Ariki Tibble School Sport Team Leader Sport Bay of Plenty

From time to time I am reminded that for many people, sport does not feature very high on the priority list of the essential elements required for one to have a happy and healthy life. For many, it wouldn't make the list of essentials at all.

At Sport Bay of Plenty, our roles exist because we believe in the power of sport to enrich the lives of all of our local people; we absolutely believe it is an essential element of a happy and healthy life.

Sport Bay of Plenty school sport team leader Ariki Tibble.

Our beliefs are not based on the idea that sport is fundamentally good. On the contrary, many of the behaviours and situations that arise from sporting contexts can be absolutely terrible. One only has to consider sideline rage, on-field violence, or drugs and cheating scandals for evidence of that.

We are not blind to the fact that in some cases sport can actually destroy lives too. What we do believe is that sport, when delivered in an appropriate context, can provide opportunities for people to enrich their lives.

So what is an appropriate context? For our school sport team, it involves providing sports opportunities which allow for children and young people to participate on their own terms, where their best interests are always held to be the number one priority.

For those already hooked on sport, winning and losing provides additional flavour to their experiences; and for these athletes we believe competition is important. But for the vast majority of participants, winning and losing is a secondary afterthought to the other priorities of having fun, hanging out with friends and learning new skills.

So for me, the first part of the equation (‘the appropriate context' part) involves the provision of opportunities to suit the age and stage of the participants. Enrichment is the easy part of the equation and it happens almost spontaneously if the first criterion is met.

The combination of the body's physiological response to exercise, and a sporting environment where participants are able to experience personal improvement, provides a reliable recipe for eliciting an enriching experience for children and young people.

As sport administrators, our job is to work with coaches and spectators in our communities to get all of the ingredients just right. If we can do this, then perhaps more people will be motivated to utilise sport as a tool for fostering a happier and healthier life.