Surge in soccer numbers put down to game's higher profile
The World Cup is six weeks away but thousands of children are already taking to soccer fields around the country.
Football New Zealand chief executive Michael Glading said nearly 57,000 children aged 5 to 13 were playing the game each weekend, making it the country's most popular sport for youngsters. And he believes playing numbers are likely to continue their climb - as they did the last time the All Whites reached the World Cup finals, in 1982.
The game's profile is booming thanks largely to the Wellington Phoenix reaching this year's A-League semifinals and New Zealand making the last 16 at the under-17 World Cup in Nigeria last November.
Auckland City shocked most with their run at the Fifa World Club Cup in Abu Dhabi and the All Whites are among the 32 teams at this year's World Cup in South Africa.
"We've had an upward growth for some time," said Mr Glading.
"But what that is doing is putting pressure on the facilities, particularly in Wellington. It brings about a new set of problems but it's not a bad place to be in."
At Madills Farm, in Kohimarama, hundreds of children ranging from 4 to 17 can be seen dribbling a ball around at least three days a week. Their club - Eastern Suburbs - has been around for about 72 years and its popularity with children and parents continues to grow.
Scanning the grounds, it is clear that there has been a shift in the sport, with a handful of girls playing.
Football mum Prudence Lane, whose daughter is 8-year-old Francesca Sansom, says she likes the idea that her daughter can "tough it out" just like the boys.
"It takes a lot of courage, I think, to go out there and play in a predominantly boys' game. I'm really proud of her. She's doing great."
Ms Lane said her daughter had open heart surgery as a baby, so it was even more encouraging to see her playing sport. "She's a heart baby so I was a little worried. She had her first game [at the club] on the weekend and only her father came.
"But seeing her out there, I'm so excited she can do this twice a week for 40 minutes."
Stephanie McHugh has two daughters at the club, Sophie, 8, and Emma, 6.
The two girls love netball but both chose soccer as their main sport this year. Sporting a deep purple bruise on her chin, Sophie says it's sometimes rough, but football is "much better" than netball.
"Netball is on the concrete and this is on the grass, so it doesn't hurt so much when you fall."
Watching them closely is coach Manuel Laurijssen, who yells out as he dribbles the ball from side to side.
"Don't stare at the ball, feel it with your feet, like this ... If you just look at the ball then someone's just going to come and steal it, see?"
Mr Laurijssen has been at the club for about two years and coaches around 150 children every week. He says he has definitely seen numbers rise - particularly with the girls.
"From what I've heard from parents, other sports like rugby are more rough. With football it's still pretty tough, but it's sort of a no-contact game. That's the attraction," he said.
Football NZ says it wants to address the fall-off in numbers of teenagers playing the game, which happens from about the age of 13. But Sparc figures show 24,500 secondary students represented their schools at soccer last year - an increase of 12 per cent on the previous year and a more than 20 per cent increase since 2000.
Spokeswoman Sue Eden said the figures also did not take into account the number of teenagers who play for clubs.
