Through the support of Counties Manukau Sport and Kiwisport, AFL New Zealand is delivering AFL KiwiKick to 2000 primary school children within the Counties Manukau region. AFL New Zealand will continue with these programmes, as they deliver on key outcomes that encourage children to live healthy lifestyles through sport.
As a result of their involvement in the AFL KiwiKick programme, participants will develop a connection to the sport of AFL and can go on to be lifelong participants in sport through a structured pathway available to all participants.
The Counties Project has so far been a stunning success, increasing the number of active participants in sport and delivering on key outcomes.
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 six sessions of coaching.
Read more: AFLNZ excited to announce Youth competition
To follow on from the six 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 all schools involved. Especially, Elim Christian College School with 80 participants.
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.
An encouraging number of teachers have taken up the opportunity. Across the region more than 50 teachers have completed the accreditation process. The training is useful not just for teaching AFL, but for teaching all sports offered at the school.
Finally, every school involved with the AFL KiwiKick programme receives a resource kit to assist with ongoing activity. A combination of newly acquired teaching skills through the coaching accreditation process and the resource kit ensures that students can continue to play AFL. This kit includes footballs, goalposts, cones, and more.
Through the assistance of these projects, AFL New Zealand has increased the exposure of the sport to so many more potential players and has been able to launch the AFLNZ Youth Competition for both Boys and Girls aged 12 to 17. For ages 5-12, The Play AFL KiwiKick Club at Walter Massey Park, Mangere will commence on the 6th of January 2016. You can find out more information about the Play AFL Club here.
The most important element of the resource kit is an AFL KiwiKick Coaching manual. This features detailed diagrams of skills, games and lesson plans, providing teachers and volunteer coaches with all the information they need to successfully run AFL KiwiKick sessions.
For more information about AFL KiwiKick or AFL New Zealand, please visit aflnz.co.nz.
