Ignite Sport

I have learnt that sport isn’t all just about your reputation and how good you are at the sport, it is about your character and attitude towards it. I gained more confidence and thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Student, Wainuiomata High School.

Programmes

Our programmes are designed to give input at each year level and community group. They are graduated and look to support and enhance previous year’s learning. Connection with students on an ongoing basis increases our ability to impact and reinforce a message that will stay with them beyond their school years. To read more about these programmes please click here.

We also run other programmes supporting young people with specific needs - please click on the hyperlinks to learn more about them:

Oho Ake and Supporting Young People with a Disability are programmes that can be provided within school hours, where as Fusion and Shift are wider programmes run outside school time.

Programme Delivery

Ignite Sport Youth development programmes are delivered with your school’s needs in mind. Relevant staff are encouraged to give input into final programme structure and content. Delivery schedule and timeframes can be arranged to suit your school week/term timetable.

School PE department staff and/or the Sports Coordinator will identify potential participating students and determine the selection criteria. Identified students are invited to ‘apply’ to participate.

Ignite Sport will coordinate and arrange for appropriate staff, workshop facilitators, coaches and known sports people to deliver the programme. School staff are welcome to observe and/or assist with input and supervision.

Ignite Sport ensures all necessary resources are readily available and booked, including venues and equipment. This may involve utilising school equipment, classroom space and gymnasium.

Individual workbooks are distributed to each participant at the start of the programme. Students can keep a record of learning and collate information they receive from sessions.

A graduation ceremony is held at the end of the programme to recognise the efforts and accomplishments of participants. Certificates will be awarded to each student who completes the course. Where practical, parents, family members and supporters are welcome to attend the graduation ceremony.

Ontrack is a wonderful opportunity for the young people at Ōtaki College, enabling some to begin to realise their potential. I see this as the foundation blocks to becoming future leaders in our school community. Providing additional focus and drive, particularly for our young men as future role models within the college. I am excited to see this unfold. Marcia Ohlson, Head of PE & Health, Otaki College.

The Ignite Sport difference

Many coaches and sports volunteers all too often neglect issues of ‘balance’ in a young person’s life. Athletes need to be coached and trained in skill development, however they also need to consider issues of character, values and ‘heart’.

As Graham Henry once said: ”Great men make great All Blacks”. This is where Ignite Sport plays a unique part in assisting young people to think about all areas of life that potentially work against them in achieving that optimum performance both ‘on’ and ‘off’ the sports field.

Ignite Sport calls this ‘coaching the core’ or developing 'inner fitness'. Projects and programmes are designed to support and motivate young people, encouraging them to embrace and develop not only their sporting ability but also to recognise the pathways necessary to succeed in life.

The concept of ‘balance’ or ‘well-being’ encompasses the physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions of health and life. This is often explained using the Whare Tapawha model where all four walls of the whare are necessary for strength and symmetry. This concept is recognised by the World Health Organisation and forms part of the current PE and Health curriculum.

Ignite Sport applies this thinking of ‘balance’ to an athlete and his/her potential to maximise opportunity. Ignite Sport’s ‘four-legged’ chair concept emphasises the need for athletes to strive to obtain and maintain ‘balance’ in order to reach their ‘full’ potential both on and off the field.

We continue to use Ignite Sport because they provide engaging programmes which challenge and develop our students to see their own potential, to identify how to grow into it and then to serve others and help others develop their own potential.

Other strengths of these programmes are the strong learning relationships established by the Ignite staff with students - this means students are very keen to continue to be part of what Ignite are offering. All these programmes are also focused on student’s own personal growth and understanding that this provides tools they are able to use in their wider lives.

Ignite have integrity, they deliver high quality programmes which include high quality content and concepts.

We have seen increased attendance, engagement and achievement in the students who have participated in these programmes. Chris Wood, Deputy Principal, Porirua College.

Principles we live by

Ignite Sport embraces the principles of Youth Development Strategy Aotearoa (external link)  and makes every effort to use best Youth Work Practice as outlined in the Code of Ethics for Youth Work in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Student safety is paramount in Ignite Sport. We are up to date with current Health and Safety practices and take the Health and Safety of your students seriously.

All our key programme staff are First Aid trained and we carry First Aid kits in all vehicles and on all outings. The students will be driven only by fully licenced drivers in registered and warranted vehicles.

We also abide by the Vulnerable Children’s Act and you can view our Young Person Protection Policy as well as other key policies here.

How do I get this in my school?

The first step is to give us a call or send us an email and we can organise a time to come out and talk to you about what you are after and how we can work with you to achieve that.

Kevin Goldsbury – Director
Office: 027 363 5094
Mobile: 027 211 2229
Email: kevin@ignitesport.org.nz