8 April 2010 Thousands will be in great participation sports event

Students from the Recreation Management Event Planning course at New Zealand’s specialist land-based university, Lincoln University, are once again helping with Sport Canterbury’s annual KiwiSport Challenge.

The Challenge starts in schools on 19 April with an estimated 6500 children scheduled to take part in the 2010 programme.

Twenty-one schools, in Christchurch, Selwyn and Rangiora, are taking part and Sport Canterbury Director Tony Harvey describes the Challenge as one of the local sporting calendar’s “great participation events”.

KiwiSport Challenge is an initiative of Sport Canterbury and is designed to encourage non-competitive outdoor fun and enjoyment through modified sporting activity among 5 to 13-year-olds. The Challenges run through to 14 May.

The Lincoln University students are assisting Sport Canterbury with the organisation, marketing and running of the Challenge.

This year Dynamic Sport Ltd, one of the country’s leading suppliers of sports equipment, has taken over the major sponsor’s role. The participating schools all have a chance to win a prize package of sports equipment through attracting the greatest amount of community support in terms of spectator attendance. The more community spectators that schools can attract to their Challenge events, the greater their chance of winning sports equipment courtesy of Dynamic Sport Ltd.  

“KiwiSport teaches children that sport is fun and that it is essential to be active in whatever way is possible,” says Mr Harvey. “It teaches children positive attitudes towards achieving a healthy and active lifestyle.”

“Our expectation is that through the KiwiSport Challenge children will get a taste for sport and that there will be a flow-on effect to involvement in club sport.

“We certainly hope to see a percentage increase in winter sports participation.”