The Waikato Sport & Active Recreation Awards were created to ensure local people and initiatives were recognised for their work growing participation in the region.
"This is the third year of celebrating our community initiatives and people – those unsung heroes, amazing coaches, and initiatives that are really targeting a great active experience. Those that help to build a lifelong love of being active for the people of the Waikato region," said the CEO of Sport Waikato, Matthew Cooper.
The 2022 Waikato Sport & Active Recreation Awards encourage nominations from those in the community who go above and beyond to deliver programmes and initiatives that meet the needs of the participant and create a more active region.
Last year's Community Coach winner - Nano (Rangi) TeWhare. Photo / Mike Walen
"We think it's time that we recognise those who do the work at a community level – those creating initiatives that are aimed at participation, the boot camps in the local park, those providing inclusive opportunities, the collaborative partnerships and those innovating to meet the needs of the participants. And again this year we're also acknowledging those coaches, and the 'unsung heroes' of our communities," said Cooper.
"For the last two years, Covid has meant we haven't been able to celebrate the finalists and winners alongside our stakeholders at one event. This year it's going to be very special to have all our invited guests, finalists and their supporters come together at Claudelands to celebrate the finalists and announce the winners."
The categories are:
Community Connection: Celebrating individuals or organisations that have created physical activity initiatives that respond to the needs of the community and its participants. This award is designed to recognise those who are working hard to understand their communities and tailor their offerings to help break down barriers to participation, putting participant experience at the heart of decision-making, and using physical activity to create connections in the community to bring people together.
Last year's Community Unsung Hero joint winners - Rex Hohaia (left) and Peter Loft. Photo / Mike Walen, Sport Waikato
Sport & Active Recreation Partnership: Celebrating collaboration and the coming together of key organisations to leverage outcomes for the betterment of play, active recreation, and sports opportunities and experiences. This award is for councils, community, sports or recreation organisations, iwi, schools or any other organisations who have partnered with others to provide sport and active recreation opportunities to their communities.
Outstanding Active Space Initiative: This award celebrates the unique use of spaces, places and facilities in ways that support increased participation in play, active recreation, and sport. This is an initiative or project using a local space - for example, parks and open spaces, community halls and facilities, playgrounds, waterways, gullies, or school spaces, and it focused on a celebration of the ways that sport, active recreation, and play spaces can be created anywhere!
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Awarded to an innovative initiative that supports diversity and inclusion in sport and active recreation by increasing access, participation, leadership opportunities, community connection, and inclusion for ethnic minority groups, disabilities, women and girls, cultural and religious groups.
Community Unsung Hero: We're looking for those people in your community that help make play, active recreation and sport happen – those who have given their time during the nomination period to provide opportunities, create change, and support participation in a volunteer capacity. Maybe they've been instrumental in increasing numbers at your club, provided their expertise at the governance table to support the organisation's direction, might have led initiatives, or provided their professional services at no cost to help something great happen.
Last year's Active Space Initiative winner - Ride Coromandel. Photo / Mike Walen, Sport Waikato
Community Coach: Nominate a community coach for their ability to create a positive team culture, provide participation and development opportunities for all youth sports participants, and promote the spirit of the game - encouraging fair play and commitment to Balance is Better/Good Sports principles.
Commitment to Youth Engagement: Nominate an individual or initiative that supports youth participation in physical activity to grow the number of children and young people engaging in play, active recreation or sport, and reverse participation drop-off. Initiatives may be in the areas of play, active recreation or sport and can be targeted at any age group from early childhood through to young adults (age range 0-24).
