Taranaki sporting stars share tips with next generation

COMMUNITY SPORT: Record-breaking Taranaki sprint champion Zoe Hobbs might have been lost to track and field if her parents hadn’t helped her have fun as a child.

Speaking before a cross-code meeting of parents and coaches at Inglewood’s TET Stadium, Hobbs said when she started racking up track and field wins as a girl, she remembered a coach who wanted her to give up other sports and focus on focused on athletics.

“I’m very happy that Dad actually answered that coach and basically said, ‘No, she can do whatever sport she wants as long as she wants, she’s only 11, she should have fun’ … I am so thankful that he and my mom allowed me to have this freedom in the sport.”

Hobbs, who looked fresh and relaxed after recently setting a new oceanic 100-meter record, said that growing up she loved trying out everything — dabbling in netball, basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, in addition to running, and her parents supported her to try as many different sports as she wanted.

CONTINUE READING:
* What it takes to be Zoe Hobbs, one of New Zealand’s fastest women
* Is a multipurpose center in central New Plymouth a game changer for our children?
* Star Power inspires at Colgate Games in Inglewood

“There was never that pressure from her to continue with the sport if I didn’t like it or didn’t find value in it… that’s what allowed me to succeed in the sport.”

Hobbs said that mixing things up helped take the pressure off her and kept things from getting too serious before they had to.

“I don’t know if I would still do athletics now if I specialized early.”

Former All Black Conrad Smith, who also spoke at the gathering, echoed Hobbs’ thoughts, saying he was still playing cricket, along with all the different sports he could, until he got his first Hurricanes contract aged 22 received.

“I never trained for rugby more than two nights a week until I got my first professional contract,” Smith said.

Smith said he’s seen professional rugby players “live and breathe” just one sport and, unfortunately, he’s also seen the personal cost it could mean for them.

It was the fun of being on teams with his buddies that was a big part of his early sporting passion — and that’s the kind of culture that needs to be encouraged, Smith said.

Kelly Curr, Sport New Zealand Development Advisor, thanked athletic parents for their efforts and presented statistics showing a significant drop in athletic participation and activity as people entered their mid-teens.

Keeping young people in sport is a challenge in which parents play a big part, Curr said.

Sport Taranaki’s coaching advisor Guy Honnor also acknowledged the contribution of parents to the sport – revealing that feedback from talented young athletes in the Future Champions program showed that positive parental support is crucial.

The top three attributes they cited for supportive parents were support when traveling to practice or games, “just being there and supporting no matter what” and “telling me they love watching me play.” ‘ Honor said.