XTND Camp at Kokako Lodge

Anna RobertsonAuckland-Northland, e-News, Education, Regional, XTND Youth Leadership Programme

The weekend of 18-19 February saw Year 2 XTND students from Auckland and Northland come together to complete their Competent Coach module and a range of other challenging activities. A huge thank you to Carole Petrie, the XTND coordinator in Auckland who has been organising these camps since 1993 – this Camp at Kokako Lodge in the Hunua ranges, South Auckland, was another big success.

The camp brought together 32 enthusiastic students from Whangarei, Mahurangi, Orewa, North Harbour, Counties, Aspire, Triple A, Howick and Franklin Clubs, providing a valuable opportunity to not only meet others with a passion for coaching gymsports, but to also connect and learn from one another. It was great to see XTND students from different clubs and codes mingle and work together as one team and forming many new friendships.

On Saturday after coaching at his club, Flaminio Oliveira arrived at the camp and he and Bronte Coluccio presented the Competent Coach module, including fun ways to do warm ups with groups of young children. The students then did exercises to demonstrate the importance of clear and simple communication. The module was followed by an adventure out into the dark on a glow worm walk – so much fun that most people did it twice!

Sunday was an opportunity for everyone to test their leadership skills as well as their own limits, as everyone took part in a high ropes course, archery and team building exercises. It was inspiring to see people challenging themselves and finding out that they could do more than they perhaps thought, like a split on the tree trunk in the high ropes or a scorpion, or even star jumps. It was also wonderful to watch people encouraging others and supporting those working through their fears.

These young people are the future of coaching in our sports and it is wonderful to see that there are so many keen, talented and enthusiastic individuals willing to take up coaching and committing themselves to Auckland and Northland clubs.

Finally, a shout out to the parent helpers – the weekend would not have been possible without them giving up their time to help out. Thank you for supporting our young coaches!

See more photos of the weekend in our Facebook album.

XTND is a fantastic way to keep your young people in the sport, develop new coaches for your club, train and support teenagers who are coaching or helping out in sessions and to offer a pathway for their development.

If you do not currently have XTND students in your club, find out more in the XTND brochure or email Dee.

Read also about how XTND has proved successful in other clubs.