Football: Boss keen to push youth role (+video)

Rotorua's Deryck Shaw, the current NZ Football president, has his sights set on increasing grassroots participation for the sport in the area.

He also wants to see an increase in visibility for the All Whites at a national and international level.

Shaw was recently made a life member of the WaiBOP Football Federation for his contribution to the game. He has sat on the NZ Football executive committee since December 2014 and his football experience has included seven years as chairman of Rotorua United and years of coaching and refereeing at junior level.

Football is really on the rise in the area and there seems to be a real buzz about the sport.

Deryck Shaw, NZ Football president

Shaw said he was honoured to receive the accolade and was aiming to see further developments locally for the sport - particularly at a youth level.

"It was fantastic and I was really honoured that Rotorua United nominated me for such an award," he said.

"Football is really on the rise in the area and there seems to be a real buzz about the sport. It's helped that we have some great clubs locally but more can always be done.

"It's vital to have structures in place from an earlier age to help early development and making sure we retain players who would possibly turn away from the game in later years.

"The youth are the future of the sport and if talent is nurtured properly this will filter through to the international stage."

Football leads the way in participation levels of any other sport across New Zealand and Shaw puts this down to the NZ Football 'Whole of Football Plan' which he is involved in implementing in the area.

Since its introduction in 2011 the sporting body has established the country's leading community sport system with more than 135,000 registered participants across the country including a 27 per cent junior participant growth.

Shaw also highlighted the 20 per cent girls and women participant growth and was delighted to see this year's women's WaiBOP Premier grade which has seen the merger of Bay of Plenty and Waikato to make a stronger division.

"It's so important to have more women involved in the game and players are now able to have a clear pathway from playing at local level, right up to national," he said.

"Having a stronger league for the teams locally will really raise the standards. It means that each week the sides have to raise their game and you won't have just one or two teams running away with the competition which has happened in previous years."

At an international level Shaw is delighted the All Whites booked their place at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia after beating Papua New Guinea 4-2 on penalties on the weekend in the Oceania Nations Cup.

But he believes there is much more to do to raise the profile of the sport in a "rugby obsessed" country.

"In the near future we have to get more games for the All Whites in New Zealand and internationally," he said.

"We have to get high calibre teams and tough fixtures lined up to create excitement for the public.

"It will always be a real challenge because we have the best rugby in the world played in New Zealand but you don't see the best football in the world played here.

"But we will keep taking small steps and hopefully the focus will be moved off the oval ball in the future - but that will only happen if the All Whites can perform at the highest level."