In the crowd of over 5,000 Primary School Athletics Championship participants and spectators this week at Ngā Puna Wai, Lyn Miles appeared to be on a routine mission.

With clipboard in hand, circling the bright blue all-weather track, she carefully checked that her brigade of volunteers, officials and scorekeepers had been catered for, fed and watered.

This day was different however, marking Lyn’s retirement from a 23-year career at the helm of Primary Sports Canterbury – with the delivery of hundreds of thousands of school sporting events to her credit.
 

Wednesday’s event alone featured 1,804 participants representing 191 schools across the region, from the West Coast up to Hurunui and all the way south to Mid Canterbury.


Primary Sports Canterbury is an organisation that is about creating opportunities for tamariki to gain experience and grow confidence, and developing pathways to encourage them to pursue sporting interests and talents.

In recent years, Miles recalls one school “banning parents from going to the games” to address overzealous behaviour. She sees more schools and parents subscribing to a “Balance Is Better” philosophy now, a philosophy socialised by Sport Canterbury, raising awareness of the risks of overspecialisation at an early age.

The Primary Sports Canterbury calendar covers 32 disciplines, athletics and beyond - from boccia to basketball, hip hop to rugby. Netball and athletics are Lyn’s personal favourites, however her role has required her to become an expert on some level in every sport – the latest to learn being korfball and ultimate frisbee.

In touch, the format is adapted to allow two points for girls scoring a try.

“Little things like that might make a difference when it comes to primary school students wanting to play sport.”

Ilam School teacher Linda Ewen knows Lyn from many years of supporting Primary Sports Canterbury events. She compliments her vision and ability to adapt to changing times and circumstances.

“Even this year with Covid, we’ve been able to come up with different opportunities, to keep children involved and engaged.

“It gives them so much to strive for.”

According to Paul Armitage, Chair of the Management Committee for Primary Sports Canterbury, the opportunities created for tamariki are critical, and Lyn has been a champion for the value of keeping active to young Cantabrians.

“She’s such a passionate person about kids’ sport and getting them involved.

“Having these opportunities is so important - to go out and excel, but also compete against other similar-age children across Canterbury. It sparks something.”

Armitage notes that Lyn’s vision comes from her ability to look ahead – to put herself in the shoes of the participant. He attributes the success of Primary Sports Canterbury events to that ability to adapt and evolve.

“It’s never been about the here and now events. There’s always something new. She says, ‘Kids are interested in this…let’s have an event so they can have a go.’”

Taking the reins from Lyn in 2021 is Michael Wilson of the Selwyn Sports Trust.