School sports guru to learn from the best

Whanganui Girls' College sports coordinator Rochelle Howard is off to Melbourne to learn about innovative high school sports programmes. Photo/ Bevan Conley

Rochelle Howard is passionate about high school sport.

And her dedication to the cause in Whanganui has earned her a trip to Australia later this month to learn about innovative school sporting programmes.

The Whanganui Girls' College sports coordinator is one of six from around the country to be selected for Peter Sharp school sport study award.

The trip to Melbourne is arranged by the New Zealand Secondary Schools Sport Council and Howard will be learning about how schools there approach sport.

It was Howard's achievements with Whanganui Girls' College which got her selected.

Under her watch participation in sport had jumped from 35 per cent to 49 per cent.

She got funding for the school's turf and has set up a junior sports council to encourage participation.

Howard said it was not just about catering for the elite level but also those who wanted to play for fun.

"The social aspect is quite key. Some would rather just get a group of friends and go an play," she said.

"There are so many more opportunities to what there used to be."

Howard said participating in sport at school has a range in benefits for students off the field.

"They are a lot more engaged with school work. School work is still important and that's the key thing."

Howard said her immediate goals were to continue to increase participation at Girls' College and getting the turf facility finished.

"Lucky the school management let me run with my crazy ideas," she said.

"I just hope in the long term we are going to promote sport and Girls' College as a destination for sports."

Howard said she would be happy to share the tips and tricks she learned with other Whanganui schools. The sports coordinators meet once a term.

"I think that we should all work together a bit more and share ideas and all be on the same page."