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

Although winter is well and truly here 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. 

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, creating a sense of well-being and belonging to an organisation, and utilising your skills in a sporting environment.

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 provide opportunities to cater for the abilities of their players. 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.

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