Please note this content has now been added to the Archives.
It is available for reference purposes but otherwise neither maintained nor updated.
If you require an accessible version please contact info@sportnz.org.nz.
Future of Sport and Recreation up for Discussion
Future of Sport and Recreation up for Discussion
on Opening Day of Connections 2022
A challenge to envisage the best possible future for sport and recreation and to act now to ensure it becomes a reality was laid down to sector leaders on day one of 爆料社区鈥檚 Connections 2022 conference in Christchurch on Monday.
Over 230 delegates from sport and recreation organisations, national and regional governing bodies and sector funders were congratulated by 爆料社区 Group Chief Executive Raelene Castle on their stellar work as the country grappled with COVID-19, but also warned that challenges 鈥� many of them as yet unseen 鈥� will lie ahead for the sector.
The shape of sport and recreation in another 40 years鈥� time was very much unknown, however factors such as climate change, funding viability and changing priorities for participants would have a significant impact, said Castle.
鈥淔orty or 50 years ago women鈥檚 sporting options were netball and hockey. Men鈥檚 options were rugby, football, maybe hockey, and cricket. That was it. Forty years later there are 300 options for young people.鈥�
听
While some of the messages may have been confronting for sports organisations pondering their futures, the opportunity existed to start adapting for the future - now.
鈥淚f you look backwards then we have already faced a whole lot of change and we are still here to tell the tale.听 So let鈥檚 not look at it as scary 鈥� but we do need to be thinking about it,鈥� said Castle.
Castle鈥檚 address was followed by a highly interactive session delivered by prominent futurist Sohail Inayatullah, a Pakistani-Australian political scientist who serves as UNESCO鈥檚 Chair in Future Studies.
Sohail described futurists as 鈥渨eirdos鈥� whose thinking came into vogue post the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, when organisations suddenly became deeply interested in possessing strategic foresight.
鈥淎s the world changes you have to shift to your new focus,鈥� he said.
The biggest challenge for leaders trying to envisage the future was that human brains were 鈥渨ired for the past鈥� and people tended to get 鈥渟tuck in the present鈥�.
The danger of that was ultimately becoming 鈥淜odak鈥檇鈥� 鈥� a reference to the global film giant that was wiped out by the digitisation of photography.
Delivering on the obligations of the Treaty of Waitangi was also on the agenda, with Te R奴nanga o Ng膩i Tahu chief executive Arihia Bennett advising that delegates would discover the pathway to genuine bi-culturalism in their organisations by looking deeply within themselves.
鈥淎sk yourself what your own attitude towards mana M膩ori is,鈥� Bennett said.
鈥淵ou need to get with the programme and build a sense of knowledge and understanding.
鈥淲e want more meaningful demonstration of our values woven into our sport. We must move with a growing diverse community and a society that wants better inclusiveness.鈥�
A powerful, humour-laden account from David Letele, provided an uplifting finish to the day.听 Letele described 听his journey from an upbringing in a Mongrel Mob family and a life of crime, morbid obesity and mental health challenges to inspirational community leader and health and wellbeing advocate.
Letele鈥檚 message of how to achieve what could seem impossible was simple: 鈥淛ust start鈥�.
His background as a professional rugby league player and his university education meant Letele was 鈥渓ucky鈥� as he was able to understand and implement the steps necessary to recover his health after he ballooned to over 200kgs, however there were plenty of Kiwis in need of help who were less fortunate.
Letele鈥檚 Buttabean Motivation Movement (BBM) provides free exercise classes, operates food shares and life-skills training for struggling families in Auckland and Tokoroa.
鈥淚 help people because I can,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you can help 鈥� then you should too.鈥�
