Sport and Recreation –

Everyone. Every day.

Sport and Recreation New Zealand’s
Strategic Plan
2009–2015

PO Box 2251, Wellington, New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 472 8058 Fax: +64 4 471 0813

www.sparc.org.nz

XXXXX – 07/2009
978-1-877356-07-0
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
FOREWORD i

Foreword
As Minister for Sport and Recreation, I am pleased to support SPARC in the launch of its
Strategic Plan for 2009–2015.

Since taking over this portfolio in 2008, I have worked with SPARC to set the entity’s direction
and implement the new, National-led Government’s priorities. There are some key areas that I
want to see SPARC emphasise: school-based initiatives (including after-school programmes and
club initiatives); support for clubs; and improvements to the resourcing of high performance.

To make real gains in these areas, SPARC needs to ensure its partner organisations in the sector
are up to the mark in being able to deliver services; that the investment SPARC makes in the
sector represents value for money; and that resources are getting through to the front line.

If we can get these areas right, then New Zealand will move a long way towards this
Government’s goals: of our kids having more opportunity to play sport; of clubs having
enough volunteers and coaches; and of our athletes and teams winning on the world stage.

If we can deliver what is outlined in this Plan, then we will see positive change in our young
people, in our schools, in our communities and in our nation.

I look forward to working with SPARC in the realisation of the goals outlined in this Plan and
to seeing the results.

Hon. Murray McCully

Minister for Sport and Recreation
ii

Introduction
SPARC has been in existence for seven years, and over that time has seen many changes.
In looking to plan for the next six years, we expect even more change.

We have a new Government, a sport and recreation sector that is facing difficult economic
times, and world cup events, world championships and Olympic Games on the horizon.

SPARC’s Strategic Plan (“the Plan”) – Everyone. Every day. – is simple, focused and
outcome-oriented, and sets a clear direction for the next six years.

Our primary goal in developing this Plan has been to work with the new Government to give
effect to its sport and recreation priorities.

These priorities are:

• school-based initiatives – more opportunities for young people to play organised sport,
both within and outside of school hours
• improved resourcing of high-performance sport – to ensure continued success on the
world stage and to recognise the contribution our sportspeople make to New Zealand’s
brand and image internationally
• strengthening the frontline – particularly those who are at the forefront of grassroots
sport delivery (for example clubs, volunteers and schools, regional sports organisations)
• under the Sport and Recreation Act 2002, strengthening access to and opportunities
for physical recreation in all its forms, including in the outdoors
• to be effective in all these areas, developing the capability of the partners we invest in,
so that they are sustainable, robust and “investment-fit”.

SPARC will address these priority areas in the midst of a challenging economic environment
within New Zealand and worldwide. The economic environment is impacting on funding
streams right across the sport and recreation sector. Grassroots sport faces reduced gaming
funding, while territorial authorities must manage a range of competing priorities in addition to
sport and recreation. The cost of winning on the world stage also continues to rise.

These pressures highlight the need for partners to be sustainable organisations that are capable
of delivering results. SPARC is committed to improving partner capability in governance and
management to make this happen. We will also work to ensure relationships are maintained in
spite of significant changes in governance structures, such as those that will occur as a result of
local government restructuring in the Auckland region.

To achieve these goals, we need to focus the allocation of our resources, identify the best way
of achieving our goals, and target the areas where we can make the greatest difference. Over
the last seven years, we have been drawn into the wider physical activity and health space.
This Plan refocuses on our core business to ensure we more effectively meet the sport and
recreation needs of New Zealanders.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
INTRODUCTION iii

Delivering this Plan will be about partnerships. We welcome the opportunity to work closely
with all of our partners – national sport and recreation organisations, regional sports trusts,
local and central government, community funders and other potential stakeholders – to deliver
real results with the resources we have.

We believe this Plan will strike a chord with the sector and provide a sense of collective
purpose to tackle the challenges and deliver our vision for sport and recreation in New Zealand.

