accompanying
economic recessions it is
difficult to see anything other
than reduced funding available
in the coming years. Add to
that demands from other
sectors that are ramping up
and it becomes clear that the
funding for the sports sector is
under real pressure. So, in the
words of Ernest Rutherford –
“we don’t have the money, so
we’ll have to think”.
If this view is even close to the mark, our
sport and recreation sector needs to think
– and think collectively – on what it needs
to do and what is important.
If there is a reduced level of funding
available in the future, how do we make
best use of that funding support and how
do we decide what is going to be important
in our community in five or 10 years’ time?
We have a plethora of highly skilled athletes
in Southland – from our Commonwealth
Games, World Cup and Olympic athletes,
to our three main franchise teams
(Southern Steel, Southland Sharks and
Southland Stags) to the talented and
developing athletes emerging across a
range of sports.
As a community do we want to see
success on the national and international
stage? And how important is that to the
wider community? Should this determine
how we move forward as a sector?
Whilst we are uncertain about what the
future holds, we know here and now that
sport and recreation is of immense social
and economic value to our community –
just look at a typical weekend in Southland.

Sport
Peter Dunne
sport manager
Sport Southland looks to work closely with regional
sports organisations and is able to support them
in a number of ways. However, over the past 12-18
months Sport Southland has been responding to
Sport NZ’s directive to work intensively with seven
targeted sports. The sports, as determined solely
by Sport NZ, are Cricket, Football, GymSports,
Hockey, Netball, Rugby and Rugby League.
The Targeted Sport Approach and why
was it introduced:
In May 2010, Sport NZ (then known as SPARC) introduced
its new Community Sport Strategy, which is underpinned
by four key drivers:
1. Creating effective working relationships between
sports organisations and Regional Sports Trusts
2. Improving capability of sports organisations to
deliver quality sport to our community
3. Increasing junior and senior participation within
targeted sports
4. Increasing the number and quality of volunteers
(especially coaches) within targeted sports
The targeted sports selected came from
a combination of the following criteria:
• Their organisational capability and capacity
• Their current participatory growth rate
• Their potential for this to have a strong and sustainable
impact on Sport NZ’s participatory outcomes
• Their willingness and readiness to engage with
Sport NZ to undertake whole-of-sport planning as a
prerequisite to developing their operational capability
to design a community sport plan
• Their operational capacity to translate the plan
into a programme, and through alignment and the
formation of viable partnerships with RSTs, build an
effective regional delivery structure to implement it at
a community level through clubs, schools and events
• Their significance in inspiring New Zealanders
through community involvement and/or success on
the world stage
The Regional Sports Trusts (RSTs) have also been given
the opportunity to select three “regionally important
sports” with which to work utilising the same approach
as has been taken with the Sport NZ targeted sports.
Sport Southland has identified Basketball, Bike and
Rowing as those sports.
Sport NZ has also advised the RST network that seven
more targeted sports will be introduced over the short to
medium term.
What is Sport Southland doing to meet
the targeted sport outcomes?
With each targeted sport a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) and Sport Development Action
Plan is put in place which reflects the national bodies’
Whole of Sport Plan and recognises the key priorities of
the particular regional sports organisation.
Sport Southland then allocates resources to support
the delivery of strategies identified by the regional body
to grow and sustain its sport at community level. It
also collects baseline data to measure participation,
contribution and capacity outcomes.
Community Sport Approach
Sport Southland defines community sport as
1. what it is doing outside of the work with targeted
sports i.e. with other codes and
2. Specific programmes, including:
• Academy Southland
• Holiday Sports Programmes
• Seminar programmes
• Annual Sports Awards
• Resource Centre
• Invest In Sport
• Sport planning and capability audits
4

Sport
Academy Southland – Talent Xcelerator is
a two-year programme designed to support
athletes on a performance pathway.
Year 1 and 2 athletes are supported
through a variety of practical workshops
that focus on topics including nutrition,
mental skills and sponsorship, amongst
others.
In year 2 an individual performance plan
is developed with their coach and support
services such as nutrition, massage and
mental skills are provided to support their
training and development.
Our Academy Southland athletes are
already making their mark on the national
sporting scene, with some highlights
including:
Tim Campbell kate dunlevy mary Fraser vaughan mccall
Mary Fraser
- Selected for the NZ U20 football squad.
Mary is now based in Auckland at
Rangitoto College for two terms
Vaughan McCall
- Won the NZ Stroke Play Championship
and the New Zealand Amateur
Jacob Duffy
– Selected for the NZ U19 cricket team
Tim Campbell
– Selected for the Junior Black
Sox to compete in the Junior World
Championships in Argentina
Tori Peeters and Greer Alsop
– Selected for the NZ U20 athletics
team to compete in the Oceania
Championships
Jade Graham and Gavin Stark
– Good performances at the National
Club Athletics Championships and South
Island Secondary School Championships
Kate Dunlevey, Jeremy Presbury and
Tom Beadle
– Selected to represent New Zealand
at the UCI Junior World Track Cycling
Championships
Kristen Froude
– Trialled for the NZ Rowing squad
Lucy Heenan
– Trialled for the NZ Secondary Schools
netball team
* The Academy Southland Talent Xcelerator Programme is a joint venture between Excellence in Sport South Island, Sport Southland, the Community Trust of
Southland and the ILT Foundation and is run by Jason McKenzie. The goal of the programme is to fast-track the athletes on a performance pathway, increasing
their understanding and readiness for the high performance environment, and becoming carded.
2011 Guest Speaker Steve Price
ILT Southland Sports Awards
Friday June 8 2012
The ILT Southland Sports
Awards are being held on
Friday June 8 and will celebrate
the achievements and
performances of Southland’s
athletes, teams, coaches and
administrators from the period
between April 1, 2011, and
March 30, 2012.
Nominations have closed, and
finalists will be announced in
May.
We’re expecting another
fantastic evening with high
quality entertainment, and
plenty to celebrate given the
outstanding performances of
Southland’s sportspeople over
the qualifying period.
The awards evening is a great
chance to celebrate the success
of Southland’s sportspeople,
and reflect on what has been
another fantastic year.
We’ll also have a focus on
entertainment, which will make
for a great night out.
Keep an eye on our website
www.sportsouthland.co.nz for
ticket details!
Holiday Sports Programme
The recent BNZ Holiday Sports Programmes in Te
Anau, Winton and Riverton, and the ILT Holiday Sports
Programme in Invercargill saw more than 300 children
take part in a huge variety of sports.
From the Learn to Surf days in Riverton, to archery
in Invercargill the kids all seemed to really enjoy
themselves, as well as getting to try out new sports.
The next holiday sports programmes will be held in July,
with the BNZ Holiday Sports Programmes in week one
of the holidays and the ILT Holiday Sports Programme
in the second week.
45

