Through the support of Sport Auckland and Kiwisport, AFL New Zealand is delivering AFL KiwiKick to over 3200 Primary and Intermediate School children within the Auckland region. AFL New Zealand will continue with these programmes, as they deliver on key outcomes that encourage children to live healthy lifestyles through sport.
The programme teaches children not only the fundamental movement skills of Kick, Catch, Pass and Bounce but also stability and locomotive movement skills as well. These skills are valuable for a wide variety of sports, and the AFL KiwiKick programme ensures that everyone who participates is confident and competent with those skills. Qualified AFL KiwiKick coaches deliver focused and fun sessions during school hours, with every child receiving at least six sessions of coaching.
AFL New Zealand currently has two KiwiSport projects that are underway in Auckland. The ‘Primary and Intermediate Pathway’ Project has currently seen 1320 students (Orakei School, St Kentigern Boys, Ponsonby Intermediate and Wesley Intermediate to date with another 689 students from Glendowie and Marcellin College beginning the programme in Term 3. The ‘Tamaki’ Project focuses on the cluster of schools in the area with Bailey Road School having already completed the project.
Schools involved in the project:
- Bailey Road School
- Orakei School
- St Kentigern Boys
- Ponsonby Intermediate
- Wesley Intermediate
- Marcellin College
- Glendowie School
To follow on from the sessions during school time, the children then have access to an after school programme that takes place within the school grounds directly after school. This provides the participants with easy access in a familiar setting and also provides parents with the opportunity of attending. This opportunity has been taken up enthusiastically, with more than 10% of the total roll taking part at Orakei and Bailey Road School. Bailey Road School has been particularly successful with 50 participants in the after school programme (15% of the school roll).
The AFL KiwiKick programme also encourages teachers to be involved in the sessions and gain professional development. The teachers learn how to deliver AFL KiwiKick sessions and control games of AFL. This will ensure that children can continue to be active sporting participants utilising the teachers newly developed skills following the departure of AFL New Zealand coaches associated with the AFL KiwiKick programme.
AFL KiwiKick provides a great skill base for students and their transition from primary to intermediate and on to secondary school sport. It’s for boys and girls, mums and dads. AFL KiwiKick is fun, it’s safe and it works! If you would like to know more information on the programme or you would like to have the programme run in your school, please contact National AFL KiwiKick Manager Reg Ranchhod at aflkiwikick@aflnz.co.nz or 09 447 1434.