John Wells
Chairman, SPARC
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
CONTENTS 1

Table of
Contents
Part One: SPARC’s strategy ............................................................................. 2
• Vision and mission 2
• What we want to achieve by 2015 2
• SPARC’s priority areas 3
• SPARC’s partners 5
• SPARC’s approach 6

Part Two: SPARC’s game plan ......................................................................... 7

• Delivering our strategy 8
− Young New Zealanders 8
− High Performance 9
− Grassroots Sport 10
− Recreation 12
− Partner Capability 13
• The role SPARC plays 14
• Monitoring SPARC’s progress 15
• Assessing SPARC’s performance 15
• Understanding the ground rules 15
− Who we are 15
− What we are about 16
− What we believe in 17

Part Three: The playing field ........................................................................ 19

• Context for SPARC’s Plan 19
2

Part One:
SPARC’s strategy
Vision and mission
OUR VISION IS:

Everyone. Every day. – enjoying and excelling through sport

and recreation.

OUR MISSION IS:

Creating a sport and recreation environment where more New Zealanders

participate, support and win.

What we want to achieve by 2015

There are many goals we have set ourselves for the next six years (see pages 8–13), but by 2015
we are committed to achieving measurable increases for our investment:

More kids in sport and recreation

As measured by:
• 80% of school-aged children participating in organised sport and
recreation for at least three hours a week – delivered through schools,
after-school programmes, clubs and organised activities
• more young people staying in sport and recreation after secondary school.

More New Zealanders in sport and recreation

As measured by:
• half a million more adult New Zealanders participating at least once a
week in sport and recreation
• more than 1 million people volunteering in sport and recreation by 2015.

More winners on the world stage

As measured by:
• New Zealand winning 10 or more medals at the 2012 London Olympics
• the Black Caps, Silver Ferns and All Blacks winning world championships
by 2015.1

1 By winning world championships, we mean the Black Caps winning an International Cricket
Council World Tournament by 2015; the Silver Ferns winning the Netball World Championship
in 2011; and the All Blacks winning the Rugby World Cup in 2011. After 2011/12, we will revise
our goals for netball, rugby and the Summer Olympic Games
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART ONE: SPARC’S STRATEGY 3

SPARC’s priority areas

Over the next six years, we will provide opportunities for New Zealanders to participate in sport
and recreation every day and get more New Zealanders winning on the world stage.

Our key Government priorities for sport and recreation are:

• Young New Zealanders: More kids in organised sport – the more we can improve
participation in sport among young people, the greater the prospects they will carry
on that participation into their later lives, with all its benefits for us as a nation.
• High Performance: Enhancing high performance, to position ourselves as a nation of
winners, both in sport and in all the ways we compete internationally.
• Grassroots Sport: More resources to clubs and sport at the frontline, where our teams
and kids need support to regularly participate in sport.
• Recreation: Vital for our tourism industry and the benefits it brings to our health and
our view of ourselves as a nation.
• Partner Capability: In order to do all the above, we depend on the partners we invest in
being capable organisations.

Young New Zealanders

We want young New Zealanders (aged 0–18) to develop a love of sport and
recreation that leads to lifelong participation.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
• more resources getting to primary schools to get more kids into
organised sport, including after-school programmes and a range of
school and club-based initiatives
• more support for secondary schools to get school students involved in
organised sport and recreation
• more support for clubs and grassroots providers to encourage young
people to stay in sport after secondary school
• ensuring young people (aged 0–12) have the fundamental movement
and basic sport skills to participate in sport and recreation for life.

High Performance
We want New Zealand’s most talented athletes to be identified and
developed, and to win on the world stage.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
• enhancing training facilities, coaching and support personnel
• moving high performance to the next level, through talent identification
and development, coaching and pinnacle event planning
• delivering results at the Summer and Winter Olympics, Paralympic
Games, world cups, world championships and other pinnacle events.
4

Grassroots Sport
We want healthy, sustainable and co-ordinated organisations delivering
quality sport to their communities.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
• increasing the number and quality of volunteers, especially officials,
coaches and administrators
• building stronger links between school and club sport to keep young
people participating in sport into adulthood
• national sports organisations being better structured to deliver sport at
national, regional and community levels.