Coaching Corner
Coaching Corner
Paul Westbury
Coaching Manager
Effective coaching is about
more than just knowing the
game – it’s about knowing your
players. Make sport fun, create
a practice everyone wants to
come to and present a team
for competitions who play hard
but fair.
Volunteer Coach
Doreen Evans, a partner at
Preston Russell Law, is leading
the way in coaching, taking
charge of Southland Girls High
School’s Under-16 rowing squad.
Invest in Sport
The Invest in Sport programme is for student
coaches and is in its third year.
Coaches involved in the programme get training
in the fundamentals of coaching young people,
so it not only helps the coaches but it helps the
younger athletes coming through as well.
There are never enough coaches, so this is an
initiative that aims to a) give student coaches
the skills they need to provide high quality
coaching sessions and to b) encourage young
people to get involved with coaching.
We have had 85 student coaches involved
in the programme for the past year, and they
Coaching Breakfasts
We’re looking forward to catching up with
Southland sports coaches on a regular
basis, with the introduction of new monthly
coaching breakfasts.
The breakfast meetings (breakfast supplied)
offer a chance for full and part-time coaches
from different sports to meet and exchange
best practice ideas on a whole range of
things and they offer a great chance to bring
sports closer together.
Each sport will get an opportunity to share
with the others what they are up to and how
they go about things.
The breakfast meetings – kindly sponsored
by Sean Bellew, of MacPherson Realty – will
start in April and be held on the last Thursday
of every month.
had their final module in April. Rugby, netball
and football provided experienced coaches to
work with the student coaches and with their
planning and practical delivery. The students
watched the experienced coaches at work and
then the roles were reversed.
Invest in Sport is run by Sport Southland
and Fiona Ward and Lisa Hay at Southland
Secondary School Sport. The next intake is in
June so if you are interested, or know anyone
who might benefit from the programme, get in
touch with Fiona Ward at Southland Secondary
School Sport – by either phoning 03 217 7244
or emailing info@southlandschoolsport.org.nz.
Doreen Evans
Doreen is
• Leading the way with hard
work – she is the first to
arrive last to leave
• Leading the way with providing
opportunities for young
women on and off the water
with life skills, team work and
rowing success
• Growing rowers to make their
boats go faster
• Growing young women to
aspire to be the best they
can be in all parts of their
lives
Tips for being a leading coach:
Teaching New Skills
Usually this will involve an explanation by
yourself – as the coach – and a demonstration
before the athletes try it themselves. To be
effective in explaining and demonstrating new
skills, consider the following:
• New skills should be introduced at the start of
the session, after the warm up when athletes
are fresh and focussed
• Both coach and athlete should understand
why the skill is important
• Focus on two or three teaching points and
some keywords or phrases to emphasise
important parts of the skill
• Keep instructions simple
• Demonstrate the whole skill first, then divide the
skill into smaller parts (whole – part – whole)
• Use an athlete who can perform the skill well
at the athletes’ level. The demonstration
should be correct but doesn’t need to be
perfect
• Check to make sure the athlete/s understand
what you are teaching them
* These tips are from Sport New Zealand’s
Getting Started in Coaching manual. For any
coaching resources, please contact Sport
Southland coaching manager Paul Westbury.
6

