North Canterbury News: May 02, 2024

NORTH CANTERBURY SPORT &RECREATION TRUST
The North Canterbury News, May 2, 2024
29
Former students now delivering as coaches
New MainPower Primary School Sports
Coach, Cole Morgan, is the latest in a
growing list of past and present NC Sports
coaches now leading the programme after
having experienced it first hand while at
primary school in North Canterbury.
Cole still remembers the NC Sports
coaches who visited Broomfield School
when he was there more than 10 years
ago, and he also remembers taking part in
other school programmes provided by NC
Sports including Friday Winter Sports,
Cross Country races and Athletics sports
days.
These positive experiences with sport
helped shape Cole into becoming a
Personal Trainer and Sports Coach, and
he is now working for NC Sports as part of
the MainPower Primary School Coaching
programme delivering to the next
generation of North Canterbury students.
With the departure of three
experienced coaches,Cole and another
new coach, Aleesha Cummings join the
team together with established coaches
Elsie, Lily and Bronwyn. Lily and
Bronwyn are also former recipients of the
sports coaching from the MainPower NC
Sports team when they were at Primary
School.
NC Sports (aka: The North Canterbury
Sport and Recreation Trust) introduced
the MainPower Primary School Sports
Coaching programme in 2008.
Since then it has grown from just two
coaches,visiting ahandful of schools, to
as many as six coaches delivering
fundamental sports skills lessons to over
5000 local children in 23 schools across
North Canterbury this coming term.
More than 40 young sports coaches have
been employed by NC Sports over those
16 years, many of them Waimakariri
locals who gained their coaching skills
through local clubs, the Community
College and tertiary providers.
Some of the former coaches have also
returned to work for NC Sports in other
roles, including founding coach Ricki
Jacobs who is now Personal Trainer
Team Leader at Stadium Fitness Centre,
and Fraser Gauld who returned after five
years coaching in the United Kingdom to
the role of Community Coach Developer.
School Sports co­ordinator Wendy
Cathcart says it is exciting to see the
MainPower Primary School Sport
Coaching creating alegacy now with
those being coached adecade ago having
the opportunity to be the coaches
themselves.
There are so many career pathways
that open up for our coaches thanks in
part to the experiences they get
interacting with children every day in
North Canterbury Schools.
And this goes both ways, with the
positive sporting experience these
children get at school encouraging them
to continue enjoying sports at all levels
and in amultitude of ways throughout
their lives and maybe even making a
career out of it.
NC Sport coaching team ... Cole Morgan (left), Elsie Murray, Braxton Taua, AleeshaCummings, Cody Alexander, Lily Thompson­Hood.
Missing Bronwyn Dibb.
PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
The Primary School Sports Coaches
don’t just apply their coaching skills
within the school programme, but are
also actively involved in other sporting
programmes run by NC Sports.
These include the Sports Spectacular
Have aGodays for year 3and 4students,
the Miniball basketball and Volleyball
intro programmes at MainPower
Stadium, aSports Fundamentals
programme for Home Schooled children,
PRAMA Kids fitness classes and the NC
Sports School Holiday Sports
Programmes.
In addition coach Bronwyn Dibb, who is
aformer world champion trampolinist,
will be taking alead role with the NC
Sports Gymnastics programmes for 5 to
8­year­olds at the Rangiora Fitness
Centre, while coach Lily Thompson­Hood
is leading the Rangiora High School
Wahine fitness programme at MainPower
Stadium.
The coaches, along with other NC
Sports staff and helpers, will also help coordinate
the up­coming Friday Winter
Sports Competitions, another NC Sports
programme, that has grown exponentially
since its introduction in 2012.
Prior to this North Canterbury Schools
had to transport their teams into
Christchurch to compete, which became
more time consuming and expensive
following the quakes.
So NC Sports started its own Friday
afternoon competition based at Dudley
Park, with Football and Netball options.
Popularity of this grew quickly, with
Rugby and Hockey added to the
programme and venues spanning from
Southbrook Park to Maria Andrews, the A
&PShowgrounds, MainPower Oval,
Hockey Turf and Stadium.
To increase engagement of all children
into some form of sports, in addition to
the traditional winter sports, the Friday
Yesteryear ... Ayoung Cole Morgan
taking part in NC Sports.
competition has also included indoor
bowls, table tennis, volleyball and tennis
at various times.
This winter’s programme will trial
Pickleball.
Last year the Friday competition
involved 1600 students from 18 schools,
and these numbers are expected to grow
Today ... Cole Morgan taking aclass this
week.
further this coming term.
The programme leads into aOne Day
Tournament early in Term 3.
From this the winning teams are able to
compete at the Primary School Sport
Canterbury tournament against the best
schools from across the wider Canterbury
region
MEMBERSHIPS
FROM
$
23
PER WEEK
ONLY
DOWNDEAL
DOUBLE
UP TO 4WEEKSFREE
IF YOUJOINBEFORE 31 ST MAY
FIND OUT MORE AT...
www.sportstrust.org.nz
Sign up yourself and get
2 WEEKS
FREE!
Sign up with amatetoDOUBLE DOWN so
youboth get
FREE!
4 WEEKS
•Month-to-MonthMemberships-NOlong-termcontracts!*
•NOpriceincrease forlifeofyour membership
•NOJoining Fee
•FREEProgramming and PT Sessions
•FREESauna (RangioraFitness Centreonly)
•Access ALL FIVE NC Sports Fitness Centres
•Les Millsgroup fitness classes everyday
•REVLGTand PRAMAfitnessclasses
•In-House Cafes
*Membership Terms &
Conditions apply