Sporting legends inspire students

Sporting legends inspire students

More than 300 senior sports students heard inspirational messages from top athletes recently at Aspire conference.

Organised by Ignite Sport Trust the one-day conference aimed to ‘shape sports leaders of tomorrow’.

Thirty-five secondary schools from throughout the Wellington Region sent 10 students to participate in break-out sessions as diverse as ‘Mental toughness’ with Melissa Moon (World Mountain Running Champion), ‘Barriers to success’ with Paul Ifill (former Phoenix and professional football player) and ‘Overseas sporting scholarships’ with Steve Willis (Athletics NZ High Performance Coach). Judd Flavell (Junior Tall Blacks coach and SKYCITY Breakers assistant coach) engaged the students in a session about developing a positive team culture.

Keynote speaker and Olympic medallist Nick Willis stressed that students stay committed to their goals. He told them how as a teenager he made the choice to train instead of socialising with his mates. He ‘stuck to his dream’ of being a runner regardless of other teenage pressures.

Aspire was opened by Minister for Youth Hon. Nikki Kaye. The Minister reminded students to look at all areas of their lives – to have ‘inner fitness’ as well as sporting skills.

Paralympic medallist Mary Fisher advised students to believe in themselves no matter the challenges they face.

Aspire was a first for the Wellington Region. The ‘dream’ of Ignite Sport’s Coordinator, Kevin Goldsbury, the conference aimed to teach young sports leaders about the necessary values and character needed to successfully lead 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. But I believe we must empower our young sports 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, held at Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua, was supported by College Sport Wellington, Wellington Community Trust, Ministry of Youth Development and Shoe Connection.

College Sport Wellington Executive Director John Hornal said the conference was a tremendous opportunity for the young leaders.

“For many of the young people present, being in the same room as the array of legends assembled at Aspire was in itself a huge buzz and the learnings from them, the bonus.”

The students agreed – with the majority rating it as an ‘Epic’ conference. The most popular sessions were ‘Mental toughness’ with Melissa Moon and ‘Inner fitness’ presented by Mr Goldsbury.

Reflections from just a few of the students following Aspire:

• To dream big and never let anyone put you down

• That your character and values is what gets you through tough times

• It's not all from talent, it’s about the work you put in outside the game. What you put in, in the mental work

• How you react to setbacks is what shapes you as a person

• Learnt today that our attitudes control our lives

Ignite Sport hopes to host Aspire for Wellington students every two years.

Ends

© Scoop Media