KiwiSport Fund
Jim Watson
Primary Schools
sports advisor
In August 2009 Prime Minister John
Key launched the Government’s
KiwiSport initiative for young people
amounting to an investment of $82
million in school sports over a four
year period and focussing on three
key outcomes:
> More Kids
> More Opportunities
> Better Skills
The investment is broken into:
The Direct Fund:
$45 million in direct funding to
schools
The Regional Partnership Fund (RPF):
$37 million for initiatives
involving clubs, schools and
community groups to support
sport for school-aged children
How does the Regional
Partnership Fund (RPF) work?
The RPF has been allocated to New
Zealand’s 17 Regional Sports Trusts
(RSTs) for use in their communities
based on the number of schoolaged
children in each RST region.
Sport Southland is allocated
$206,531 per annum.
The RPF recognises that schools
aren’t the only players in the delivery
of sporting programmes and that
sports clubs and community groups
also have an important role to play.
RSTs will use the fund to encourage
new partnerships involving schools,
clubs, local and community groups
that will get more young people
involved in organised sport.
Programmes funded through the
RPF will:
• Provide increased opportunities
for school-aged children to
participate in organised sport
• Leverage additional contributions
from community groups
• Build and strengthen linkages
between schools and community
sports clubs
• Take the wishes of the community
into account
KiwiSport Fund
RPF investment
The following amounts have been allocated to meet community needs and satisfy
the KiwiSport objectives:
Total Amount
(per annum)
Non-Contestable
(80%)
Contestable
(20%)
Wakatipu Basin/
Sport Otago
$206,531 $147,056 $36,000 $23,475
KiwiSport Contestable Fund
There have been four annual rounds of contestable funding held. Applications close
on March 31 each year for the $36,000 available.
Year Amount
available
2009 $27,000
(part year)
Amount
applied for
Successful
applications
Primary
School
Secondary
School
Sporting
bodies
$ 69,446.06 9/18 3 2 4
2010 $36,000 $ 76,675.00 10/18 2.5 3.5 4
2011 $36,000 $ 79,678.82 16/19 4.5 5.5 6
2012 $36,000 $ 96,547.27 tbc/39 tbc tbc tbc
Total $135,000 $ 332,347.15 35 (to date)/94 10 11 14
KiwiSport Non-Contestable Fund
Taking into account the findings of the community consultation and, in particular, the
directive to focus on primary aged school children, it was also important to have a vision
for the future.
“By 2016 all Southland school children, aged 5-10, will have completed, or be completing,
a range of, in school, skill based or organised sports programmes* enabling them to be
confident in sport and recreation for the duration of their lifetime. These programmes
will be known collectively as SPORTSTART SOUTHLAND”(see following pages)
Taking the wishes of the community
into account
In late 2009/early 2010 Sport Southland consulted
widely with the community before determining the
best investment of the annual grant of $206,531.
Those involved in the consultation were principals,
teachers, school sports coordinators, students,
parents, sporting organisations, the public,
community funders and health, ethnic and disability
groups.
The community identified four key barriers to
children getting involved in sport:
1. Cost
2. Transport
3. Lack of skills
4. Lack of support for children
There were two other key findings from the
consultation in determining the allocation of the
RPF in Southland:
1. 80% of the funding should be Non-Contestable
i.e. Sport Southland determines where the
funding is best invested based on community
consultation and the KiwiSport objectives
2. There should be a focus on primary-aged
children
The other consideration was that, though the
Wakatipu Basin falls within the Sport Southland
boundaries, the area is administered by Sport
Otago under the Sport Central banner.
67

More Kids,
More Opportunities,
Better Skills
The non-contestable KiwiSport fund enables us to run six SportStart
Southland programmes in Southland primary schools
moveMprove
This is a GymSports NZ developed foundation
skills programme, delivered by trained
movement specialists to upskill young children
(3-10 years) in their fundamental movement
competence. The moveMprove® programme
enables children to become more competent
at movement, empowering them with the
ability to participate in their chosen sport or
activity at a more skilful level. An expected
result is that children will be healthier and
happier, with improved academic abilities. The
programme is being delivered by specialists
from the Invercargill Gymnastics Club.
Run Jump Throw
Run Jump Throw is the Athletics New Zealand
modified form of athletics and is designed for
6 to 13-year olds. The programme’s focus is
the progressive development of the correct
fundamental athletics skills in a fun and
participative environment. In Southland the age
of the students involved and the delivery level
exposes the students to generic skills which are
applicable to nearly all sports. Sport Southland
has a contractual agreement with Athletics
Southland to deliver Run Jump Throw.
Learn to Swim
All Southland children must have adequate
opportunities to learn to swim and this
became an early priority for Sport Southland
in the allocation of KiwiSport funding.
Partnerships have been established with
the likes of Water Safety NZ, Swimming
NZ, Southern REAP and LTAs to ensure that
professional instruction, parity of costs and
longevity of programmes are available for all
young Southland children – urban and rural.
Learn to Bike
Shocking figures show that less and less children are
learning to bike. Sport Southland sees this as an essential
skill for young children and has partnered with BikeNZ and
the local biking organisations (cycling, mountain biking
and BMX) to provide all children with the opportunity to
ensure they enjoy the fitness, freedom and fun that biking
provides. NZ Police are also an important component of
this programme ensuring that road safety is paramount in
children’s minds.
8

Hit n It
Striking and controlling a ball with an implement
occurs in many popular sports and it comes in
many forms – its application varies greatly.
Stability, production of force, accuracy and
absorption of force and hand-eye co-ordination
are key movement principles that young
children must be taught if they are to enjoy the
benefits of sports such as golf, hockey, cricket,
tennis etc. Applying the principles from Sport
NZ’s Manual and working in conjunction with
local sporting organisations Hit n It is seen as
a key programme in achieving the KiwiSport
objectives.
4 Sport Delivery
The last of the SportStart Southland
programmes, 4 Sport Delivery is targeted at
the older primary school children as they look
to enter intermediate or secondary schools.
The skills are more sport-specific, children
are taught how to play the games and to play
as part of a team, culminating in inter-school
competitions. A variety of sports are offered over
a calendar year with Sport Southland acting as
the coordinator between schools and the local
sporting organisations.
SportStart
SportStart Southland Delivery Matrix
PROGRAMME
Year 1
Age 5
(approx)
Year 2
Age 6
(approx)
moveMprove 8 8
SportStart Southland successes
The SportStart Southland programmes have been very well received by primary schools in the province. For the 18 months to the end of
2011 at least one of the six programmes were being delivered in 70 of the province’s 71 primary schools.. Some schools were involved in
three of the programmes and there is further demand – subject to funding – on the back of the successes and publicity being attained.
The highlight would have to be the Central Southland Learn to Swim programme winning a national Water Safety Award in November, 2011.
SportStart Southland outcomes
• Provide a consistent approach to sport delivery for young school children in all of Southland
• Significantly improve the overall skill level of young school children in all of Southland by the age of 10, thereby increasing the likelihood
of them remaining in sport for their lifetime
SportStart Southland impacts
Year 3
Age 7
(approx)
Run Jump Throw 6 6
• Allows sporting organisations (RSOs and clubs) to be more focussed on extracurricular sport activities
• Removes or significantly reduces the call from schools to have RSOs and clubs visit on an ad hoc basis
• Allows for a more coordinated approach to be taken with investment into sport
Year 4
Age 8
(approx)
Hit n It 8
Year 5
Age 9
(approx)
Year 6
Age 10
(approx)
Learn to Swim 10 10 10 10 10 10
Learn to Bike 7 7
4 Sport Delivery 30 40
TOTAL 18 24 23 25 40 50
Where the number shown = number of sessions delivered
* Sport Southland’s role in relation to the KiwiSport Fund is one of coordination and not delivery.
89