Recreation
We want a healthy, sustainable and co-ordinated recreation sector, delivering
quality opportunities that get more New Zealanders participating.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
• more young people participating in recreational activities, including
through schools
• strengthening recreation organisations, to increase participation in
recreation
• implementing our outdoor recreation strategy, including working with
the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Recreation Council.

Partner Capability
We want our partners to be sustainable and capable of delivering results.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
• improving partner organisations, especially in leadership, governance
and management of finances and people
• providing partners with tools, resources and practical help to lift
their game
• providing technical expertise to partners in specialist areas like
high-performance coaching.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART ONE: SPARC’S STRATEGY 5

SPARC’s partners
Implementing this Plan requires a shared agenda. We recognise that much of SPARC’s work
and success depends on the ongoing support, commitment and success of our partners in the
sector. We will continue to work with, and bring together, key organisations to support the
delivery of sport and recreation opportunities for New Zealanders. To achieve our goals, we
will work with the following partners:

• National Sports Organisations and National Recreation Organisations, to deliver

increased participation and high-performance outcomes for their codes
• Regional Sports Trusts, to develop sport and recreation opportunities in their regions
• Territorial Authorities, to enhance community sport and recreation and support the
design and management of facilities
• gaming and community trusts, to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of
investment in the sector
• commercial partners, to identify areas where synergies can result from closer
collaboration with the sport and recreation sector, right from the many small businesses
that support their local clubs and teams, to large corporate partners
• New Zealand Olympic Committee, to enable athletes to be the very best they can be
at the elite level of competition (Olympic, Commonwealth and Youth Games)
• New Zealand Academy of Sport, to provide a world-class training and support
environment for high performance athletes, coaches and teams
• Drug Free Sport New Zealand, to provide a sporting environment free of banned
doping methods for New Zealand sport and athletes
• Sports Tribunal of New Zealand, to ensure national sport organisations and other
parties to a sports dispute, such as athletes, have access to an affordable, just and
speedy means of resolving a sports dispute
• community organisations, by investing in programmes to support all New Zealanders
participating and performing in sport and recreation
• iwi, to promote the value of sport and recreation to, for, and as Mäori
• central government, to promote the value of sport and recreation and its wider
contribution to New Zealand
• New Zealand Secondary School Sports Council, to foster healthy participation and
achievement in quality secondary school sport
• additional providers of sport and recreation and sports service organisations such
as College Sports, to co-ordinate, maintain, increase, promote and support quality sport
and recreation opportunities
• universities and other research and private institutions, to partner in the research,
science and technology we need.
6

SPARC’s approach
The driving goal of the new Government is to grow the New Zealand economy in order
to deliver greater prosperity, security and opportunities to all New Zealanders. Sport and
recreation has a part to play in this.

In difficult economic times, it is even more critical for us to account carefully for every dollar
spent, and for what we buy with that dollar. We have to rely on our partners to deliver
efficiently and effectively, we want to get the money out the door to the frontline where
they can make the most difference with that investment.

Our approach with our investment in partners, therefore, will be:

• We will target our investment to organisations that are the most capable and ready to
deliver on our sport and recreation outcomes. That means “investment-fit” and able to
get on with the job.
• We will hold ourselves to greater account for what we do with sport and recreation
investment by tightening our own monitoring and measurement and asking our
partners to do the same. Through this, we will be clear about what outcomes are
expected for government money.
• SPARC’s investment will, where possible, operate as a “single pot”. Investments in
individual organisations will be streamlined and consolidated into a single investment
process, thereby simplifying things from a recipient’s point of view and also reducing
bureaucracy.
• We will continue to raise the bar, both in terms of our own and our partners’
performance.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART TWO: SPARC’S GAME PLAN 7

