The steady increase in population and the new Central Otago-based Otago Secondary School Sports Association (OSSSA) events and competition co-ordinator position that was established at the start of 2023 has shown growth in all OSSSA-delivered secondary school competitions.
This position has been made possible from generous funding from Community Trust South, Central Lakes Trust, Otago Community Trust and Aotearoa Gaming Trust.
The competitions include a variety of sports, including the popular volleyball, football and touch, but it is basketball that has seen the biggest explosion of numbers.
In 2022, there were 20 year 9-13 teams in both the junior and senior grades, but in 2023, this has jumped up to 33 teams.
This reflects the big numbers of rangatahi wanting to be involved in this sport.
Most of the winter competitions are coming to an end but this leads nicely into winter tournament week — the biggest sporting week of the year on the secondary school calendar.
In only three weeks, hundreds of Central pupils will be pulling on uniforms and lacing boots in readiness to pit themselves against other schools, in the hope to come home with the coveted trophies in their respective sports.
Countless hours of trainings, games and planning goes into these teams — not to mention all the fundraising and generosity of community organisations and businesses that help reduce the cost for families.
Many sausage sizzles, car washes, raffles, scratchie boards and cheese rolls have been used for fundraising, but schools are becoming more creative with new ideas to raise some funds to help their pupils take part in these opportunities.
There was the classic sheep manure collecting by the Dunstan crew, but their kitchen demonstration proved to be a real hit and money maker.
Cromwell College have also thought outside the box and have a "jingo" night coming up for their hockey teams. This is musical bingo — how fun does that sound?
The main sports the Central schools will compete in during this tournament week are basketball, netball, rugby, hockey and football.
Mount Aspiring and Cromwell College each have six teams heading away, and Dunstan High School are sending seven teams to compete.
Year 9 footballer Mia Gemmell, from Mount Aspiring College, can’t wait for the tournament to start.
She was lucky enough to have had the honour of being flagbearer at three of the Fifa Women’s World Cup games in New Zealand and, along with many other female football players, will be inspired to give it everything during the tournament.
Wakatipu High School have 11 teams and individuals at the New Zealand climbing championships, plus have pupils combining with Cromwell and Dunstan to form two ice hockey teams.
It is great to see pupils still having the opportunity to compete by combining with other schools to make full teams.
Maniototo Area School have a mixed hockey team competing, and Roxburgh Area School have four boys joining the Trinity College U15 rugby team.
What a great effort Central schools have made with a total of 33 teams across the six schools all taking part.
We are looking forward to continue to deliver many summer sport competitions and events across Central Otago in term four with volleyball and touch firmly in the calendar already.
