Clubs & Organisations

Welcome to our local and regional sport organisations, clubs and recreation providers. Thanks for all you do to help keep the people of Bay of Plenty active.

It’s not just about sport. It’s about creating environments for human connection and improved mental health. Providing our locals with a place to unwind and push themselves. For you, it’s about creating active offerings people want to engage with and come back again and again, so you organisation or club has a sustainable future.

Need a hand to deliver sport? We’re here to help you be a more efficient and effective sport organisation or club. Here’s a few ways we can assist:

  • Governance, strategic planning and funding
  • Capability building and best practice for committees, staff and volunteers
  • Advocacy, advice, project and facility development
  • User group facilitation
  • Act as a support between clubs and council.

Sport Bay of Plenty work to create a highly collaborative, capable and functioning physical activity system. This page is here to help your organisation or club, and provide information, resources and support.

Stay in touch

If you haven’t already, sign up to our fortnightly Club Update newsletter. This will keep you on the ball with the latest funding opportunities, news from councils and Sport New Zealand, along with our upcoming free workshops.

Western Bay of Plenty Club Updates

Central and Eastern Bay of Plenty Club Updates

Our website is also a great source of information, event dates and funding opportunities. Check out our Club Development resources which cover starting a club, planning, marketing and sponsorship.

Learn more: Events, Community Sport Advisors

Women and Girls

Clubs play a vital role in helping teenage girls feel confident, welcome, and inspired to stay involved in sport. The Coaching Teen Girls Booklet has been developed to support clubs and their coaches by providing practical information about the changes girls experience during adolescence and how these changes can affect their sporting journey.

Puberty can influence coordination, energy levels, and self-esteem, which may impact how girls engage with sport. By understanding these shifts, clubs can foster environments that are inclusive, empathetic, and empowering. This resource helps clubs build a culture where girls feel supported, understood, and more likely to stay active and involved for longer.

Learn more: The Coaching Teen Girls Booklet,

Some other helpful resources and information below:

Luuka Jones

Young Women and Girls Lead

021 459 126

Volunteering

Volunteering comes in many forms and without these amazing people, many local sport clubs, competitions and events would struggle to survive. It’s a smart choice to invest in your people and we can help you with the following.

  • Volunteer planning – attract and manage

Where can volunteers have the most impact? What motivates them? Who manages them? What are the risks? Is there flexibility and a diverse range of roles?

A plan can help answer these questions and ensure positive outcomes.

  • Volunteer recruiting – advertise, screen and welcome

Learn the key steps of the recruitment process.

  • Volunteer recognition - retain

Those who feel appreciated and have their motivations fulfilled will stay for longer. It’s not just about acknowledging hours volunteered. What behaviours and attributes can you recognise?

Learn more: Resources, Sport NZ Volunteers

Connecting with schools

Our Sport and Recreation School Advisor is your best contact. They can provide advice and put you in touch with schools we think are a good fit. Answering the below questions will help us to tailor an offering that is beneficial to all. Please provide our Advisor with the below answers when reaching out to them.

  • What organisation are you with and what is the sport you provide?
  • What are you looking to achieve working with schools?
  • What are you currently doing, if anything, in the school space?
  • Where in the region will this take place? It is for the whole region or for a sub-region?
  • What age, demographic and gender will benefit from your activity?
  • How long will the activity last?
  • How can the activity be sustainable so that tamariki and rangatahi can continue to benefit?
  • Are you seeking to be part of our calendars such as the BOP Secondary School Sport Event Calendar?
  • If you are seeking promotion of your sport, have you got resources and information ready to provide?

Learn more: School Sport and Recreation Advisor, Primary and Intermediate Schools, Secondary Schools

Networking

Our events are a great chance to meet sport and recreation providers like yourself. Check our Events page for upcoming workshops and webinars.

If you’re a Regional Sport Organisation (RSOs), welcome. We have a RSO Cafe which takes place six times a year. Come along to hear the latest news from our Sport Development and Coaching Team. Connect with other RSOs to discuss challenges and opportunities. Contact our Team Leader or Community Sport Advisor for dates.

Learn more: Events, Sport Development and Coaching Team, Spaces and Places Team

Disability Sport

Sport Bay of Plenty staff ensure school and community events have opportunities for people with a disability to participate and compete. Our organisation advocates for inclusiveness so that more people can be more active more often, no matter what their abilities.

  • Halberg Foundation – connect with your local Halberg Advisor. They work with physically disabled young people and their families to get them involved in sports and recreation. They also raise awareness and capability for the provision of inclusive sports programmes and events.
  • Parafed Bay of Plenty - a sports activity provider for people with physical disabilities in the Bay of Plenty. They aim to create opportunities for disabled people to play sport, socially and competitively, formally and informally. Parafed coordinate and communicate opportunities within the sector to provide the best possible pathways for athletes, coaches, officials and administrators.
  • Special Olympics New Zealand - offer a year-round programme of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
  • Blind Sport New Zealand - helping to ensure every blind and low vision New Zealander is engaged in regular sport and active recreation.
  • Paralympics New Zealand - supports and encourages opportunities for disabled people to participate in sports, from regional, national and international levels such as the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.

Learn more: Halberg Foundation, Parafed Bay of Plenty, Special Olympics NZ, Blind Sport NZ, Paralympics NZ

Creating Positive Sport Environments

We know that the top reasons young people play sport are to have fun, be with their friends, develop and learn new skills.

We also know that when coaches, officials and volunteers feel supported and valued, they are more likely to stay involved.

By asking everyone involved in sport to commit to Positive Vibes Only, we set a clear standard for respectful, positive behaviour in youth sport.

Positive Vibes Only is about creating environments that are enjoyable for all, whether you are a player, coach, referee, administrator or supporter.

OUR KEY MESSAGES: POSITIVE VIBES ONLY

Positive sporting environments are built through simple, intentional actions from everyone involved. These eight key messages set clear expectations for how we support young people, coaches, referees, volunteers and each other.

Our Positive Vibes Only messages are:

Refereeing isn’t as easy as it looks – officiating is a challenging role that requires quick decisions under pressure, often from volunteers or young people.

Remember referees are doing their best – mistakes are part of sport, but respect and understanding help keep officials confident and willing to stay involved.

Let them enjoy the game – when adults reduce pressure and instruction, young people are free to play, learn and have fun.

We are all on the same team – players, parents, coaches, referees and volunteers all share the goal of a positive sporting experience.

Support and encourage both teams – recognising effort, sportsmanship and good play from everyone creates a safer and more enjoyable environment.

Let the coach do the coaching – clear roles reduce confusion for players and allow supporters to focus on encouragement rather than instruction.

Keep the vibes positive in the car ride home – focusing on effort and enjoyment rather than mistakes helps young people build confidence and stay engaged.

Winning happens everywhere – success in youth sport is measured by learning, effort, teamwork and enjoyment, not just the scoreline.

Together, these messages help turn Positive Vibes Only from words into everyday actions.

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