Ki O Rahi
Shontelle Dixon
Kaiwhakahaere Ki O Rahi
My role at Sport Southland is to take the traditional Maori game
of Ki O Rahi into Southland schools; to get people active and use
the game to do that.
I’ve only been in the role since February, but I love it. I’m passionate
about sport and about Te Reo, so this is the perfect combination
for me!
I am originally from Southland, and moved to Masterton before
coming back to Southland to study at the Southern Institute
of Technology. A lot of my friends and family play Ki O Rahi up
north, and while many people know of it down here there’s still
a lot to do in terms of making people more aware of it and really
understanding the game and how to play it.
Ki O Rahi is like merging the main skills from touch, rugby, football
and netball all into one!
The game is based around a legend called Ki O Rahi involving
a Maori ancestor named Rahi Tu Taka Hina whose wife Te
Arakurapakewai got kidnapped by patupaiarehe (the fairy people)
What is Ki O Rahi?
Ki O Rahi is a traditional Maori form of physical activity or old-time
sport played by Maori throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand.
The game of Ki O Rahi is made up of two teams: Taniwha and Kioma,
played on a circular field which is made up of three areas or zones
and taken away to live with them, with the game relating to his
journey to rescue her.
We officially launched at Race Relations Day in Gore in March and if
it continues to see the popularity it saw that day, my job will be easy!
Kids aged from about 7-years-old through to their grandparents
were playing for ages. It got dark and we had to try to get everyone
off the field – if we’d had lights they would have carried on for hours!
The first school I’m taking Ki O Rahi to is Southland Girls High
School in Term 2. I’ll be working with the Year 9s, teaching them
the legend and the game.
That’s one of the most positive things about Ki O Rahi – it’s not
just a game. It’s not just about picking a ball up and away you go,
there’s an actual story – a legend – behind it. For me, that makes
it different to other sports – not many other sports can say there’s
a legend behind it, and I think that will help grow the game too.
Later in the year I will also be helping the Runaka run sessions at
marae during school holidays, and this will be a great chance for
young Southlanders to try out the sport.
My position was created due to a collaborative relationship
between Sport Southland and nga Rūnaka/Rūnanga ki Murihiku;
a relationship which will seek to build capacity within the Maori
community by increased participation, leadership and the
revitalisation of sport and traditional physical recreation.
Healthy Eating Healthy Action (HEHA) contracted Sport Southland
for the part-time position over 12 months and Rūnaka/Rūnanga
ki Murihiku funding for each marae to develop a Māori Traditional
Games programme, in particular Ki O Rahi, to be implemented in
Southland schools and marae settings during 2012.
(Te Ao, Te Roto and Pawero). Points are scored differently depending
on which team you are on. Usually there are four quarters, with
teams changing roles each quarter. The game is played with a Ki
(ball – traditionally this was woven from flax).
10

