Leslie leads push for amateur sport
It is easy to forget that in New Zealand sport is overwhelming amateur.
It is played by amateurs, refereed by amateurs and administered by amateurs.
Even rugby is dominated by amateurs who train twice a week and give up their Saturday to represent their local club.
Former All Blacks captain Andy Leslie wants to make sure that amateur sport remains a key part of our society.
Leslie has remained active in administration since he hung up his boots 40 years ago but he is worried about the future.
As president of the newly formed New Zealand Amateur Sport Association, he wants to make sure amateur sport remains relevant. He believes the way kids approach sport is changing.
Youngsters are still playing traditional team sports such as rugby and cricket but when they reach 13 or 14, they look to other options.
Futsal, handball, mountain biking and sports that can be played informally amongst small groups like basketball are gaining in popularity.
For traditional sports the dilemma is how to get youngsters
College Sport
David Fa’ataga from College Sport Wellington said there were 204 futsal teams in Wellington. ‘‘It is the biggest growing sport in NewZealand, without any doubt.’’ Other non-traditional sports growing quickly included handball and floorball (an indoor version of hockey). CSWruns competitions for 34 sports. playing who don’t want to be in a structured set-up. For a sport like cricket that could be informal twilight competitions, where the clubs provide the facilities.
The challenge was to provide facilities for the new direction sport was heading without undermining the existing codes and clubs, he said.
Inaugural chairman Gordon Campbell-Noble said with so much professional sport on TV, the focus was changing from participation to sitting at home and watching teams like the All Blacks or Silver Ferns.
As well as the health benefits of playing sport, it also had many community benefits.
The value of camaraderie and working as a team, for instance, were skills that were valuable for life.
‘‘Having strong amateur clubs is essential to having strong communities.’’
Campbell-Noble said he was not anti professional and it was more about celebrating and promoting amateur sport.
The focus for many youngsters and their parents was sport as a pathway to a professional career.
Junior academies at schools and at club level focused on producing elite players, he said.
The vast majority of players in them failed to achieve their dream of playing for money and therefore viewed their experience as a failure.
The kids not in academies feel they have failed and lose interest, he said.
As well as how to get people to continue to play once they have left school, clubs were also finding it harder to attract keep volunteers.
Among those also involved are Olympic rower Hamish Bond and Netball New Zealand Life member Marian George.