Issue 13 : 2 September 2018
Talofa Lava, Kia Orana, Malo E Leilei, Tena Koutou, Hello ...
... and welcome to the latest issue of “For The Love Of The Game”, the official e-zine of the New Zealand Amateur Sport Association Inc. We hope you enjoy reading the articles below.
If you have any feedback on this issue, ideas for future articles, or would like to contact the Editor, please click here. And, you are invited to forward the e-zine to others you know, who may be interested in reading it.
If you are interested in applying for membership of the Association, please click here.
Maxine Cooper Leads The Way In Kazahkstan ...
In a famous victory over the host nation, New Zealand’s University Women’s Futsal Team won New Zealand’s first ever victory at a global Futsal event, by defeating hosts Kazakhstan by 5 goals to 3, at the 2018 FISU World University Futsal Championship, in Almaty last month.
The purely amateur team, which was required to self-fund their trip to Central Asia, was unable to defeat France, Portugal and Canada in their subsequent matches, but won their final (second) match against Kazakhstan on a penalty shoot-out, to finish in 7th place overall.
MVP of the New Zealand National Women's Futsal League Tournament in 2017, Maxine Cooper (who chose to focus on Futsal two years earlier), was selected in the inaugural New Zealand Futsal Ferns side and captained New Zealand at the World Championship.
(Maxine Cooper, Captain of the New Zealand Women's Futsal Team)
Cooper, a Wellingtonian, says that the opportunity to represent New Zealand was an incentive to solely focus on Futsal noting that, “there's finally something to work for, and it's growing so much … I think you'll see more and more women making that decision".
Community Sports Event Seminar ...
A reminder that the Association’s seminar on Community Sports Events will be held at Victoria University’s Rutherford House Campus on Wednesday, 26 September, at 5.30pm.
Rutherford House is adjacent to Wellington Railway Station and the CBD Bus Terminus, making it a perfect location for those available to attend the seminar, before heading home.
You can click here for further details on the seminar, or to register directly, please e-Mail the Association, by clicking here.
Viewpoint : Drugs, Youth & Sport ...
In recent times, media coverage about the relationship between drugs and sport has mainly focused on the use of illicit substances to boost performance at an elite level. However little has been said about the role of sport in keeping youth away from recreational drug use, a malaise which is creating significant social problems in parts of New Zealand.
For example, a report this week from Radio New Zealand said that in the Napier suburb of Maraenui, “children as young as 11 are getting hooked on [synthetic cannabis], in what is being described as an epidemic in the neighbourhood."
Research shows that sport participation can play an important and positive role in the health and development of children and youth. More recently, there is increasing interest in the role that sport participation might play in preventing drug and alcohol use by teenagers.
A review of 17 separate studies, which examined the relationship between sport participation and alcohol and drug use among adolescents, revealed that participation in sports reduced the risk of overall illicit drug use, particularly during high school years. “Kids in sports stay out of courts”, has been cited in print since 1973; 45 years later, the need for organised amateur sport as a force for social good, is no less acute.
As youth transition from the school environment to the workplace, staying involved in sport through a well-organised local amateur sports club should be seen by society as a positive way to minimise the risks of young adults falling into illicit drug use.
A US View On NZ Secondary School Rugby ...
Earlier this month, the well-respected "New York Times" published an article on secondary school rugby in Poverty Bay. You can read the full article, here.
In an honest appraisal of the current environment for secondary school rugby in New Zealand, Gisborne Boys High School’s Tom Cairns observed (and the Times reported), “with some wealthier schools paying coaches and offering scholarships to players from outside their regional areas … some teams may be left behind, a negative for New Zealand rugby over all.”
In contrast to this fear, it was interesting to note the comments of Napier Boys High School 1XV Coach Brendon Ratcliffe who, following his team’s victory in winning the Hurricanes 1XV Cup this past weekend, noted that teams don't need "imports" to compete at the elite 1XV level in New Zealand, with all of his players (bar one), having been at Napier Boys since Year 9.
(The home-grown Napier Boys High School 1XV, 2018 Hurricanes Region Champions)
New Zealand Rugby’s current Review of Secondary School Rugby is nearing completion, with the review's perspective on the role of “elite” rugby schools likely to be of high interest to many rugby followers around the country.
Is Provincial Sport Under Threat? ...
With major sporting franchises establishing their development centres in New Zealand’s larger cities, those interested in honing their sporting skills in provincial centres are becoming concerned that there may be fewer development opportunities open to them in the future.
For example, the Manawatu Standard reported this week that two major sporting codes (Cricket and Hockey) have locals concerned that opportunities for non-elite development in the Manawatu region, are under threat.
The report notes, "it seems Hockey NZ is desperate to consolidate the game into fewer centres, ignoring the damage this could do to the sport elsewhere, particularly at lower levels as players outside the elite programmes see no pathway to representative teams."
This Association believes that opportunities, incentives and recognition for all participants are essential for the health of any sporting code. You can read the full article, here.
National Amateur Club Survey ...
The Association’s inaugural national survey of Amateur Sports Clubs "kicks-off" on Monday, 10 September. The survey will seek responses from 1,000 Clubs, across 16 sporting codes, which are registered as incorporated societies. The Sport Leadership & Management Department at Auckland University of Technology is a partner in this project.
To confirm if your Club is part of the survey database, contact the Association, by clicking here.
From The Archives ...
AMATEUR SPORTS CLUB
NEW ZEALAND TIMES, VOLUME XXVIII, ISSUE 5986, 24 AUGUST 1906
“A well-attended meeting of civil servants was held at Batkin’s last night, for the purpose of forming an Amateur Sports Club. Mr R. M. Isaacs (Railway Department), was elected to the chair, and Mr R. Reynolds (P. 0.) secretary pro. tem. On the motion of Mr T. Wilton it was decided that a club he formed, open to all amateurs employed in Government departments.”
The Civil Service Amateur Sports Club was formed in 1906 for the purposes of encouraging competition between Government Departments, with an annual Tournament held each year, for a trophy donated by the Club's Patron, Sir Joseph Ward.
Athletics, Harriers, Swimming and Tennis were the principal sports promoted, with events held at the Basin Reserve, Newtown Park and Karori Park. With membership before the war around the 300 mark, by the end of World War One, “on account of the absence of such a large number of the members of the service at the war”, membership and participation lapsed.
The Final Word ...
“Sport and health are so important to our nation, that they deserve to be right at the front of people's minds.”
(Daley Thompson CBE, Olympic Gold-Medallist)