Yvette Hodges
Active Lifestyles
Manager
Green Prescription
Green Prescription can help anyone in Southland
become more active and eat healthy food, and
the best part is – it’s free! While some people are
referred to Green Prescription by their doctor or
nurse, if you call the Green Prescription team here
at Sport Southland on 0800 ACTIVE we sort the
paperwork out with your doctor – so there’s no cost
to you.
Having a Green Prescription means you receive
one-on-one consultations to work out a physical activity plan
that’s right for you. There are lots of activity options available
including group classes, exercises for at home, walking
groups and trial passes for the pool and various gyms. Green
Prescription also helps with goal setting, motivation and advice
for sensible, low-cost healthy eating.
Being active, or exercising, isn’t just about weight loss.
Regular physical activity can help you
• feel better (improved mood)
• sleep better
• have more energy
• handle stress and reduce anxiety
• reduce your risk of certain cancers
• improve your heart health.
All of these benefits are proven in research. If you don’t believe
me, try being active for 30 minutes five days per week (Green
Prescription can help you find an appropriate and enjoyable
activity option) – and see for yourself how much better you feel!
>> Walking is a great activity option for many people. The key to being active regularly is finding which activity you enjoy, as there
truly is something for everyone. To find out more or to request a Green Prescription, phone Sport Southland on 0800 ACTIVE.
Green Prescription
With shorter daylight hours and cooler weather arriving, getting
regular physical activity often gets put on the backburner. It’s
important to remember that you can get active in any weather.
Often, all it takes it putting on an extra layer and making an effort to
get outside and go for a walk or a kick a ball around the back yard.
Alex Meijers
Active Lifestyles
Active Families is a free programme that helps children and
their families get active and learn about healthy eating.
We run weekly sessions with a mixture of activities. Families
currently on the programme have enjoyed activities
including swimming, netball, balloon games, basketball and Frisbee
golf as well as learning about healthy lunches, breakfasts and
participating in a supermarket tour for tips on how to eat healthily
while on a budget.
Results from the 2011 Green Prescription Active Families
survey outline the positive lifestyle changes made by families
who have completed the programme. Key findings include:
• 88% of families noticed positive changed in their family’s health
and fitness levels after participating in the Active Families
programme
• 89% of families made positive chances to their diet since
participating in the programme
• 90% of families are motivated to stay physically active after
being part of the Active Families programme
There are also ways families can get active inside – dancing to their
favourite music or getting children to practise their forward rolls in
the hallway.
Lining up some empty cereal boxes and practise target throwing with
some rolled up socks can also provide fun, indoor entertainment.
For more activity ideas, or information on joining the
Active Families programme, call me on 0800 228 483 or
email alex.meijers@sportsouthland.co.nz.
Register now for Fit 4 Life!
Fit 4 Life is a 10-week activity group that takes participants
through a wide range of exercises that are available at low
cost within the community. The aim is to have participants
find something they enjoy that they can keep going with after
the 10 weeks. Participants also receive a number of nutritionbased
information sessions and resources to support them
in making healthy lifestyle changes. Fit 4 Life is a low cost
programme run by Sport Southland’s Active Lifestyles advisor
Nicola Wylie.
10 11
Introduction to
Fitness & Food
Starting 20th June 2012
• Wednesday evenings, 6 - 7.30pm
• $20 to register ($10 refund for
participants that attend 9/10
sessions)
• Phone 0800 ACTIVE for
more information
• Sport Southland will be running
morning sessions from 10.30am -
12.00 noon in September

Get Moving
Part of our job in Active Lifestyles is encouraging more Southlanders to be more active
more often so, along with Green Prescription, Active Families, Fit 4 Life and Active
Movement, we co-ordinate a number of classes and groups.
Yvette Hodges
Active Lifestyles Manager
Step It Out
Step It Out is an initiative to get Southlanders walking.
We’re so lucky to have so many fantastic places to walk
Southland-wide, and the campaign is a great way to highlight
walking as a really positive activity.
It’s fun, it’s free, it’s easy and it makes you feel great!
As part of the campaign, we have set up a website – www.
stepitout.co.nz – which is a hub for information on walking in
Southland. It includes feature walks, information on walking
tracks throughout Southland, walking groups and a photo
competition, so make sure you check it out.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to step it out, we have also
set up several walking groups – all free, fun and available to
walkers of any ability.
Step
out
These include Pram Walks, Nans, Pops and Tots and the
Awarua Hikoi, and there are more on the way, so keep an eye
on the website for details.
Since starting this campaign – which is a partnership between
Sport Southland and Healthy Eating, Healthy Action (HEHA) –
I’ve discovered so many great places to walk in Southland and
we are excited about sharing this, thanks to the new website.
If you would like to start your own walking group, or be involved
in the campaign we’d love to hear from you – email me at
yvette.hodges@sportsouthland.co.nz or phone 0800 228 483.
PRAM
WALKS
Nans,
Pops and
Tots
Awarua
Hikoi
What: Weekly walks suitable for prams
Where: Alternates weekly – Queens Park and Kew Bush
When: 10am Mondays. Queens Park on the first and third Monday of every month, Kew
Bush on the second and fourth Monday of every month
What: Weekly walks for grandparents and grandchildren. Either push your mokopuna in a
pram, or let them walk alongside you
Where: Held in conjunction with Pram Walks, alternates each week – Queens Park and Kew Bush
When: 10am Mondays. Queens Park on the first and third Monday of every month, Kew Bush
on the second and fourth Monday of every month
What: Free social walk groups run by Awarua Social and Health Services
Where: Te Rau Aroha Marae, Bluff (Wednesdays) and
190 Forth St, Invercargill (weekdays)
When: 10am Wednesdays (Bluff) and 9am weekdays (Invercargill)
*These walks are run by Awarua Social and Health Services as part of the Step It Out campaign.
Low-Cost
Zumba
Last year we started low-cost Zumba classes in Invercargill and they have been hugely popular.
We have between 50 and 80 people coming along to the class on Thursday evenings, and about 30 come
along on a Monday morning.
The classes are for everyone, from beginners to those more advanced, and we get a mix of ages coming
along – children, adults, grandparents – everyone! At one stage, we had three generations of one family
coming to the classes, so it’s a great way for the whole family to stay active!
Best of all, it’s a good workout too. The classes are taken by Tanya McEwan, who is a qualified Zumba
instructor.
Low-Cost Zumba
Where: Mondays at 34 Leet Street, Thursdays at Southland Girls High School East Hall on Tweed Street
When: Mondays at 10am, Thursdays at 7pm
How much: Just $2 per class for those with a community services card and children, and $6 per
class for everyone else
12

