Students get voice in sport

Tairawhiti Secondary Schools Student Sports Council town and country members have been named. They are, back (from left): Lavelle Rangihuna (Lytton High School), Jake Noble (Gisborne Boys’ High School), Braedyn Grant (GBHS), Petra Sparks (Campion College), Tayla Swann-Harawene (Campion), Maia Rickard (LHS). Front: Olivia Corrin (Gisborne Girls’ High School), Ngahuia Wilson (GGHS), Rebecca Collier (GGHS). Absent: Nellie Brown (Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui), Kellann Kemp (TKKM o Nga Uri a Maui), Georgia Teneti (LHS). Picture supplied

YOUTH will have a voice on sporting issues affecting them, thanks to the rebooting of the Tairawhiti Secondary Schools Student Sports Council.

Two student councils comprising Year 12 and 13 students are being established, one representing town and country, and the other, the East Coast.

The town and country council has been named, with the East Coast one due out soon.

A member of the town and country council, Rebecca Collier, of Gisborne Girls’ High School, says the vision of the initiative is to “inspire positive change through quality secondary school sport experiences”.

Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti regional sports director Wade Manson says the councils will provide leadership and advocacy for students. They will also support sustainable, inclusive in-school sports and activity programmes run by the schools to increase participation.

Inter-school competitions will also be developed for competitive students. It is hoped these will help build positive relationships between the schools.

“In a nutshell, we want to grow leadership, build relationships and develop students’ physical literacy along the way,” Manson said.

A Year 13 survey, the gathering of student profiles of school sports coaches, and support for inter-school events would be among the projects undertaken by sports council members.

They would also be supported in any projects that they felt would benefit sport within their school or the region.

“We have a great group of students who will be able to help advocate for their peers,” Manson said.

Tairawhiti Area and Secondary Schools Principals’ Association (TASSPA) chairman Wiremu Elliott says it makes sense to use a “genuine student voice” to do the groundwork for getting more high school students to play sport.