Opinion: You can't beat sport

Don't ever lose time to let your kids play sport. PHOTO/FILE

A new survey has revealed participation in weekly sport and recreation activities in Rotorua has fallen.

We are blaming technology and being busy - and that's really sad.

We report today that Sport New Zealand's most recent Active survey found almost three-quarters of Bay of Plenty residents - 72 per cent - do some sport and recreation each week, a drop from 77 per cent in the 2007/2008 survey.

Walking is the most popular activity and it's easy to see why - it's quick and easy and you can do it any time.

I get that. When the workday ends, dinner is cooked, the chores are done and the kids are sorted. Who has time for exercise, let alone keeping up a commitment to meet and train with teammates?

The benefits of exercise are obvious and well documented. We all know it.

But I would hate to see a day when we Kiwis get too busy to play sport any more. This is especially true for children.

Ask a child to go for a 3km run or walk around the block to meet their physical education needs and you're likely to have a mighty battle on your hands.

Tell them it's time to go to rugby, soccer or netball and they're likely to grab their shoes and drink bottle with a spring in their step.

There's more to the value of playing sport than getting fit and healthy.

It encourages qualities and skills every good citizen needs in life - teamwork, dedication, sportsmanship, focus, listening skills, respect, time management and concentration.

If your family is weighing up time pressures this year trying to decide what extracurricular activities you can fit in, just remember sport has much greater rewards than exercise.