More choice in sport

In the latest SPARC Active NZ Survey we are bucking international trends. The survey, released last week, showed that since 2001 the number of people participating in sport and recreation in New Zealand is holding steady, while internationally participation is declining.

You may well ask how our numbers are holding steady despite a number of sporting organisations reporting that they have declining memberships. The simple answer is that we now have more choices than ever when it comes to what sport we play and how we play it.

The nature of sport and the way we access it is changing. It is not unusual for a person over the space of a week to be playing twilight cricket at Ongley Park, indoor netball at Action Indoor Sports, touch at Coronation Park and business house tennis in Feilding. Each of these sports operates on the basis of pay to play. It seems people are happy to pay $5 to $10 each time they want to play.

This is reflective of the changing New Zealand society. People perceive that they have less time in their day or week and are looking for a flexible sport the can play one week but not necessarily the next. Clubs will need to be dynamic, innovative and be able to roll with the punches to ensure they survive.
As the pay for play sports gain momentum traditional club structures have been put under the microscope and a few questions have been thrown up; is the traditional club structure still relevant? Can clubs change and evolve to better meet the needs of the community?

Sports at all levels have already started addressing this and have implemented some innovative initiatives to meet the changing needs:

• Bowls New Zealand has introduced Mates in Bowls (M.I.B), a social summer league targeted at groups of mates who want to give bowls a go in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. For more information visit www.matesinbowls.co.nz

• The Bush Multisport Trust (BMST) has developed a multi use facility in Pahiatua, which all local sports clubs can become part of. Eleven different sports codes are now affiliated to BMST and it has become a hub of the community.

• SquashGym decided to undergo major change. They combined with the Palmerston North Cosmopolitan Club and the Palmerston North Bowling Club to form Club Palmerston. Along with combining the clubs, the facilities were totally refurbished including three new squash courts. Pay for play options were also introduced to cater for the casual squash player.

• The Manawatu Striders provide regular events for the public; the Super Seven series (a 7km fun run/walk held once a week for seven weeks); the Winter Series (5, 10 and 15km run/walk); the Feilding to Palmerston North fun run/walk; and the Manawatu Striders Half Marathon.

As you can see from the examples pay for play is not always the answer. For some sports it will be about considering mergers of clubs or becoming part of a multi-code club which allows the sharing of common resources. There will be some clubs that operate so effectively this is not affecting them yet. However sport and the way we play it is changing and all clubs should be aware of that.

The good news for those seeking a sport to play is there is more choice than ever. Bowls to kung fu clubs are trying to cater to you, so sign up for a season, or for a casual night, the choice is yours.

If you are interested in finding out more about some of the sports mentioned or if you are involved in a sport or club that is facing these issues contact Sport Manawatu or visit www.sportmanawatu.org.nz.