Sport Bay of Plenty Secondary School Sport Conference provides vital connections

Last year saw Sport Bay of Plenty offer an excellent opportunity for connection and whanaungatanga for those working in the secondary school space through the 2023 Bay of Plenty Secondary School Sport Conference.

The event, hosted at Club Mount in Mount Maunganui in November, was facilitated by Rangatahi Strategic Director of School Sport and Recreation, Luke Frame and School Sport and Recreation Advisor, Claire Kersten, Sport Bay of Plenty’s regional schools’ directors.

Nearly 40 people attended, with 26 of those directors of sport and sport coordinators from across 17 different schools.

Sport New Zealand and School Sport New Zealand (SSNZ) were also present, with Casey Redman from SSNZ presenting a workshop on inclusivity in the school sport environment.

Speakers from Sport Bay of Plenty, Tauranga City Council, Otumoetai College and WaiBop Netball also presented on the day. Workshops covered topics such as Balance is Better, the Good Sports initiative and sideline behaviour as well as conflict management.

The day was an opportunity to demonstrate support for school sport staff with Luke describing how the conference aimed to serve a couple of important purposes.

“We provided an opportunity for the key enablers of secondary school sport to get together to build relationships,” he explains. “It was also an opportunity to learn and share on the ground sector challenges and collectively develop methods to overcome these challenges.”

Given their similar work patterns, gathering this group of like-minded individuals was a rare opportunity Luke and Claire were keen to organise. In doing so, they provided the opportunity for valuable shared learning.

“The conference was developed by the need of those attending and facilitated in a manner to encourage honest and open conversations,” Luke explains.

“This conference was critical to building connection for this regional network, continuing the journey to develop confidence and competence for those in roles who are crucial to the management and enhancement of secondary school sport and recreation.”

Sport NZ’s Regional Sport Development Consultant, Charissa Barham, believes the leadership function Sport Bay of Plenty provide in bringing key stakeholders together to collaborate, learn and share best practice plays a crucial role in developing the youth sector.

“I enjoyed hearing the success stories of what and how sport co-ordinators are championing within their own schools and then the willingness to share with other schools, putting the young person at the heart of all their work,” says Charissa, who attended the conference. “Alongside the day, it was fantastic to see the two Balance is Better champions facilitate a workshop on unpacking the BiB principles.

“One of the key learnings from the Secondary School Age Review was that rangatahi want to see organisations collaborate better, so they get a better youth sport experience. Bringing all the school sports workforce together is a key element in seeing that happen.”

There was a further chance for reflection and connection as the conference began winding down, with attendees heading out to the green to play lawn bowls. This was the perfect opportunity for further networking opportunities, while also getting those hard to contain competitive juices flowing.

When providing feedback of the event participants spoke highly of several key themes they considered valuable from the conference. This included engagement and networking, learning opportunities, community building and insight sharing.

Luke and Claire both believe the conference was a success and that the lessons learned can have a positive lasting impact in the secondary school sport network.

“With a strong network, who can rely on each other for support and guidance, secondary school sport will be better placed to anticipate challenges and make the most of future opportunities.”