Ann Robbie
Active Lifestyles ADVISOR
Age doesn’t matter when it comes to physical activity, and neither does experience – what is more important
is that the person is out there doing what they enjoy and pushing themselves to achieve their goal.
As an Active Lifestyles Advisor I work predominantly with people aged 50 plus – this is a rewarding occupation.
You meet so many people with a diverse range of experiences.
What makes my role in Green Prescription more humbling is the personal success of individuals and providing
support, encouragement, motivation and ideas and goal setting. As a team we have continual challenges
day to day, finding suitable activities for each patient and making it suitable and individual to them – this is a
must for success. Witnessing your patients’ success is a bit like receiving a bunch of flowers – very humbling
indeed.
A lot of people that I have met along my journey have previously had poor experiences with physical activity
and fear a lot of what is out there – it is my role to encourage another attempt, as you just never know how
close you are to success.
Never, never give up – success can be just around the corner.
Get Moving
Introduction to Aqua
Jogging
This programme is run in conjunction with Splash Palace and the Invercargill Active
Communities Scheme and is designed to introduce people to water-based activities. It
runs twice a week.
The Tuesday morning session is designed for adults aged under 60, where you have
the support and encouragement of a Sport Southland staff member and gain the
confidence and experience to progress onto other programmes.
On Monday mornings we run a session for those aged over 60. Some of these people
have not been in the pool since childhood days and worry about what they look like in a
bathing suit, but this concern is relinquished on the first day of attending.
Aqua jogging is a great, low-impact exercise that is easy on the joints and it’s a fun,
social way to stay fit!
Introduction to Aqua Jogging
Where: Splash Palace
When: 9am Mondays (ages 60+), 9am Tuesdays (adults)
Why: Aqua jogging is a fun, social activity that has many benefits including
strengthening the heart, burning fat and working the upper
and lower body.
Register: Participants need to register for these classes, so please phone 0800
228 483 or email ann.robbie@sportsouthland.co.nz
The BNZ Active Walkers KiwiSeniors is a large group of walk-loving adults who meet regularly for walks
throughout Southland. They travel to all points of the compass and enjoy the group atmosphere.
BNZ Active
Walkers
KiwiSeniors
Recent larger walks have included trips to the Central Otago Rail Trail, Island Lake off the Borland
Saddle, Te Anau and Mavora, while smaller walks have taken place at Waituna Lagoon, Seaward Bush,
Sandy Point, Bluff and Forest Hill. We take full advantage of Southland’s fantastic walking tracks and
the generosity of local farmers who allow us to use their land. The Department of Conservation and
Invercargill City Council supports the KiwiSeniors group.
It is the KiwiSeniors’ 20th anniversary this year and planning for this is underway. Watch this space!
BNZ Active Walkers KiwiSeniors
Where: Groups in Invercargill, Eastern Southland, Northern Southland and Te Anau
When: Invercargill group meets weekly on a Thursday at Sport Southland, Eastern Southland
group meets monthly on the third Tuesday of every month, Te Anau group meets
every Wednesday at DOC, and Northern Southland group meets on the second and fourth
Thursday of every month.
More information: Contact Ann Robbie on 0800 228 483, or ann.robbie@sportsouthland.co.nz
12 13

Active Movement
Ball Skills
Young children learn through repetition
and exploration so in order to learn a new
skill we first need to provide our children
with lots of opportunities to familiarise
themselves with an object and explore
its capabilities.
Always keep a wide range of objects on hand
e.g. bean bags, different sized/textured balls
and hoops. Allow children to spend time
exploring the new object, what it can and can’t
do, what it feels like and how it moves through
space before trying the new activity.
Nicola Wylie
Active Movement
Making the Connection
between Movement
and Learning
Active Movement is essential for all
children from birth. At birth a baby’s brain
is only 15% developed, with the majority
of the remaining 85% being formed in the
first three years. Research has proven
that loving and nuturing relationships
with parents and caregivers, along
with positive play experiences have a
significant role in brain development
during this time.
Sport Southland’s Active Movement team
provides early childhood centres, service
providers and parents with support in
implementing these experiences.
If you would like more information on how
your centre or group can receive support
in Active Movement please contact us!
Ball Games To Try:
Give each child a balloon, see how long
children can keep the balloon in the air
by batting it with their hand – extend
on this game by giving children a fly
swat or rolled up magazine to bat with.
Place hoops on the ground and give
each child a ball to roll around the
room with music playing. When the
music stops the children must pick up
their ball and stand in a nearby hoop.
In pairs, give children a balloon and a
bucket, see if children can throw the
balloon with their partner catching the
balloon in their bucket.
Simple is best?
Simple toys that allow children to use their imagination
and creativity have many benefits over the endless plastic
creations currently available (Ginsburg, 2007). Blocks, play
dough, a sandpit, versatile dress-ups (as opposed to Disney
inspired ones), crayons and paper provide endless options.
Household objects such as boxes, blankets, pots and pans
can also provide many hours of fun and learning.
Keryn O’Neill, MA Psych, Brainwave Trust Presenter
Place a washing basket in the middle
of the room full of small balls, roll
the balls away quickly and ask the
children to collect up the balls and
place them back in the box as quick
as they can.
Hold a hoop upright, ask children to
practice rolling the ball through the
hoop, you can also ask children to
try kicking their ball. Using skittles
or empty milk cartons as a taget is
another great way for children to play
this game.
Sessions held weekly at:
Winton
Wednesday 10am - 10:30am
Active Movement for Early Learning
Parents and caregivers of
children aged 0-2 years
are enjoying taking part
in the Wriggle & Rhyme
Active Movement for Early
Learning Classes being
held at Southland Libraries.
These 30 minute sessions
provide positive movement
experiences to stimulate the
development of both the brain
and body. Sessions are free
and held weekly or monthly at
the following libraries;
Gore
Mataura
Lumsden
Invercargill Friday
Wednesday 10am - 10:30am
Wednesday 11am - 11:30am
Wednesday 11:15am - 11:45am
Sessions held on the
first of each month at:
10:30am - 11am
11:30am - 12noon
1:30pm - 2pm
Riverton Tuesday 10:30am - 11am
Otautau Friday 10:30am - 11am
14

