Mixed rates of sport participation among Auckland's youth

A survey of 8,000 school-age teenagers in Auckland found half of them spend three hours or more a week in organised sport but also revealed that a quarter do not participate in organised sport.

The importance of well established and team sports to young people is a key finding in an Auckland Regional Council's 'Sport and Recreation in the Lives of Young Aucklanders' report, which surveyed 15 to 18 year olds.

The survey took in 195 schools and supplements information from Sport New Zealand's national 2011 survey and report.

However, the report revealed participation is particularly low among teenage girls.

The findings are part of a Council plan to provide equal opportunities for children and young people to take part in sport and active recreation. Backed by a youth summit attended by 140 students to hear views on the information and give their ideas, recommendations include a recreation mall, which had space for a variety of activities such as basketball and ice skating.

Sport Waitakere Chief Executive Lynette Adams said the survey showed organised and informal settings were equally important but children were still playing a lot of the well-established sports regularly.

In respect of the low participation rates among girls aged 15 to 18, Adams told the NZ Herald "we are concerned as there is a risk that girls will not participate as adults as we know that being regularly active is a major contributor to good health as well as an important social connector."

The report found that the most regularly played sports were football, netball and rugby while basketball, hockey and touch were also favourites.

Click here to read the full report. 

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