Central Football Federation has received recognition for innovation at the 2018 Hawke’s Bay Sports Awards.

With the event’s attendance in excess of 570 people on Saturday evening, 55 individuals, teams, and organisations descended upon Taradale’s Pettigrew Green Arena.

This accolade is a testament to the wonderful work and commitment of Central Football staff in the Hawke’s Bay and beyond. Special mention must be made to Women’s Development Manager Leon Birnie who has been the orchestrator of many new initiatives over the past year and has led the way during the progression of the Women’s and Junior game.

In the winter of 2017, Central Football embarked on a series of new initiatives with Hawke’s Bay providing the platform for the introduction of Football Tiny Tots. This initiative saw over 100 toddlers aged between 2 and 4 enjoying a number of fun activities and experiencing their very first taste of the fundamental movements required to support them in their future active lives. This initiative has now been adopted nationally, and from a Hawke’s Bay perspective there will be 2 “hubs” in the winter of 2018 thus doubling these opportunities.

Birnie expressed his delight about the impact of the Tiny Tots programme and how it now cements a foundation for young children to get active and have fun while playing football.

"Tiny Tots aligns with Central Football's initiative to grow the game and this is a great opportunity for kids to have a taste of football in a fun & safe environment," said Birnie.  "This programme also allows us to support our junior clubs by giving every child their contact information, making registering for football through clubs even easier." 

As part of this award, special recognition must also be made for the Federation’s very first junior Girls Only League aimed at getting more females involved in the sport.

This resulted in an 80 percent increase of under 6-year-old female players playing in the Hawke's Bay in 2018. In addition to this, the Rise Coaching and Mentoring programme for females was delivered to 13 coaches across a five-month period, while an expanded Federation Talent Centre was also rolled out in the winter of 2017 which saw participants aged 10 to 12 receive specialised training in a structured and competitive environment.

The Hawke’s Bay Federation Talent Centre has proven a successful development programme in recent years, with 24 graduate players going on to represent the Hawke’s Bay United youth team during the 2017/18 season.  

It has been a rewarding year for Central Football in terms of growth and providing quality delivery of the game. By promoting active lifestyles for those within local communities, the organisation looks forward to building on the successful initiatives that are now in place and others alike.

As a proud recipient of the Three Wise Birds Innovation in Sport & Recreation award, the team at Central Football would like to thank everyone that has contributed and supported the growth of Women’s and Junior football programmes across all five of the central regions.

This achievement is a culmination of the collective efforts of Central Football staff and the loyal and committed members that continue to develop the game at the grassroots level. Congratulations to all of the other nominees and winners on the night, your contribution to community sport in the Hawke’s Bay and beyond is invaluable and hugely appreciated.