Natalie Hughes
Active movement
Out and About in Southland!
I work closely with Early Childhood Centres throughout
Southland, promoting and educating parents, educators and
caregivers on the importance of fundamental skills for under-5s.
This includes practical sessions, resources and workshops, as
well as delivering fundamental skills sessions for children.
One of the centres I have been working with recently is the
Southern Kids Early Learning Centre in Invercargill and I have
been really impressed with the way they are including Active
Movement in their centre.
Southern Kids Early Learning Centre head teacher Gemma
Cathcart and staff are including Active Movement opportunities
for their children daily.
The staff are also being great role models for the children by
including daily physical activity – walking for at least 30 minutes
during their lunch breaks.
The children have been practising their jumping and balancing
skills, walking along foam beams and balancing domes.
When balancing it is important to remember to have long
‘aeroplane’ arms – this helps to stay balanced.
To add an extra challenge balance a bean bag on the child’s head
as they walk along the beam or place hurdles along the beam for
them to step over.
Remember – children learn while having fun!
If you and your centre are interested in being involved in the
Active Movement programme I would love to hear from you.
Contact me at Sport Southland 0800 ACTIVE or email natalie.
hughes@sportsouthland.co.nz
Keep Moving and Grooving!
Active Movement
“Play is our brain ’s favorite way
of learning.”
Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author
“Play energizes us and enlivens us.
It eases our burdens. It renews our
natural sense of optimism and opens us
up to new possibilities.”
Stuart Brown, MD
Contemporary American psychiatrist
14
15

Eastern
Lucy Anderson
4 Sport Development Officer
Susie Burrows
Eastern Southland Office Manager
Here at the Sport Southland Eastern office we provide a wide range of sport and recreation opportunities
for all age groups. From our Mini Movers to our BNZ Active Walkers KiwiSeniors, we’ve always got plenty
going on and, if you need to know anything about sport and recreation in Eastern Southland we can help.
Mini Movers
Mini Movers is a Play Gym for 0 – 4 year olds
based at the MLT Event Centre in Gore.
We hold weekly sessions that focus on
improving the children’s basic fundamental
skills such as jumping and landing,
locomotion, balance, ball skills and
manipulating objects and vision.
The sessions include free play on the
specialised equipment, music and individual
and group activities.
Holiday Programme
The Eastern Southland holiday programme
ran over five days in the last school holidays
with heaps of fun activities.
We made kites, baked cookies, took
part in netball, volleyball and football
coaching, took a trip to Dolamore Park,
came to Invercargill to join in with the ILT
Holiday Sports Programme and enjoyed
4 Sport Delivery
professional BMX coaching and pool action!
The next holiday programme will be from July
2 to 6, and will be another fun-filled week,
including a trip to ILT Kidzone in Invercargill.
In Term 1 we took football into 15 Eastern
Southland schools – reaching more than 480
children every week!
We teach fundamental skills in kicking, dribbling,
passing and goal scoring, as well as the basic
rules of the game. We’re trying to develop
stronger links between the clubs and the schools
and are showing the children the pathways into
organised sport.
In Term 2 we’ll be taking table tennis and hockey into
the same schools. Table tennis was really popular
last year so we’re looking forward to teaching the
sport to even more children.
The programme is really valuable due to the
fact that more than 400 children a year are
experiencing and learning in depth about four
to five different sports and they all have the
opportunity to participate in an organised
tournament, held at the end of each term.
The programme is aimed at children in Years 5 and
6, but due to some schools being smaller we’re
lucky enough to include all ages.
16

Social Sports
We are lucky here in Eastern Southland
to have such fantastic sporting facilities,
including the MLT Event Centre and the
Gore Multi Sport Complex – both situated
right beside our Sport Southland Eastern
office.
So we’re always looking at fun new ways
to make the most of them. Last term we
held social doubles tennis and volleyball
competitions, and now we’re running
indoor football and the MLT 20/20 Tennis
competition.
Indoor football’s pretty self-explanatory – if
you’re interested in either putting a team
in or joining a team, just let us know.
The tennis though, is a slightly different
set up. It includes teams of three, playing
doubles tennis. The first pair play for 20
minutes, then one player swaps, you play
in that pair for 20 minutes and then the
other player swaps. Everyone gets 40
minutes of tennis in.
It’s a fun way to play and is open to senior
school pupils and adults.
Eastern
Eastern KiwiSeniors
Our Eastern KiwiSeniors group, of about 100,
meets on the third Tuesday of every month for
walks in and around Southland. It’s a pretty
social day out, but is also a great way to get
some fitness in and enjoy seeing different
walking environments in our area.
So far this year we’ve enjoyed trips to Kaka Point,
Mavora Lakes, Holtz (on the lower Mataura
River), and have walks planned to Drummond
and Dunsdale Reserve and Dolamore Park.
Active For Life
This is a programme designed to increase your
fitness, strength, confidence and well-being.
It is held weekly at Total Body Fitness in Gore,
and involves circuit training and low-impact
aerobics.
Whether you are ‘at risk’, rehabilitating after
a health event, or are simply looking for new
ways to improve your current health and
well-being, Active For Life is designed for you,
providing a group setting and helping you
achieve your physical activity goals.
Try your own circuit
Exercise and circuit classes are a great way to stay fit. They provide plenty of variety in exercises and you can do many of the exercises at home.
Try the following:
For more information
on any programmes in Eastern Southland and/or sport and recreation, contact Susie Burrows
on 03 208 3846, email susie.burrows@sportsouthland.co.nz
or pop in to the Sport Southland Eastern office – located at the Gore Multi Sport Complex, 20 Wayland Street (off Robertson Street) in Gore.
16 17

