A new initiative to support young budding sports stars in the Bay of Plenty has been created by a local, family-operated real estate company.
Kirsty and Blair Cashmore of Cashmores Real Estate are proud to announce the creation of the annual Cashmores Junior Sports Support sponsorship.
Each year the team at Cashmores Real Estate will select a deserving BOP aspiring athlete – aged between 13 and 18, playing any sport code locally – to receive an annual sponsorship pack.
The investment might cover sports kit, travel, tournament fees and the other not-insignificant costs associated with junior players aspiring to play at the highest level.
The idea came as Blair and Kirsty spent more time at local tennis clubs – and driving all over the country – supporting their own children to develop their love and skill for the game of tennis.
'We know first-hand what it takes to support your kids as they start to develop a real passion in sport, the hours you need to invest as a family, but also the costs that add up to play at that next level,” says Kirsty Cashmore.
Pay it forward
'Sport is a huge part of the Cashmore family, so creating this sponsorship opportunity really aligns well with our sporting interests and is a great way to ‘pay it forward' and help see people thrive in what they love doing,” says Kirsty.
The inaugural recipient of the sponsorship is 18-year-old Carrigan Hartley, who is the 2022 Western Bay of Plenty male tennis Player of the Year.
Playing tennis since the age of seven, Carrigan spends up to 20 hours a week on the court; training, coaching and playing – not to mention the hours on top spent in the gym.
'This sponsorship will support the costs that come with coaching, training, equipment and competition play all around NZ,” says Carrigan.
Carrigan's ambition
'The average part-time job is hard to slot in around this schedule, so this will really help take some pressure off, and give me more time on the court.”
Carrigan's ambition is to move to the United States to complete a degree in economics while also continuing to play tennis at a higher level than he has access to here in the BOP.
Kirsty and Blair are thrilled to be able to support Carrigan in the first year of the sporsorship fund, as they know him through their own time at the courts.
'Carrigan helps to train our daughter. He genuinely cares about the kids that he coaches, is interested in how they're playing, and we are really happy to support his amazing commitment to the sport in a small way,” says Kirsty.
'We look forward to seeing more success from Carrigan and being involved in this journey.”