New sports role

Warkworth’s Pat Green wants to hear from sports clubs and leagues that want to work within schools to build a pipeline of players into their sport.

She has returned to the area for a newly formed role with Harbour Sport, connecting sport organisations with schools.

She says Auckland schools benefit from visits from professional coaches, but Rodney is often considered too far out of the way. Her aim is to provide children with more opportunity to get into sport by making use of locally run organisations.

The new “Active Learning Community Connector” role is the result of a collaboration between the Ministries of Education and Health, Sport NZ and Harbour Sport.

She is currently working in Leigh, Pakiri and Wellsford schools and hopes soon to expand the programme into Warkworth and Snells Beach.

Green attended Warkworth School and Mahurangi College as a young woman and played touch rugby as well as netball at the Rodney centre in Wellsford. She says it is great to return to her roots for the new role.

“Sport was important for me growing up. The values influenced my life in a positive way.”

As part of her role, Green is also encouraging schools not to hinder children with policies against traditional activities like climbing trees or schoolyard games, nowadays seen as health and safety risks.

“The rural schools like Tomarata School seem to have a good idea about the value of these activities,” she says.

Last month, Green won a community impact award from Sport New Zealand for her work with Touch New Zealand, bringing sport to low socio-economic areas.

The project brought sport organisations together to provide free sporting activities for families, including a six-week touch module in Raumanga near Whangarei.

Info: Pat Green, patg@harboursport.co.nz