2 December 1999 Participation Level Confirms Kiwisport Strength

Going now for 11 years, the Hillary Commission's Kiwisport Challenge has stamped its mark on the school sporting scene and this year in Canterbury close to 10,000 primary and intermediate pupils took part in events starting at the end of August and moving on into September.

Statistics show the impact of the Challenge – 9500 pupils involved across Canterbury as a whole; 8400 involved in urban Christchurch and surrounding areas alone; 1940 volunteer hours put into the organisation, coaching and preparation; 55 Lincoln University Bachelor of Recreation Management students assisting on the volunteer side, from coaching, to publicity to supervision at the schools on the days of their events.

"The aim of the Challenge is, of course, to promote the Kiwisport ideals of participation and fair play and I am tremendously proud of the way our Recreation Management students have participated, year after year, on the publicity, coaching and supervision side," says Lincoln Recreation Studies lecturer Matt Goodrick.

"With the Challenge having been going for so long now, some of our student helpers can remember back to having taken part themselves. So things have gone full circle."

The Lincoln students help with the Challenge as a practical part of a second year BRM paper called Recreation, Event and Programme Planning.

While simply taking part, with no consideration for either winning or losing, is the aim for the pupils, their schools have a chance to win something – a share of $2000 worth of sporting goods provided by Rebel Sport.

Schools with the most spectators attending the Challenge in relation to children taking part win a share of the goods. There are two categories, one for schools with rolls over 150 and one for schools under 150. The top three schools in each category receive prizes.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand