Issue 68 : 15 November 2020
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. An archive of earlier editions of the e-zine can be found here.
If you are interested in applying for membership of the Association, please click here.
1,217 Apply For And Receive Government Relief Funding ...
Around 16% of New Zealand’s sports clubs (based on the Association's database) directly applied for and received financial relief in the Government’s second COVID-19 package for community sport. It's been reported that the Community Resilience Fund has paid out just under $15 million to 2,070 entities nationally, (not all of which were incorporated sports organisations).
The median payment for all clubs was $6,466 with the range of median payments by sporting code from $10.363 for football clubs, to $2,837 for athletics clubs. You can read more here.
High-Performance Education Places Focus On Code For Sporting Youth ...
Readers of this e-zine may not be aware that, “Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, the state-funded correspondence school, receives about 100 applications every year through its “exceptional arts or sports performance gateway”, which supports young students identified as likely to either represent New Zealand, or develop to the top of their age group.” In summary, children are removed from their normal school environment to focus on their elite sporting development.
It was reported today (click here to read more) that, “on the roll, the youngest “exceptional sports Äkonga” is 10 years old, with the average age of correspondence school athletes 15.8 years.” You can download the Association’s Code for Sporting Youth, here.
21 Incorporated Sports Clubs Dissolved In October ...
Among the 21 incorporated sports bodies dissolved by the Registrar in October were four rugby league clubs: the Hukanui Rugby League Sports Club (Hamilton); the New Lynn Rugby League Football Club (Auckland); the Omahu Huia Rugby League Club (Hastings); and the Paikea Whalers Rugby League Club (Gisborne).
While two of the clubs (New Lynn and Hukanui) have taken immediate steps to have their dissolution revoked, two others (Omahu and Paikea) are apparently still in operation, but now without incorporated status. Earlier this week, the Association spoke with the Chairman of the Hukanui Rugby League Sports Club, Peter Paki. The Club was not aware that it had been dissolved by the Registrar, with the matter to be brought to the attention of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting of the Club.
As previously noted by this Association, where there is a likely incidence of sport club regulatory non-compliance, the Registrar of Incorporated Societies should proactively notify the National Sporting Organisation of the relevant incorporated community club, to ensure that the required accounting and filing steps are taken to avoid unintended dissolution. This would be a simple process and place the onus, where it belongs, on the national body responsible for the governance of each game.
"Register Now" For 2020 National Sport Club Survey Workshops ...
A reminder that there are two upcoming workshops for the sports communities of Taranaki (Wednesday, 18 November) and Waikato (Wednesday, 25 November), focusing on insights from the 2020 National Sport Club Survey. The details of the workshops can be found here.
If you would like to register to attend either of these workshops, please click here.
Viewpoint : What Youth Can Learn From Their Seniors ...
A recent study undertaken at Midwestern State University in Texas, published in the latest edition of the “Journal for Amateur Sport”, revealed that the four main reasons that those aged 50 years and older participate in organised sport events are: to challenge their abilities; because they enjoy it; to improve/maintain their health and to socialise. According to the research, relatively few participate to earn accolades or awards.
The study referenced earlier research which grouped reasons for sport participation into three areas: “social motivation”, (to meet people), “achievement motivation” (to be recognised for ability), and “mastery motivation” (to develop physical skills and abilities), indicating that these factors are equally relevant for both young and old.
The expression, “if you can see it, you can be it” puts emphasis on the “achievement” motivation above all else, with the finite resources of some community codes focusing on “performance” at the expense of "social" and "mastery" motivations. For some youth, disappointment in not achieving performance expectations results in complete withdrawal from sport.
While other studies show that individuals who participate in competitive sports as teenagers, maintain their participation in recreational sports as adults, it is the "nature" of performance which is causing sport administrators to re-think their approach of how to grow participation.
Association Member Profile : The “Rimutaka Renegades” ...
As one of 21 affliiated clubs nationally, for more than 20 years, the “Rimutaka Inline Hockey Club” has been one of only two inline hockey clubs providing access to the sport for players throughout the Wellington region.
Incorporated in 1998 with only 15 players, the club has grown over the past two decades to have players in every regional grade, competing against other clubs in the Lower North Island Region. Based at the Upper Hutt Roller Skating rink, they offer opportunities in both junior and senior grades, with players ranging in age from Under-8s to Senior Men and Women.
Inline hockey is a fast-moving game played on inline skates (roller-blades), and is similar to ice hockey but with less body contact. Players wear padded, protective gear as well as helmets and use lightweight hockey sticks to move a puck around the rink.
Acting Chairperson, Sandy Nimmo, reports that the “Rimutaka Renegades” (as the Club is known) has developed some “mini-movies” (short films) that will be provided, at no cost, to all primary schools in the region, allowing teachers and their students to learn more about the sport. The Club has experienced considerable success working with primary schools with this latest initiative to help with recruitment of youth. From a competitive point of view, the Club continues to experience success in regional competitions and the Club us currently working with government and Sport Wellington to attract youngsters from all socio-economic groups.
New Sport NZ CEO’s Opportunity To Initiate Change ...
Former New Zealand Netball and Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle has been appointed as chief executive of Sport New Zealand, but what direction does she want to take the organisation? Is her vision good for community and high-performance sport? Do those areas complement each other or are they at odds? Where should Sport New Zealand's focus be? Does club sport need to be given priority over winning international events and how does the organisation address the declining participation numbers?
Association Chairman Gordon Noble-Campbell joined Radio New Zealand’s “Extra Time” to discuss the relationship between elite and community sport, with Joe Porter, Hamish Bidwell and Louisa Wall. Click here to listen to the programme.
What Is Sport For, Exactly? ...
The second COVID-19 lock-down in England has forced a further consideration of the distinction between professional and amateur sport. As was reported by the Guardian newspaper recently, “… there has been a lot of emotive rhetoric about sport being on the verge of extinction, as though the basic ability to participate, support and spectate could be vaporised out from beneath us. This is incorrect. What is being menaced is the current financial management of professional sport, its existing models and cultural practices.”
The Guardian goes on to ask, “what is sport for, exactly?”
“There is a genuine threat of long-established institutions going to the wall. Even well-run institutions at [the] amateur level will be vulnerable to the impossible maths of the situation. It may be an auditing process is required for any bailout fund, with loans and grants parcelled out on merit.” You can read more here.
Incorporated Societies Act Reform ...
As at August 2020, a draft Bill to replace the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 has not yet been signed off by Cabinet for introduction to Parliament. The reform process initially commenced in 2011, with a draft Bill released for public consultation in 2015.
Few (only 12) submissions were received from sports clubs, but sufficient submissions were received to cause a further review of the draft Bill. In 2019, the Association wrote to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs suggesting that further review was required. Following the election of a new Government, the Association again lobbied the Minister for further consideration. You can read the Association’s correspondence to the Minister, by clicking here.
From The Archives ...
WINTER SPORTS CHAMPION
OTAGO DAILY TIMES, ISSUE 26533, 7 AUGUST 1947
“Mrs Corinne Gilkison, of Dunedin, has again given further evidence of her remarkable versatility as a winter sports exponent in competitions held in Central Otago during the past few weeks.
In the New Zealand ice skating championships at Oturehua she was one of the most outstanding competitors, winning the Pairs Championship with Brian Tufnall (Wellington) and the Dancing Championship with the same partner. She was also runner-up in the Speed Championships and Figure Skating. Mrs Gilkison learnt her skating on the Manorburn Dam and in her first year of competition in 1939 was the winner of a New Zealand speed title.
She won two speed titles at the New Zealand championships last year and in Central Ojago competition has won titles at speed and figure skating. Following her success on the ice, Mrs Gilkison gained further honours at the Otago Ski Club championships last week when she took the Slalom, Downhill and Combined titles.”
Corinne Gilkison not only won national titles in ladies, pairs skating and ice-dancing in 1947 and 1948, but in her sporting career she also won several national speed skating titles, the 1948 New Zealand Women's Skiing Championships, runner-up in the New Zealand doubles tennis championship and two Otago Bronze Golf Championships.
Corinne (aka “Coreen”) Beatrice Bain was born on 6 September 1917, the daughter of William and Maude (nee Sandliands) Bain. The family lived at 6 Queen’s Drive in the Dunedin suburb of “Sunshine”, near Anderson’s Bay. She attended Musselburgh School and Columba College before studying commerce at Otago University, becoming a member of the Faculty Committee.
At University she joined the University Ski Club, achieving third-place in the Women’s Cross-Country Race at the 1937 University Ski Championships at Mount Cook. Becoming a member of the Otago Ski Club, in 1946 she was the Champion New Zealand Half-Mile Ice-Skater. The following year Corinne was second in the Women’s Slalom at the New Zealand Skiing Championships, held on Mt. Egmont. In 1948 she won the national ski and ice-skating titles while in 1949 she represented Otago at the New Zealand Ice-Skating Championships at Ranfurly, after winning the South Island women’s downhill ski title on Coronet Peak.
Also a member of the Dunedin Badminton Club, the Otago Squash Club and an Otago tennis representative, she married James Hogg Gilkison in 1939 and had two sons, Graham and James. She died on 4 June 2014 at the age of 96 years. The Dunedin Ice Stadium has created the Corinne Gilkison Trophy and named the Corinne Gilkison ice-hockey rinks in her memory.
The Final Word ...
“It doesn't matter how good you are - sport is all about playing and competing.”
(Ian Botham, OBE)