Part Two:
SPARC’s
game plan
8

Delivering our strategy

YOUNG NEW ZEALANDERS

We want young New Zealanders (0–18) to develop a love of sport and

recreation that leads to lifelong participation.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
1. More organised sport and recreation in primary schools – including
after-school programmes
− by providing a range of initiatives during school hours through
partnerships with schools and community providers such as Regional
Sports Trusts – so that kids are encouraged to participate in sport and
recreation as part of their learning, schools have resources to provide
sport, and teachers are supported to help deliver sport
− by providing after-school sport and recreation activities with
community partners, clubs, regional sports trusts and territorial
authorities – so kids can access a range of opportunities, with quality
coaching and resources, outside of school time.
2. More secondary school students playing sport and taking part in
recreation
− by increasing opportunities for students to participate during the
school day and through clubs, after-school and organised events, and
supporting schools to deliver on the curriculum and providing resources
− by ensuring parents, teachers, coaches and other volunteers are
providing quality experiences to encourage young people to stay and
play in sport.
3. More young people participating in sport and recreation, with an
emphasis on participation through clubs
− by building links between schools and sport and recreation clubs,
by bringing schools and clubs together, supported by national sport
organisations, national recreation organisations, regional sports
organisations and regional sports trusts, so resources are shared and
kids stay in sport post school.
4. Ensuring young people (aged 0–12) develop the fundamental movement
and basic sport skills to participate in sport and recreation for life
− by investing in people, programmes and resources to get young
New Zealanders participating in quality fundamental movement
and basic sport skill experiences, so they have the right building
blocks to play sport for life.

In 2015 our success will be measured by:

• an increase in the number of kids participating in sport and recreation
through clubs and organised events
• an increase in the number of primary school and secondary school pupils
playing organised sport
• an increase in the level of fundamental movement and basic sport skills in
kids under the age of 12 years.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART TWO: SPARC’S GAME PLAN 9

HIGH PERFORMANCE

We want New Zealand’s athletes and teams to win on the world stage.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
1. A targeted and co-ordinated high performance approach2
− by leading and co-ordinating the high-performance system in
New Zealand, through bringing together the key players (National
Sports Organisations, the New Zealand Academy of Sport and the
New Zealand Olympic Committee) to share resources and deliver on
agreed plans and targets
− by continuing our approach of “depth over breadth”, with a primary
focus on targeting resources (funding and expertise) to the sports,
athletes and teams that are the most capable of winning on the
world stage.
2. Enhancing training facilities, coaching and support personnel
− by working with the sector to improve the facilities available for
high-performance athletes and teams, and helping selected sports to
develop world-class training facilities
− by continuing to provide specialist and technical advice to increase the
capability of New Zealand’s high-performance personnel, particularly
in coaching, talent identification and pinnacle event planning
− by investing in National Sports Organisations to attract, develop and
retain world-class coaches.
3. Talent development – the next tier of athletes
− by focusing on moving high performance to the next level, through
talent identification and development, including working with and
investing in national sports organisations on talent development plans.
4. Developing and utilising world-leading research and technology
− by sharing knowledge and developing good practice tools and
guidelines to drive collaboration and innovation, to make our
resources go further in a competitive environment and position
New Zealand as a world leader.
5. Delivering results at the Summer and Winter Olympics, Paralympic Games,
world cups, world championships and other pinnacle events
− by working with and investing in national sports organisations to
prepare coaches, athletes and teams to win on the world stage
− by investing in the New Zealand Academy of Sport to support athletes
and teams that are capable of winning on the world stage.

In 2015 our success will be measured by:

• an increase in the number of world-ranked New Zealand athletes
and teams
• an increase in the capability of the people within the high-performance
system.

2 As set out in detail in SPARC’s High Performance Strategy 2006-2012

10

GRASSROOTS SPORT

We want healthy, sustainable and co-ordinated organisations delivering quality

sport to their communities.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
1. Building stronger links between schools and sports clubs to keep young
people participating in sport into adulthood
− by bringing schools and clubs together (supported by national sports
organisations, regional sports organisations and regional sports trusts)
to ensure kids are able to access sport opportunities and quality
coaching at all levels of sport
− by helping the sector understand the opportunities that new sports
and events have to increase participation and strengthen the
traditional sport base
− by increasing opportunities for people to participate in community
sport that is delivered within a kaupapa Mäori context.
2. Continuing to increase the number and quality of volunteers, especially
officials, coaches and administrators
− by providing resources to equip and train parents, teachers, coaches
and other volunteers to provide quality experiences that encourage
young people to stay and play in sport
− by investing in initiatives and providing resources to develop and retain
coaches and support officials, referees and umpires
− by improving the ability of sports to recruit, train and retain their
volunteers by providing the resources and information they need to
effectively manage those volunteers.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART TWO: SPARC’S GAME PLAN 11

