Wendy Rudolph takes the children to league and netball.
Wendy Rudolph takes the children to league and netball.
The seventh draw in Sport Northland's Lotto Sport Maker has seen Whangarei's Wendy Rudolph, Bay of Islands' Karla Tawhai and Northern Wairoa's Alan Russek recognised for their contribution to local sport. Each was presented with Lotto Sport Maker merchandise and a first aid kit for their contribution to making sport happen in their region.
Wendy Rudolph Manaia View School
Wendy looks after the health and sport programmes within the Manaia View School and is the league and netball administrator/manager for the school teams. She takes the children to league and netball on the weekends, organises coaches, notices, entries to events and competitions and administration for all after-school sport. She also organises all school PE for the other teachers.
Asked why she liked to volunteer, Wendy said: "It's all for the children and it helps to build relationships between the kids, their whanau and the school."
Years ago when Wendy first arrived at Manaia View School, Ian Bird was running all the sport there himself, so under his guidance, she began to help out. They now share the responsibility at the school.
Wendy finds many challenges in the role including getting extra support from other helpers and motivating others to be involved as key.
"We want the kids to be able to do what they love but we need support from others to get them there," she said.
Wendy's advice to someone wanting to become a Sport Maker is to enjoy the interaction with the children and the relationships that are created.
When asked what the best part of being a Sport Maker was, she commented that seeing the enjoyment the kids get out of sport, just having fun, and the improved involvement of the kids were all very satisfying.
"A bonus is when you see the kids playing sport and organising it themselves."
Karla Tawhai helps out at her local gymnastics club.
Karla Tawhai
Bay of Islands Gymnastics Club
Karla volunteers at the Bay of Islands Gymnastics Club where she teaches pre-school and recreation gym in Kaikohe and then heads to Opua to coach the competition level kids.
Karla has been responsible for the rebirth of gymnastics in Kaikohe, through the development of a satellite club of the Bay of Islands Gymnastics Club, which is run out of the Kaikohe Intermediate School hall.
She gets a lot of enjoyment out of coaching and loves to see the smile on the kids' faces when they realise they have achieved something. She first became involved when she was looking in the newspaper for a job and saw a coaching position which was at her old gymnastics club.
Some of the challenges Karla finds in her role include trying to work out the different learning abilities of the kids, as well as getting the work/life balance right.
She is fortunate to have good support from home to allow her to coach.
"They allow me to give my time of about 12-14 hours a week to the sport and my dinner is always ready when I get home."
"I'm passionate about gymnastics and children, and love being able to teach them something new," she said.
"It's great to give something back to the club that had given me 12 years of fun gymnastics which had kept me fit."
Alan Russek has been involved in sport throughout his teaching career.
Alan Russek
Northern Wairoa Sports Association
Alan is the chairman of the Northern Wairoa Primary Schools Sports Association.
This association organises sport within Northern Wairoa, ensuring that children are able to experience as many sporting opportunities as possible. The association meets each term to discuss sporting events for the term and support is given to schools in the region.
Alan, who is principal at Dargaville Primary School, also organises sport within his own school.
Alan has been involved in sport throughout his teaching career and believes it is an important part of education as it helps to set up habits for life.
"It is so rewarding, watching students you have had an influence over during their primary years, go on to represent Northland or even further and knowing that you, at the very beginning, had something to do with that," he said.
Alan rates fairness as one of the challenges facing coaches - trying not to be seen as biased.
He has been fortunate to have family support to continue his role as a Sport Maker, as they all share his passion for sport.
Alan has also been a keen competitor, having played rugby, touch, netball, basketball, outdoor sports (scuba, fishing hunting), cycling, triathlon and endurance running.
