‘Future of Rangatahi Sport in NZ' Research - What Do Rangatahi Want from Sport?

13 February 2023

For rangatahi, playing a sport is about…

1. Fun 

Sport in the early years is all about having fun and working together as a team. There is little expectation (inwardly and outwardly) of anything but having fun. 

35% of rangatahi associate ‘fun’ with sport in general but the pressure to perform increases as they get older. When you’re delivering sport, keep in mind that they want to: 

• Enjoy themselves, 
• Hang out with their teammates, 
• Emulate their sporting heroes, 
• Have supportive encouragement from adults on the sidelines. 

If this is missing, to find joy and fun in sport again, rangatahi look for other activities to engage in with their friends, e.g. joining social leagues and playing non-traditional sports which might not have the same levels of pressure or bad sideline behaviour.

2. Connections  

Forming connections and having the opportunity to bond and get to know each other better is important to rangatahi participation. Whether it’s spending time with friends or building relationships with teammates, many join sports teams to make friends and form social connections. If this element is missing, the sport quickly becomes a way to pass time, and interest in the activity fades. 

If this element is missing from their current experience, some rangatahi are making their own teams with friends, however, the drive to make their own team based on friendships is the exception – many will drop out completely and won't take the initiative to form their own team if a sense of connection is missing.  

As organisers of sport, take into consideration: 

• The team arrives to games together 
• Having after-game celebrations 
• Making time for the team to hang out together outside of the sport - or before training 
• Having whānau/family get-togethers e.g. at the start and end of the season to form wider connections and support networks 

3. Progression 

Almost all the young people we spoke with as part of the research talked about wanting to feel a sense of progression – a sense of 'getting something out of playing sport' and development.   

While the team element is important, rangatahi think about progression and achievement on an individual basis, (meaning that it will vary from person to person, so you need to ask them questions on an individual basis).  

• Progression can be about improving skills, but it can also be as simple as wanting to get fit.  
• One of the consistent messages rangatahi talked about is wanting to be acknowledged by their coach as an individual, and to feel like their coach understands and works on their individual strengths and weaknesses.   
• Rangatahi want to feel a sense of achievement.  
• Celebrating small, personal milestones is important.  

We all know that friends are important to rangatahi and can impact their decision making but don’t forget that teachers, parents, and coaches also have a huge influence. Make sure you check out our next RSU (27 Feb) to find out more about what rangatahi want from participating in sport and the people that support them.