GRASSROOTS SPORT (CONTINUED)

3. Getting national and regional sports organisations improving the delivery

of sport in communities
− by setting clear outcomes for our investment in sport development that
expect greater accountability for community sport outcomes –
for example, getting resources and support to clubs
− by working with selected sports towards adopting a “whole-of-sport”
approach to strengthen the nationwide delivery of community sport
– demonstrating how they will work to get more kids in sport and
strengthen grassroots sport
− by working with sports organisations, where appropriate, to restructure
their organisations at national, regional and club levels to better meet
the changing needs of participants and the needs of their regional and
club organisations.
In 2015 our success will be measured by:
• an increase in the number of people participating in clubs and
organised events
• an increase in the number of volunteers supporting community sport
• a reduced rate of 16–20-year-olds dropping out of sport
• key national sports organisations providing more effective leadership to
regional sports organisations and clubs
• more effective leadership is provided by key national sports organisations
to regional sports organisations and clubs.
12

RECREATION

We want a healthy, sustainable and co-ordinated recreation sector delivering

quality opportunities that get more New Zealanders participating.
To achieve this, we will focus on:
1. More young people participating in recreational activities
− by working with the Ministry of Education and other organisations,
including schools, to get more kids participating in recreation,
especially outdoor recreation
− by working with national recreation organisations to encourage
sharing of resources, to ensure kids are able to access recreation
opportunities and quality training at all levels.
2. Strengthening the capability of recreation organisations
− by working with targeted recreation organisations to better structure
and deliver recreation
− by working with organisations that provide training and development
opportunities for participants and leaders to ensure quality recreation
experiences
− by improving the ability for recreation organisations to recruit, train
and retain their volunteers by providing the resources and information
they need.
3. Implementing the outdoor recreation strategy, including working with
the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Recreation Council
− by establishing and working with the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor
Recreation Council
− by continuing to be the lead agency to drive and implement the
outdoor recreation strategy
− by working in partnership with the Department of Conservation,
Walking Access Commission, New Zealand Transport Agency, Ministry
for the Environment and territorial authorities to advocate for access
to and encourage more New Zealanders to make more use of the
great outdoors.

In 2015 our success will be measured by:

• an increase in the number of people participating in recreation
• the actions in the outdoor recreation strategy have been
successfully implemented.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART TWO: SPARC’S GAME PLAN 13

PARTNER CAPABILITY

We want our partners to be sustainable and capable of delivering results (with

an emphasis on financial responsibility and capability in recognition of the
current economic environment).
To achieve this, we will focus on:
1. Fostering the skills of key organisations, especially in leadership,
governance and management of finances and people
− by encouraging partnerships with other sectors, such as the commercial
sector, to share knowledge and expertise in relation to leadership,
governance and management
− by providing and investing in initiatives, such as our CEO seminar series,
that develop those key skills in our partners.
2. Providing tools and resources and sharing good practice to help
organisations improve their processes
− by providing resources, such as good practice guides, to increase
efficiency, share expertise and improve capability across the sector
− by using our Organisational Development Tool to assess and target
support that develops the capability of the partner organisations we
invest in.
3. Providing technical expertise to the sector in specialist areas
− by providing high-quality technical sport and recreation advice that will
lift the performances of coaches, instructors, teachers, administrators,
teams and athletes.

