Regional Sports Conference to tackle new trends

Are clubs out and recreation in? This will be one of the questions addressed at the inaugural Sport Manawatu Regional Sports Conference on Friday May 18 at Massey University.

“One of the trends facing sports clubs in our region is the way the community, especially adults, are choosing to recreate or compete in sport. The traditional sporting model is no longer attracting the big numbers it used to and not all sports have reacted to the changing needs of the community,” says Sport Manawatu’s community sport manager, Sean O’Connor.

“We have developed this new conference so that we can help sports groups and individuals address these new trends and issues and come up with innovative solutions so that people in the Manawatu continue to play, recreate and compete in sport – in all its forms.”

The conference will cater for everyone from coaches and teachers to sports administrators and event organisers with topics on events, club membership, funding, sport and schools, coaching theory and practice.

Presenters will include Sport NZ, Physical Education New Zealand, Massey University academic staff, Community Funders and experienced local sports administrators.

The conference runs for a full day, however attendance is flexible and people can simply attend the sessions that suit them.

The conference will be held at the Sport & Rugby Institute at Massey University in Palmerston North from 9am – 5pm.

There is a cost of $20 per individual and a student rate of $10 which includes full day conference attendance and lunch.

Costs have been heavily subsidised by Sport Manawatu to ensure people from organisations of any size can afford to attend. Online registrations are now open at sportmanawatu.org.nz