Kensington Park will stay devoid of any winter sport for some time to come. Photo / File
Kensington Park will stay devoid of any winter sport for some time to come. Photo / File
What a difference a month makes!
By the time this goes to print, we will have had four weeks in alert level 4 and will have another few days before de-escalating back to alert level 3.
In terms of our own physical activity options, in alert level 3 we get a little more leeway with water sports; non-motorised activities such as swimming, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, rowing, windsurfing and paddle boarding are allowed close to shore and we can also fish from the beach.
Cycling options also open up a bit more with cycling on easy, local mountain bike tracks allowed.
Kensington Park will stay devoid of any winter sport for some time to come. Photo / File
In terms of organised sport, unfortunately nothing changes from alert level 4, with no sport (even non-contact) allowed outside your bubble. Further advice is being developed by Sport NZ on whether and what contact sport will be possible under alert level 2.
Clarification on this last point will be eagerly awaited by the 45-odd individual sports codes that exist in Northland to operate their sport across the region.
Covid-19 has had a particularly severe effect on the major sports codes, particularly the major winter codes namely rugby, netball, hockey, football (soccer), rugby league and basketball.
This is due to the fact that we are entering their main competition season when they would normally be collecting subscription fees from participants. The longer we remain in alert level 2, 3 or 4, of course, the longer the delay to these sports beginning their season.
Cooperation and collaboration between sports codes will be essential to ensure we maximise opportunities available for our young people.
For obvious reasons, the last thing we need is for young people to have to choose between sports because they are being operated at the same time.
On top of these challenges, many sports organisations are too reliant on gaming trust funding, which has now completely dried up given that gaming venues are not able to operate under alert level 3 and 4.
Sport Northland is trying to gather as much information and data as possible from the major sporting organisations in Northland to work out the best way of supporting them when the initial 12 weeks is over (as most have been successful with accessing the Government wage subsidy).
Sport Northland chief executive Brent Eastwood. Photo / File
The Northland Sports Coalition, which has been operating for five years, has established a forum where sports codes have a greater degree of trust and transparency than ever.
I believe this will hold them all in very good stead as we quickly enter a time when they will need to collaborate and cooperate more than ever.
In the meantime, parents should encourage all their young people to keep training at home and practising those skills they will need when they return to organised sport.
While walking or running has a great way for the rest of us to get daily exercise, I am sure a good percentage of those people are looking forward to getting back to the gym or the pool once we reach alert level 2 when they can reopen their doors.
In the meantime, stay home, stay safe and practise the five mental health wellbeings: connecting, giving, taking notice, learning and of course, keeping active.
