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Kids - Playing for the thrill of it!

Monday 28 November 2016, 11:13AM

By Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

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Peter Sommers from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology speaks at the recent Youth Athlete Development Symposium
Peter Sommers from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology speaks at the recent Youth Athlete Development Symposium Credit: Cath Fraser

BAY OF PLENTY

Making sure that young athletes have fun was a central message throughout the addresses and activities during the one-day Youth Athlete Development Symposium at Toi Ohomai’s Windermere campus on Monday, 21 November.

An audience of over 80 local sport and recreation community leaders were treated to insights about the newest trends, innovations and discoveries by three world leaders in the field of youth sports.

Dr Rhodri Lloyd and Dr Jon Oliver from Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK) shared their research knowledge about athlete development and the monitoring of training programmes. Core messages were to “Know your athletes; educate your athletes” and to see their world holistically, recognising the training, and non-training, stressors young people experience. They advocate the need for trainers to consider physical, physiological and psychological responses. 

Rhodri and Jon were joined by Dr Craig Harrison, Director of Athlete Development from AUT University, discussing the emotional experience of the sporting environment, and how having fun, seeing themselves improve, and hanging out with friends, act as the strongest motivators for athlete engagement. The result for youth, he says, is a “much more positive frame of mind, and a brain that is set up to learn faster and perform better.”

Pete Sommers, Group Leader for Sport and Recreation at Toi Ohomai, enjoyed putting the programme of invited keynotes and open participation workshops together. 

“The symposium enables our key local providers to gain insight into the latest research on training our young athletes and on the best procedures for correct long term youth athlete development.” 

Toi Ohomai is ideally placed to act as a hub for youth athlete development good practice, with over 200 students per annum enrolling in Toi Ohomai’s sport and exercise degrees, diplomas and certificates. 

The Symposium reflects a great deal of communication and organisation behind the scenes, but it all pays off when, as Pete says, “we are able to bring these world class individuals to the Bay of Plenty.”