In 2015 our success will be measured by:

• an increase in our investment in public/private partnerships leveraging
resources from the commercial sector
• an increase in the number of partners in which we invest being assessed
as more capable
• an increase in the number of partners in which we invest being assessed
as more financially sustainable
• an increase in the number of partners in which we invest delivering on
agreed outcomes.
14

The role SPARC plays

LEAD
We will provide clear and strong leadership, and work in the best interests of the sport and
recreation sector. This means advocacy, facilitation and bringing the sector together to be
stronger and more effective.

We will work across central government, local government, sport and recreation organisations,
funding bodies and other potential stakeholders to better access and leverage investment
opportunities.

Key to this will be investigating and measuring what value sport and recreation provides to
the nation, in terms of economic benefits, health savings, social and cultural gains. We will
use sound evidence to help us demonstrate value and will share this evidence with our
partners, to assist them in leveraging more resource.

In order to understand the impact of our work and the needs of participants, we need to
have a clear picture of the sport and recreation environment. Over the next six years, we will
ensure relevant research and monitoring is in place so we have the ability to measure and
monitor our impact. We will use research to encourage our partners to understand significant
environmental, social and economic changes, and respond to these in ways that meet the
needs of each region and community.

In these ways, SPARC will act as a knowledge hub for the sector.

INVEST
We will invest taxpayer money on behalf of the Government, and in return we will expect
accountability and results. This Plan signals that we will review and streamline our investment
models, where appropriate, to ensure investments are cost-effective, with fewer reporting
requirements. For those organisations SPARC assesses as being “investment-fit”, investments
will be consolidated into a “single pot” to simplify our way of working and reduce reporting
and administration costs.

ENABLE
“Enabling” means building the capability of our partners and, where appropriate, providing
domain experts, resources, research and good practice across the sector – for example,
governance and management systems, information technology services, human resources,
research and monitoring, and additional experts.

Key success measures in 2015 include:

• an increase in the number of our investments achieving agreed results

• reducing our operational costs to 10% of our total budget
• meeting the needs of the Minister for accurate and timely advice.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART TWO: SPARC’S GAME PLAN 15

Monitoring SPARC’s progress

We will set targets for individual initiatives. These will be outlined yearly in the Statement of
Intent that is agreed with the Minister for Sport and Recreation.3

Some of our targets within this Plan reflect the current absence of suitable baselines against
which progress can be measured. In these cases, we will have to establish those baselines.
The main areas of focus for research, monitoring and evaluation work will be:

• using the 2007/08 Active New Zealand survey as a basis for baseline data on people aged
16 and over. We will also develop another survey in the field in 2012/13 to monitor trends
• developing tools to better understand young people, including participation rates in
clubs and schools and establishing a baseline picture of skill levels in 0–12–year-olds
• developing a club and sport membership management template and implementing
this in chosen sports to gain a baseline and to track data, including drop-out rates of
participation in key age groups.

Through these tools, and others that are already established, we will monitor and track
our progress.

Assessing SPARC’s performance

This Plan is a living document. We will review the priorities each year to ensure that they
remain relevant and meet the needs of the sport and recreation sector and the Government.

The key actions and measures for each financial year will be detailed in SPARC’s annual
Statement of Intent. Progress against those deliverables will continue to be documented in
SPARC’s Annual Report. These documents can be viewed at www.sparc.org.nz.

We will also review SPARC’s progress through an independent external review in 2012. This
will ensure that we continue to raise the bar, both in terms of our own performance and the
performance of our partners.

Understanding the ground rules

WHO WE ARE
SPARC was established as a Crown entity to “promote, encourage and support physical
recreation and sport in New Zealand” under the Sport and Recreation New Zealand Act 2002.

We are governed by a board and are responsible to the Minister for Sport and Recreation.

We are funded from public money through the Government and the New Zealand Lottery
Grants Board. Through SPARC, the Government invests in the sport and recreation sector.
For this investment, the Government expects us to deliver public value through sport
and recreation.

SPARC has responsibility for both participation and high performance. This means our mandate
goes from fundamental movement skills at pre-school age, to sports science and coaching
expertise at the highest levels.

