That's Not On

That’s Not On is a collaborative campaign to create positive sporting experiences for secondary school students in sport.

Five sporting organisations (Central Football, Manawatū Rugby, Hockey Manawatū, Basketball Manawatū and Netball Manawatū) have collaborated alongside Sport Manawatū to improve side-line behaviour and therefore create positive experiences for those participating. It is not just athletes and parents that are our focus, but also coaches, referees, volunteers, and supporters down at our local sports venues. Together we must make it our responsibility to influence a culture shift on the side lines to ensure youth feel supported in their sporting endeavours. Sport Manawatū, with the support of their five RSO partners will be spreading positive messages throughout our communities, showcasing positive success stories, and acknowledging ‘That’s Not On’ champions. This campaign has been developed to align with Sport New Zealand’s ‘Balance is Better’ and ‘Good Sports’ campaigns to further advocate for a supportive, inclusive, and positive sporting environment for youth.

Pass on the Positives

Positivity is the key to ensuring sport experiences are fun, developmental, and fulfilling for youth. The overarching mission is to build a love for sport from a young age, that can be nurtured throughout their formative years, to create a lifelong connection to staying active.

Statistics tell us that young people participate in sport…

  • For fun (76%)
  • To hang out with family or friends (44%)
  • For fitness or health (32%)
  • To physically challenge myself or to win (29%)

(Active NZ, 2018)

Understanding what motivates our youth to be active is an important first step to shifting away from a perspective where winning and performance is top priority. Sports are a powerful developmental tool for youth where social skills, physical literacy, and confidence can be instilled.

Good Sports

Good Sports is a culture change initiative aiming to create positive sporting experiences for children by educating and supporting the key adult influencers in youth sport – in particular, parents.

Well aligned to Balance is Better, it recognises that supporting and educating adults is crucial to ensure Kiwi kids have the best chance of having positive sporting experiences and ultimately growing a lifelong love of sport.

Good Sports is a well-established and highly regarded initiative, that was initially designed by Aktive as a Sport NZ funded Active Communities Project and then further developed over the last three years.

(Sport New Zealand, 2023)

Sport Manawatū entered the Good Sports partnership in May 2022, and has since begun developing parent focused initiatives, such as ‘That’s Not On’. Good Sports is a powerful tool to inform us of the right steps to take when supporting youth sport. Please see the collection of resources available to learn more about Good Sports and how we can promote positive side lines.

Resources

 

Register your interest in a Good Sports workshop for your club/organisation/sport/team: