Get involved this winter; play, officiate, coach or coordinate!

For a region that has so many fantastic facilities and sporting opportunities it is difficult to understand why only 15% of the adult population are members of a sports club.

The figures that back this are from the 2007/2008 Active New Zealand survey which showed that only 15.3% or 19,400 people in the region were members of a club.

Sport Manawatu’s sport development advisor, Amanda Feast, is out to change that.

“Although winter is just around the corner there is no excuse for not being involved in sport this winter. Whether you play, coach, officiate or coordinate, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved through your local sports club,” she says.

In New Zealand sports clubs have long been the hub of the local community. Whilst work, home life changes and professional sport may have impacted on this, clubs still play a significant role in developing grassroots talent and providing organised sport for adults.

“There are many benefits to joining a club including, building social networks, sense of well being and belonging to an organisation and utilising your skills in a sporting environment,” says Miss Feast.

Whether it’s the Feilding Squash Club, the Manawatu Mountain Bike Club or the Dannevirke Tigers Rugby League Club it’s the ability to test our skills against others on the field, court or course which draws us to a club.

As we age our involvement tends to be based around social reasons rather than aspirations to be involved in high performance sport. Sports clubs will provide opportunities to cater for the abilities of their players. For example the Bunnythorpe Netball Club does not have premier netball team but does have two teams playing in the senior grade, whilst Kia Toa have a premier team and teams in most grades. Finding a club that meets your needs and abilities as a player is important to ensuring you stay motivated and involved in the game.

Coaching or officiating are also fantastic ways to stay involved in a sport. Mike McRedmond, Yvette McCausland-Durie and Ricki Herbert are examples of quality New Zealand sportspeople who have become very successful national coaches. Coaching and officiating also enable mums and dads to stay involved in their children’s sport. Clubs provide education and resources to enable those with the minimalist knowledge of a sport to coach or officiate with confidence.

Off the field sports clubs cannot operate without the considerable efforts of people, usually volunteers. Whilst we may not all be athletes many of us have transferable skills that can be utilised to govern or administer a sports club. For example you maybe an accountant who could fill a treasurer’s role in a sports club or you could have specific marketing talents that could be used to promote and market the club.

Sport Manawatu is interested in hearing from people who are getting involved in sport clubs and currently has an online competition for people who have joined or become involved with a club. For more information including a find a club/activity database check out sportmanawatu.org.nz