Information

Secondary Schools (13-18yrs)

Parents play a key part in encouraging their children to learn and develop the skills and confidence they need to take part in sport and recreational activities.
Research has shown teenagers are involved in activity when it is fun, it is with their friends and when they can see improvement in their abilities. Young people like to be competitive but an over emphasis on winning, and especially winning at all costs, de-motivates them to be involved. Young people like to play hard, but play fair.

Sport can teach young people many things including:
• How to push themselves to achieve more than they thought they could.
• How to be a leader of themselves, and of others.
• How to set goals and work persistently to reach them.
• How to play by the rules.
• How to handle defeat as well as victory.
• How to be a team player.
• How to be a responsible citizen

Sport is also an important factor in building resilience in young people.
Andrew Becroft, Principal Youth High Court Judge says, “a young person involved in sport, or any organised, positive community activity, stays out of Youth Court. Sport is a very protective factor. It builds resilience through good friends, good role models, good discipline, fulfilment and success”

Through the secondary school years research has shown young peoples involvement in sport decreases. There are many proposed reasons for this including an increase in academic workload and pressure to achieve; part time jobs; a more demanding social life; friends no longer being involved with them.
One factor that has enabled young people to remain involved has been the active involvement of their parents. This may be in the form of a taxi service to practices and games, as a sideline supporter, manager or occasionally as coach. Even if your child never tells you, they do value your support from the sideline, especially if you are NOT yelling and screaming!! Even when positive comments are shouted, this can be a distraction and even an embarrassment for some teenagers. We would encourage you to ask your child/ren what support they would appreciate to enable them to remain involved in sport and physical activity. (Clive Pope research on sideline behaviour)

At Harbour Sport we also strive to support your teenager/s through the Student Development Programmes. These programme seeks to support emerging leaders, coaches and athletes aged 15-18yrs through regular workshops utilising specialist keynote presenters and enabling the practical application of theory.
We offer this programme in conjunction with GACU, AUT, Unitec, Lead to Succeed, and are supported by North Harbour Secondary Schools.