3 Our Statements of Intent can be found on our website at www.sparc.org.nz.

16

The Graham Taskforce report

Eight years ago, the Graham Taskforce report, Getting Set for An Active Nation,4 outlined the
key challenges facing New Zealand in the areas of sport and recreation. That report formed the
basis for the Sport and Recreation Act 2002, which now governs our activities.

Since that report, we have made progress in many areas. SPARC’s performance against its first
Strategic Plan, “Our Vision, Our Direction”, was reviewed by Deloitte. In its report,5 Deloitte
noted that:

SPARC can be proud of its achievements over the period 2002–2006.

The organisation has performed well, “lifting the bar” across the board
both in terms of its own performance and sector capability. A sound
foundation has been set both within SPARC and over the wider sport
and recreation sector for further development.

SPARC’s 2009–2015 Strategic Plan builds on that early vision, in alignment with new priorities
under the current Government.

WHAT WE ARE ABOUT

Fundamental to this Plan is understanding that:

• by sport we mean sport activities delivered primarily through organised structures –

that is, activities delivered by regional sport bodies, clubs and schools, including organised
competitions and events. Sport also includes physical education within and outside of
school time. We acknowledge the growing place for informal sport, such as commercial
pay-for-play and unstructured activities, as an area we will explore further
• by recreation we mean the diverse range of active formal and informal opportunities and
experiences that make up the recreation landscape. While we will continue to support
many forms of recreation, our priority in the immediate years will be outdoor recreation
• by participating we mean more people taking part in sport and recreation, more often,
for life. We want everyone to participate at some level every day
• by winning we mean New Zealanders winning in selected international events, such as
world cups, world championships, and Olympic and Paralympic Games
• by grassroots sport we mean sport that is generally led, organised, supported or enabled
in local communities by clubs, schools, iwi organisations, event providers and community
groups. It is the sport that kids, parents, teachers and other New Zealanders take part in
every day
• by everyone we mean inclusive and equitable sport and recreation opportunities for
all New Zealanders. We want to encourage providers to develop initiatives for New
Zealanders to participate and perform in sport and recreation at all levels, irrespective of
their age, race, gender, disability, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation or social background.

For us, SPARC’s core business does not include physical activities such as gardening, taking the
stairs or doing the housework – these are important for New Zealanders, but they are not a
priority for us.

4 Getting Set for an Active Nation. Report of the Sport, Fitness and Leisure Ministerial Taskforce. 2001
5 Sport and Recreation New Zealand, review of the performance of SPARC during the 2002–2006
period. 2006
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART TWO: SPARC’S GAME PLAN 17

WHAT WE BELIEVE IN
Underpinning everything we do are three principles that guide all aspects of our work:

1. An effective sport and recreation pathway

SPARC’s business is informed by the sport and recreation pathway. The pathway is a
participant-focused model of sport and recreation. Movement through the pathway occurs
when an individual is ready, rather than at any predetermined stage.

The pathway describes the key stages of a participant’s engagement in sport and recreation
through three phases:

• Foundation phase, the entry level to sport and recreation activities, where development
is fostered through providing playful, fun and supportive environments for children to
explore and learn skills.
• Community sport and recreation phase, where there is a need to provide for dual
aspirations of social and competitive participation and diverse ranges of activities for
participation.
• High-performance phase, where the performance potential of people is realised and
participants are identified and supported to transition to perform and excel.

TABLE ONE: SPORT AND RECREATION PATHWAY

Excel

Participate
(Lifelong) Perform

Learn

Explore
18

We believe that, by structuring our support programmes and investments around the pathway,
we will achieve the goals outlined in this Plan. In this way, the pathway can assist SPARC and
the sector to create a unified view of the critical elements that are required to get more people
participating in sport and recreation and winning on the world stage.

2. Sport and recreation for all

We want to encourage providers to develop initiatives so that New Zealanders can participate
and perform in sport and recreation at all levels, irrespective of their age, race, gender,
disability, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation or social background.

