Wellbeing article: Keep playing get into a sport for winter

Did you know that 70% of youth that are playing sport drop out between the ages of 13 and 17? This is what Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) found in their Stay and Play Research. Interestingly the research also found that the reason behind both joining a sport and dropping out are one and the same - the social aspect. What once motivated teenagers to join sport later becomes a deterrent as socialising becomes ‘more important’ than sport.

Drop out is an issue that is talked about a lot in the sporting world. The drop out seems to be largest in the teenage years but there is another big drop off during the transition from secondary school to tertiary education or the working world. SPARC’s research found that 20% of students stated that leaving secondary school was the reason behind dropping out of sport.

There are a number of changes which occur at this stage in a student’s life. Parents generally become less involved which means support with costs and transport is reduced, the student has greater commitments with work or study or they could be shifting to a different part of the country away from the friends and sports groups they are used to.

This raises an interesting point - why is it that people drop out of sport once they move town, or move from the organised sport environment of secondary school? Common reasons are; a lack of knowledge about where or how to access sport, or a lack of confidence in approaching a new group.

To solve these issues it has been suggested that linking young people into club sport while they are still at secondary school can help to increase both knowledge of sporting groups and confidence to approach them. However, this needs to be done in a way that doesn’t detract from the school sports teams.

Sport Manawatu aims to minmise this lack of knowledge by producing a Get Into Sport resource that is distributed locally to secondary schools promoting sports and their contact details. Sports clubs and groups can also play their part by offering flexible structures – rather than a traditional club membership. The new ‘mates in bowls’ initiative is a good example of this, as is other sports who have introduced pay to play initiatives.

Getting into sport at any stage can be difficult if you’re not sure where to start. So if you’re new to the region or have been out of the sporting scene for a while here are some tips to help you:

Get online to www.sportmanawatu.org.nz. The website has a Find a Sport/Activity section which details the contact numbers of local sports and activities available, or call into the office at 50 Queen St to pick up a Get Into Sport brochure.
Ask your colleagues or classmates if they play any sports. You may find someone who’s already playing the sport you want to and this can be a great way to get to know more people away from work or study.
Many sports offer open days or taster sessions which is ideal if you’re interested in a sport but don’t want to commit to a full membership. Visit the online Sport Manawatu events calendar for more information.
Join the gym. You’d be surprised how many people you can meet while working out, many of whom play multiple sports. Plus you’ll be getting fit at the same time.
Don’t be afraid to ask. If you see a group of people in a park playing something that you’d like to try, then ask if you can join in. Unless they are playing a competition game they will more than likely let you join in.
Get some friends together and go down to a local park and just play. Getting active doesn’t always come from structured sport, and who knows, maybe later on you’ll get enough people to enter a team in a social competition.

With the weather cooling down it’s a good time to start thinking about what activities and sports you might like to be part of over the winter months and how you might go about getting involved in these. It’s great to keep fit and active over the colder months and keep the winter blues at bay!

For more information visit www.sportmanawatu.org.nz