Sporting greats to inspire students

Media release

7 April 2017

Sporting greats to inspire students

More than 250 senior sports students will hear inspirational messages from top athletes at Aspire conference next Tuesday, 11 April.

Aspire aims to ‘shape sports leaders of tomorrow’. The one-day conference is the second held by Ignite Sport Trust, with all secondary schools in the Wellington Region invited to bring students.

Skycity Breakers basketball forward Mika Vukona will give the opening address at Aspire, held at Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua.

Students will participate in break-out sessions as diverse as ‘Winning through adversity’ with Paraswimmer Mary Fisher, ‘Keys to success’ with Athletics NZ High Performance Coach Steve Willis and ‘Balance’ with Hastings Giants Boxing coach Craig McDougall. Former NZ Maori Rugby team captain and All Black, Norm Hewitt, will talk about Building Sportsmen and Kelly Curr from Sport Wellington will facilitate interviews around Building Sportswomen.

Good Clean Sport – Youth will also be presented ty Drug Free Sport New Zealand to support and educate young athletes on clean sport within the secondary school environment.

Aspire was first held in 2015, with secondary school sports coordinators throughout the Region calling for an annual conference. The ‘dream’ of Ignite Sport’s Director, Kevin Goldsbury, Aspire aims to teach young sports leaders and athletes about integrity and the values needed to play both on and off the field.

“We coach our athletes brilliantly and teach them all the sports skills necessary to be their best on the field. However, I believe we must empower our young athletes and leaders – who will also be community leaders – to become great young people. We must help them make positive choices at an age when they are making some of their most important decisions,” says Mr Goldsbury.

Aspire is partnered by College Sport Wellington, Sport Wellington, ESG Foundation and Massey University.

Ignite Sport Trust is a youth development organisation working in several intermediate and secondary schools throughout the Wellington Region.

Ends

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