We recognise the importance of the partnership between Mäori and non-Mäori under
the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Central to this is section 8(f) of the Sport and
Recreation Act 2002, which notes that SPARC will “promote and support the development
and implementation of recreation and sport in a way that is culturally appropriate to Mäori”.
With the support and guidance of our advisory board, Te Roopu Manaaki, we will:

• develop and strengthen relationships with appropriate partners, including iwi

organisations, to ensure we continue to support the development and implementation
of recreation and sport in a way that is culturally appropriate to Mäori
• continue to grow Mäori potential, including participation and winning on the world
stage, in sport and traditional recreation.
• Consistent with the functions in section 8 of the Sport and Recreation Act 2002, we
will also continue to encourage participation in recreation and sport by Pacific peoples,
women, older New Zealanders and people with disabilities. This will occur through:
• developing and investing in initiatives that allow for inclusive and equitable opportunities
• ensuring the interests of our targeted groups are reflected in the core strategies that drive
our work.

3. Ethical and fair play

We want to create a social environment that fosters a lifelong love of sport and recreation.
Ethics and fair play are key contributors to fostering this lifelong love.

We are committed to ensuring that a fair, safe and ethical culture pervades sport and
recreation at all levels. We will build a fair and ethical sport and recreation system by
promoting respect for sport, respect for others, drug-free sport, fair play, safe play and
a commitment to no violence.

As part of our work, we will continue to work with Drug Free Sport New Zealand and the
Sports Tribunal, which lead the way in providing for drug-free and fair and ethical sport and
recreation environments.
 STRATEGIC PLAN 2009–2015
PART THREE: THE PLAYING FIELD 19

Part Three:
The playing field
Context for SPARC’s Plan
In delivering our priorities, there are several key challenges that must be addressed.

ECONOMIC TRENDS
We are currently experiencing a challenging global financial and economic environment.
The sector is likely to find securing revenue from other commercial sources increasingly
challenging, and this trend is likely to continue in the short term as a result of:

• a difficult corporate sponsorship environment

• the impact of the exchange rate on international sports
• reducing revenues from gaming trusts, on which many sport and recreation
organisations rely
• the impact of the economic situation on community trust funding
• the impact of the economic situation on the expenditure of individuals (leading to
falling memberships, a reluctance to increase membership fees, lower gate receipts
and diminishing broadcast rights)
• pressure on local government to reduce expenditure – 2009 will be a critical period
as local authorities adopt new Long Term Council Community Plans.

COHESION
There is a lack of cohesion among community sport providers, particularly between schools
and clubs. This has resulted in increased competition between schools and clubs to retain
young players, and a lack of efficiencies of scale to deliver sport and recreation.

VOLUNTEERS
There is increasing pressure on the community volunteer base, with concern growing over the
retention of skilled volunteers. The capability among community sport providers is also variable.

INFRASTRUCTURE
The infrastructure to support the ever-growing seasons and codes wanting to share space and
facilities is under strain. Further to this, non-traditional sports and recreation activities have
continued to grow over the past years, placing additional pressure on organised sport and
recreation to respond to demands for a range of quality experiences.

WINNING
Winning on the world stage is challenging for a small country like New Zealand. We need to
support the next wave of high-performance athletes – those who are six to eight years away
from success at the highest level.
20

MEETING THE NEEDS OF PARTICIPANTS AND REMAINING VIABLE

We need to ensure that community sport and recreation providers are equipped to meet the
needs of future participants. If everyone in the sector focuses on what they can do best, we
will reduce inefficiencies and duplication and improve the overall performance of the sector.

Sport and recreation organisations are finding it increasingly difficult to remain viable. There
are already too many organisations struggling to sustain themselves in the long term. The
tightening economic environment will place even more pressure on these organisations.

Organisations are struggling to diversify their revenue streams and often place a high degree
of dependency on SPARC and on community and gaming trusts. Many sport and recreation
organisations struggle with management and governance, retention of capable people and a
lack of robust planning.
 Sport and Recreation –
Everyone. Every day.
Sport and Recreation New Zealand’s
Strategic Plan
2009–2015

Ground Floor, 86 Customhouse Quay, Wellington 6011

PO Box 2251, Wellington, New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 472 8058 Fax: +64 4 471 0813

www.sparc.org.nz

07/2009