Football: Opportunity for pupils to be inspired

Woodford House director of sport Cbris McIvor. PHOTO/FILE

Sometimes it's easy to become too comfortable in the cocoon of a high-decile classroom situation.

It's for that reason Woodford House director of sport Chris McIvor is opening the front gates to the integrated school to pupils from other Hawke's Bay schools to edify his class.

"We don't want to just develop great sportspeople but better people in general," says McIvor who has timed the school academy's "Growing Athletes" with the arrival of retired professional footballer Ben Sigmund on Tuesday, May 24, to promote his autobiography, Fully Committed - The Ben Sigmund Story.

He believes children don't receive enough guidance so that prompted him to expose his class to other secondary school peers to grasp what challenges they face in the community.

"I want interaction of athletes with athletes. Our kids need to get outside the gates."

The calibre of speakers from Hawke's Bay are "awesome" so he's hoping teenagers from schools, such as Flaxmere College and William Colenso College, will take advantage of the opportunity.

In some respects McIvor reflects on how he would have perhaps got more out of his football career if he had such a platform in his high school years.

"I would have been so much better if I had sessions like this," says the former Rovers national league footballer who went on to play a few seasons as striker for the Hawke's Bay United franchise in the ASB Premiership in summer.

"We tend to underestimate the role of sport and what it gives to kids in life in general as a vehicle to make them better people."

McIvor feels many talented children are not earmarked in initiatives, such as the "Pathway to Podium", but still deserve some sort of reinforcement to realise certain attributes that may be dormant.

The 9.30am to 2.30pm presentation will include guest speakers Sigmund, NZ U20 women's football coach, Leon Birnie, Indigo Hawks veteran and academy co-head Paora Winitana, Netball NZ high performance coach Charissa Barham, Life NZ Leadership coach Robert Miller, HB United strength and conditioning coach Brandon Campbell, HB Magpies assistant coach Danny Lee and HB Rugby Academy manager Joe Payton.

It'll cover mental skills, strength and conditioning, nutrition, talent ID, US scholarships and leadership at $20 a pupil, including lunch.

Register: sporty.co.nz/woodford