The 2024 School Sport Census and Regional Sport Growth

The latest School Sport Census has provided invaluable insights into the growing involvement of rangatahi in sport across Bay of Plenty schools. This case study highlights the collective effort of Sport Bay of Plenty, local school sport coordinators, and regional sport organisations in driving increased participation and fostering a love for sport among youth.

As an organisation, Sport Bay of Plenty demonstrated its commitment to supporting the secondary school sport sector in several ways which proved successful, including:

• Enhancing the Regional Event Calendar – Improving event management with evidence-based strategies and stronger partnerships.
• Strategic Leadership in School Sport – Expanding the Regional Sport Director role to navigate the evolving secondary school sport landscape.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making – Using rangatahi insights to guide internal teams and stakeholders (schools, RSOs, councils).
• Strengthening School Sport Operations – Supporting schools to increase sports office capacity, introduce strategic roles, and improve operations.
• Effective Stakeholder Engagement – Prioritising key relationships while collaborating with Sport Bay of Plenty and other enabling partners.

While Sport Bay of Plenty played a facilitating role, the true impact lies in the collaborative work of these key stakeholders. Their collective efforts have led to some of the significant improvements, which help position the Bay of Plenty as a leader in secondary school sport, listed below:

• 50% of secondary school students are actively participating in school sport, a notable increase of 8.5% since 2022, marking the highest participation rate in the region since 2016.
• The impact of Covid has been seen in the post-pandemic rebound, with involvements/participations up by 4,500, showing a clear trend of recovery and growth.
• Not only are more students playing sport, but those already participating are now engaging in multiple sports. Previously, many students were involved in one or two sports; now, they are participating in three to four sports, showing a deepened commitment to physical activity.
• A 5% gender gap indicates higher participation rates among boys, though this presents an opportunity for future focus on boosting female engagement.
• 7052 participations in inter-school sport events were recorded across the year, a 72% increase since a Covid impacted 2022, but it does still highlight the sustained appetite for sports opportunities at the school level. Meanwhile, the number of events held has doubled since the pre-pandemic period, underscoring the region’s strong growth as well as recovery.

Driving Change: How Key Organisations Contributed

The success in school sport participation is largely due to the collaborative efforts of school sport coordinators, RSOs, and Sport Bay of Plenty. Key contributions include managing a regional event calendar, increasing roles like the Regional Sport Director, and gathering rangatahi insights to shape relevant sports offerings. Additionally, Sport Bay of Plenty has supported schools in expanding their sports offices and fostering strong relationships with stakeholders to ensure alignment and increased opportunities for students.

The Impact of Staff Involvement

A critical factor in the increase in participation has been the involvement of school staff. School staff involvement in sport is notably higher in the Bay of Plenty compared to the national average, with 35% of staff involved, compared to the national figure of 30%. This increased involvement is not coincidental—longitudinal reports from the census show a direct correlation between staff participation and student engagement in sport. With more school staff actively supporting and facilitating sports, rangatahi are more likely to be motivated to participate, further reinforcing the importance of staff involvement in the broader ecosystem.

Celebrating the Collective Effort

The 2023 School Sport Census reflects the success of a community working together to foster an environment where rangatahi are encouraged to get involved in sport. The collective effort of school sport coordinators, regional sport organisations, and Sport Bay of Plenty has yielded outstanding results in terms of participation and engagement. By providing strategic leadership, facilitating partnerships, and engaging with rangatahi directly, this collaborative approach has seen a significant increase in the number of students participating in sport—along with their involvement in multiple sports.

As we look ahead, there remains an exciting opportunity to continue to build on this momentum, ensuring that the successes of 2024 are just the beginning of an even more active and engaged future for school sport in the Bay of Plenty.