Anti-violence message sported on the field
Good behaviour on the sidelines is one result police hope to see from sports strips promoting an anti-violence campaign.
The It's Not OK! logo is prominent on kit worn by five sports teams and Horowhenua basketball referees, after police in Levin successfully sourced funds to buy them.
"There are so many people involved in sport both on the field and the sidelines that it's an ideal vehicle to spread the word," Sergeant John Battersby of Levin Police says in Police magazine Ten One today.
Sergeant Battersby, a football coach himself, says he knows too well that some coaches and parents see sport as far more than a game.
Last month children were left crying and a game was abandoned after a coach of a Wellington youth football team allegedly threatened to kill the referee.
"Using threatening or abusive language on the field in front kids is wholly unnecessary and unacceptable," says Sergeant Battersby. "By placing this message on sports kit we have the teams saying violence is not okay at home or on the sports field."
Sergeant Battersby drove the initiative with support from the It's Not OK! campaign.
Teams offered the strips were quick to accept the offer, he says, although they had to buy into the philosophy first.
As part of the initiative, an It's Not OK! champion has come and talked to each of the clubs about family violence and what to do if they suspect someone is at risk. Sergeant Battersby and one of his team members, Constable Bernard O'Brien, reinforce that with advice for parents and supporters about sideline behaviour.
“The main message is about violence in the home but we hope spectators will take it on board in the broader sense and keep their verbal violence under control at matches," he says.
The kit includes full playing kit and tracksuits.
It is being worn by
Soccer:
• Levin AFC Old Boys (1st and 2nd division)
• Levin 12th grade promo
• Otaki 10th grade
Other:
• Otaki touch rugby mixed summer league team
• Horowhenua Basketball Association referees