Tri-sports camp opens in Hamilton

The Hamilton Tri-sports camp has had more than 60 children take part over the first two days with a positive response to the new project. Photo / Tom Rowland

Three New Zealand sport coaches have come together to put on camp which give children a taste of three different sport codes at Hamilton Boys' High school.

Former Blackcaps cricketer Chris Kuggeleijn and New Zealand national basketball coach Anthony Corban have joined with former All White Mark Cossey to create the Hamilton Tri-Sports camp.

The camp holds three different sessions per day, with each child learning the basics about football, cricket and basketball.

Corban said that even though the camp is in a trial concept the feedback has been positive.

"It's just a nice change up from the usual camp. They are doing a different session each day and it is just skills not competitive games," Corban said.

"You're getting footballers learning to dribble a basketball and basketball players learning how to bowl a cricket ball."

The camp has been pitched at intermediate school students to give the children the chance to try a different sport before starting high school.

"I'd like to think as an outcome of this camp you will have kids going back to school and trying a different sport that they may not have tried before."

The camp only runs through the holidays which Corban thinks is a good chance for parents to get their children out of the house.

Young student coaches have also been getting involved with the camp, which is a feature Corban wants to explore more in the future.

"There is a potential here to go to the relative federations of each sport and asking if there are any beginner coaching courses that could be delivered here. The biggest obstacle with sports in New Zealand is that it is largely volunteer based and they can only give up so many hours in a day."

"If we can start to deliver those coaching courses here than that could be a long-term plan of it." Kuggeleijn is most famously remembered for taking the catch that gave Sir Richard Hadlee the record number of test wickets at the time.

He is currently a teacher at Hamilton Boys' High school and believes that the most important part of the camp is working as a team.

"The kids are loving it and the skills are developing, but probably more importantly is that they are getting to know new people," Kuggeleijn said. "Our philosophy is for the kids to learn about becoming part of a team and get to understand and respect other people."

The coaches plan to keep the camp going with another planned just before Christmas.

"It is in the fledgling stage but the response has been great and the kids have been enjoying it which is the most important thing."