Events
Matt Sillars
Events Manager
It’s been an action-packed summer for the Sport
Southland events team. There is always so much going
on – from co-ordinating the southern hemisphere’s
oldest marathon, the Ascot Park Hotel Southland
Marathon, to helping get the brand new Distinction
Hotels Milford Mountain Classic’s wheels in motion,
we’ve had a great time!
We also organised another fun-filled BNZ Surf to City,
the MLT Moonshine Trail, and helped with numerous
other events on Southland’s events calendar in a range
of capacities.
Although we’re heading into winter, there are still plenty
of events out there – so regardless of the weather, get
out, get training and have fun, because there are plenty
of opportunities in Southland to do all three!
Distinction Hotels
Milford Mountain Classic
With year one under our belts, the organising
team for the Distinction Hotels Milford Mountain
Classic are already excited about the next
instalment of this popular road cycling race
from Milford to Te Anau.
It’s scheduled for Saturday January 26. With
spectacular scenery, a challenging ride and a
fantastic atmosphere this is definitely one to
put in your diary.
For those who aren’t too sure just what the
race is about, check out the website –
www.milfordclassic.co.nz where there’s
some great video footage of the event.
Events Caravan
The new Sport Southland events caravan has been an asset already!
We all know how unpredictable the weather can be and when you’re organising events you can never count on it being fine.
While our caravan isn’t ideal for camping – I’ve slept in it three times and had three terrible nights’ sleep, thanks to a lack of curtains and a
new smell! – we’ve found it the perfect event accessory!
It’s a great base for timing, registrations and/or first aid, there are plenty of plugs and it’s easy to plug it into a generator.
We have had it designed so it has a wider back door and a higher ground clearance so it’s more appropriate to take to a paddock in Dipton
for a school cross country.
It’s already been used at the Ascot Park Hotel Southland Marathon, the Kepler Challenge, the KiwiSport football finals day, Distinction Hotels
Milford Mountain Classic, South Island BMX Championships and the Oceania road cycling
championships. It’s available for sports, schools and community groups to hire at a modest
cost, and with winter coming up it could prove an asset at your event!
The purchase of the events caravan was made possible thanks to a grant from the Lion
Foundation.
Contact us to make a booking on 03 211 2150 or events@sportsouthland.co.nz.
18

Events
Sally Hayes
Events support
BNZ
Aerobics and Hip Hop Festival
Planning is well underway for the upcoming aerobics
season, starting with the BNZ Aerobics and Hip Hop
Festival in Invercargill on June 10.
I’m looking forward to it – it is always a great day out
and a good chance for primary-aged kids to have a go
at aerobics and hip hop.
Last year’s Southern Regional Aerobics and Dance
Championships had record numbers and we ended up
having to spill the competition into two days, so there’s
definitely a lot of interest in it from Southlanders which
is great to see!
The BNZ Aerobics and Hip Hop Festival is for anyone
– just as long as you can complete the set skills
and moves within the allocated time. There are no
placings or rankings – it’s just feedback from the
judges, so for those new to aerobics and hip hop
it’s a great way to start out, and for those more
experienced, it’s a good chance to see where you’re
at before Regionals, and to perform in front of an
audience.
What makes the day even better is the great support
the participants always get – so if you know anyone
taking part, make sure you head down to the Civic
Theatre on June 10 to cheer them on!
Registrations and more information
is available on our website –
www.sportsouthland.co.nz – and if you
would like to know more about the competition,
just contact me!
Key Dates
MAY
20 th SBS Bank Gore Half
Marathon
JUNE
1 st Entries for the Distinction
Hotels Milford Mountain
Classic open
8 th ILT Southland Sports
Awards
10 th BNZ Aerobics and Hip
Hop Festival
11 th Entries for the Ascot
Park Hotel Southland
Festival of Running open
JULY
4 th - 9 th ILT KidZone
AUGUST
11 th - 12 th Otago/Southland Regional
NZCAF Competition
22 nd - 26 th Junior Track Cycling
World Championships
For more events, check out the
online events calendar at
www.sportsouthland.co.nz.
Or for more information
please contact
Matt or Sally on 03 211 2150 or
events@sportsouthland.co.nz
18 19

Our Vision Inspiring sporting excellence and active lifestyles
Our Mission To create a leading sport and recreation environment
where more Southlanders are active, competitive and successful
Contact us for information on:
Green Prescription – Finding a Sports Club – Becoming a sports coach – Academy Southland
Getting started with fitness and food – Becoming active as a family – Active Movement (for under-5s)
Walking in Southland – Ki O Rahi and traditional Maori sports – Tai Chi – Sport Opportunity – Events
Traffic Management – KiwiSport – SportStart Southland – Holiday Sports Programmes – Active 4 Life
Social sports competitions – Community Sport – Targeted Sports – BNZ Surf to City – Invest In Sport
Malloch McClean Playground Stencils in schools – Website support for your sports organisation or club
Ascot Park Hotel Southland Festival of Running – Aerobics and Hip Hop – Coach Support – Water Fun Days
Distinction Hotels Milford Mountain Classic – MLT Moonshine Trail – ILT Southland Sports Awards
KiwiSeniors walk groups – Inter-School Competition Days – Event support and online entries
Coach Support – Primary School Sport – Wriggle & Rhyme – Introduction to Aqua Jogging – Low-Cost Zumba
Gore | Multisports Complex, Wayland St West, Gore PH: 03 208 3846
INVERCARGILL | SBS Sports House, Stadium Southland, Isabella Street, Invercargill PH: 03 211 2150
ac tive@spor tsouthland.co.nz | w w w.spor tsouthland.co.nz