News & Results
BayTrust CoachForce celebrates 25th anniversary
A celebration marking 25 years of Sport Bay of Plenty’s BayTrust CoachForce programme took place over the weekend.
CoachForce Officers and code managers, past and present, were in attendance on Saturday, March 4 at the fitting location of Pāpāmoa Sport and Recreation centre to celebrate CoachForce’s impact and legacy in the Bay of Plenty community since its inception in 1997.
The CoachForce programme pulls together the power of regional sport organisations, community funding bodies and Sport NZ to give more people in the Bay of Plenty a great coaching experience.
When the programme launched a quarter of a century ago it did so with five summer codes and five winter codes but has since grown to a current tally of 17.
CoachForce Tennis Officer Peter O’Dea has been with the initiative from the beginning. He credits former Sport BOP CEO’s, including Dame Susan Devoy, for being instrumental in the formation and continuation of CoachForce, admitting there have been “hurdles along the way”.
He explains how the programme is in a “symbiotic relationship” with Sport NZ and the impact it has had locally.
“National initiatives shape the type of coaching courses delivered and generic content they must include. Issues in sport such as side-line behaviour, teen drain, the declining number of girls playing sport, school sport, Balance is Better, gender identity sensitivity and inclusiveness have all been explored,” says Peter.
“The impact of CoachForce has been significant to sport in our communities, providing support and assistance in many ways, providing pathways for coaches, parents, umpires, teachers and volunteers.
“It is about mentoring and enabling coaches to be better with the ethos of ‘better people, better communities’. Clubs are the hub that turns the wheel in most sports and it’s the people that drive those. Sport depends on this for its success and place in the community. CoachForce has the ability to create change in this space, to form relationships that assist enable and reward.”
Trudi Kemp joined the CoachForce team eight years ago, initially as a CoachForce Officer for Netball. She moved into what is now the organisation’s Sport Development Advisor role four years ago and is clear about the importance of the CoachForce model.
“If I were to imagine a sporting system without the CoachForce officers I am seeing a very disjointed and siloed system with not much connection between sports, the organisations and their coaches,” says Trudi.
“There would be no local support for coaches and no-one having time to support them which I would imagine would have a detrimental effect on the standard of athletes in the BOP.”
Dave Clarke was with CoachForce from 2007 until 2021, initially in a fundamental skills role but eventually becoming Coaching and Sport Development Team Leader. He agrees with Trudi regarding the importance of CoachForce toward the quality of coaching, calling the model the “backbone” of sport in the region.
He also shined a light on the “enormous” social impact of the programme.
“Through the relationships and systems and structures that have been forged, communities have been built and friendships have been shared,” says Dave.
“It's unbelievable work and you get more people living more active lives than ultimately, they may well have done.
“The tentacles of some of the opportunities and people passing on what they've learned to others is massive. The feedback and the stories that we've had from people about the impact it's had on their lives is huge.”
Both Trudi and Dave also highlighted the importance of BayTrust’s commitment to the programme as integral to not only its longevity but also its efficacy. BayTrust chair Tane Phillips says it has been a “privilege” to be a seed funder and foundation supporter for CoachForce since the start.
“Our total commitment to this program is now over $13m and is our largest commitment to any one group that we have supported,” says Tane.
“We’re really proud to see how CoachForce has developed into a nationally recognised programme which helps provide tools, resources and support required for coaches across many different sporting codes in the Bay of Plenty, including 23 current CoachForce Officers who receive funding for their role.
“We’re excited to see what the future holds for CoachForce as it continues to excel in ensuring our community stays active and the resulting heath, wellbeing and community connection benefits that this brings.”
As for the future, Trudi is of the belief that while the people involved may change over the years, the legacy of CoachForce always remains in safe hands.
“It’s a privilege to be involved with this group of minds and passion in the sporting industry. They have tested me, taught me, supported me, and oh my god we have laughed.
“The culture of CoachForce is fun, collaborative, learning, collegial, supportive and as far as I have heard this has always been this way. The culture outlives the people which in a way is what it should be.
“This group definitely don’t do it for the money. They are the legacy. The whakapapa of CoachForce is the legacy.”
