Our Role

Sport Canterbury has a vision of getting more people, more active, more often and believes positive sport experiences that meet the needs of both tamariki and rangatahi significantly contribute to this.

To support and promote positive youth sports experiences, we work with regional sport and education organisations to increase their understanding of and capability to deliver quality sport participation opportunities. These align with the national Balance is Better philosophy and are informed by Aktive’s Good Sports initiative, the Mana Taiohi principles and our own Keep it Positive campaign.

This largely involves work behind the scenes with influential sports leaders and includes community education initiatives.

KEEP IT POSITIVE

Keep It Positive was born from a shared concern among sports organisations about less-than-ideal behaviour on the sidelines and its impact on young people, officials and the wider sporting experience.

Aimed at parents, caregivers and coaches, the campaign encourages the development of safe, enjoyable and positive sporting environments that young people and officials want to be part of now and in the future.

Across Waitaha Canterbury and Te Tai Poutini West Coast, Keep It Positive provides clubs, schools and sport organisations with a shared language and consistent messaging to help create positive experiences in community sport.

BALANCE IS BETTER

Balance is Better is Sport NZ's approach to youth sport. It promotes a balaced, young person-centred approach that helps tamariki and rangatahi enjoy sport, stay involved for longer, and reach their potential in a way that suits their needs and motivations. This involves balancing participation, enjoyment and development alongside performance, while ensuring young people have positive experiences both in and beyond sport.

Sport Canterbury works alongside schools, clubs and sport organisations to embed Balance is Better principles through coaching, competition design, participant engagement and leadership practices.

GOOD SPORTS

Good Sports is a culture change initiative to create positive sporting experiences for children and young people by educating and supporting the key adult influencers in youth sport, particularly parents.

Well-aligned to Balance is Better, it recognises supporting and educating adults is crucial to ensure Kiwi children have the best chance of having positive sporting experiences and ultimately growing a lifelong love of sport. 

Good Sports is a well-established and highly regarded initiative initially designed by Aktive as a Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa-funded Active Communities Project, and then further developed.