The Social Side of Sport

Sport has been a part of the New Zealand culture for many years. Kiwis play sport for many reasons; to keep fit, lose weight and be competitive are just a few. But the reason sport has developed such a strong culture in New Zealand is because it brings us together! Sport has been bringing Kiwis together the early 1900’s, when people began a church group they often recommended members play sport so their church community would have a stronger bond. 

Kiwis are still playing sport today so they can meet different people and have a bit of fun. From social players to elite athletes we talked to a few local sport participants to find out what was their best part of being involved in sport:

Jo Bliss, a local Feilding girl, studied in Wellington but came back to Palmerston North last year. She found getting involved in a sports team was a great way to make new friends. “I have made a good bunch of new friends since I moved back to Palmerston and started playing netball again,” says Jo, who now plays for a social Marist netball team.

Ben Valentine, a top local basketball player, has travelled the world playing the game. He says the thing he gets the most out of playing sport is the social aspect. “I have been able to travel half way around the world and back, I have met the most amazing people, from all different walks of life, and made lifelong friends”.

Former Young heart captain and current Red Sox’s club member, Ian Robinson, agrees: “there have been numerous advantages to playing sport. I've travelled to, and experienced many great countries with sports teams. It has opened many doors for my current career in Real Estate with JVL. It has kept me fit and healthy. It has taught me how to interact and successfully work with a huge variety of people. It has taught me discipline. And, most importantly, I have met and kept many great friends through playing sport.”

No matter what level of sport you are playing, sport is a great connector. When you play with a group of people you all have the same goal to reach. So no matter what your background, job, or ethnicity, you have to work together to achieve the teams goal. In a team, to succeed you have to cooperate and be supportive of one another - so you naturally become friends.
Sports teams often take part in social activities off the field. This often strengthens the bonds between team members. We asked athletes what sort of activities they took part in with their teams:

Mr Robinson says, “My current football club is Red Sox which has a fantastic social atmosphere. There is often an event of some sort at the clubrooms on a Saturday night. Quizes, singing, poker competitions to name a few. And as well as that, all club members are open and extremely supportive.”

Nancy Howard, current Marist club social netball team member: “As a team we go out for dinner, drinks, have meetings over coffees, and the occasional party.”

Research on the benefits of team sports confirms that sport strengthens communities by providing opportunities to support social unity. It also reports that people who participate in team sports have a stronger sense of belonging, are more involved in their community outside of the sport, are less self-centred and open to learning.

So get involved in sport; not only will you reap the benefits of being healthier, you can make friends, try new things in your community and, most importantly, have fun. The reason sport has become such a strong part of our national identity is because it brings us together as friends, no matter what ethnicity where we are from, or what we do.

Here are some great clubs in the region that offer lots of sports and a social atmosphere:
Marist: Marist Sports embraces cycling, netball, rugby, tennis, squash, football (soccer), hockey. To find out more about the club visit http://www.maristsports.com/ or call Paul O'Brien on (06) 350 0342
Club Palmerston is home to Palmerston North Squash Gym (New Zealand’s largest Squash Club and the nation’s Premier Squash venue), and Palmerston North Bowls. For more information phone (06) 357 6022
For other clubs and activities check out the find a sport/activity section on the Sport Manawatu website www.sportmanawatu.org.nz