Balance is important, we all know that! Applying it to everyday life though, especially when focussing on young people playing sport, takes a lot of mahi.

In the Top of the South, Sport Tasman, together with local sports codes, is putting the mahi in to create quality experiences for all young people to keep them active and in the game. This work is part of a nationwide Sport NZ initiative called “Balance is Better” and specifically designed to encourage more young people to stay involved in Sport

Ryan Edwards is Sport Tasman’s Sports Development Lead and the passionate driving force behind Balance is Better locally.

“At the heart of it all, it’s about creating change in the sector to put the participant, and in particular young people, at the centre of sport and the decisions that we make. There are 9 principles to Balance is Better that we ask codes to consider when they make any decision around sport.” he says.

“Considering these principles means we can stop losing young people from sport and missing out on opportunities to be physically active and reach their full potential. We need to think about how we can put the fun and skill development back into kids’ sport,” Ryan says.

Ryan works closely with several Regional Sports Organisations (RSOs) and is excited about the changes he’s already seeing.

“We’re already seeing aspects of Balance is Better implemented – sometimes without calling it that – that help young people enjoy sports more. For some of the smaller RSOs that have limited resources or depend on volunteers, implementing Balance is Better may seem like a huge change, but it’s really about lots of little steps we can all take.”

During the next 6 months, Ryan is keen to see more cross-code conversations, to see what they can achieve together, and for leadership to make decisions and have conversations with the participant at the centre. He is passionate about sharing success stories too.

He cites some excellent recent examples of Balance is Better in action.

Netball changed its uniform policy to allow girls to wear shorts, trackpants or tights instead of skirts so long as they’re in the team colours. Hockey is allowing schools to enter its competitions as clubs so school mates can join together as a team. And in Basketball, for the first time last year, you could just enter with your friends as a team to play basketball. No need to go through trials or register, just come and play.”

For more information, please contact Ryan Edwards, Sport Tasman Sports Development Lead on 027 556 6924 or ryan.e@sporttasman.org.nz

Article added: Wednesday 03 August 2022