Athlete well-being gets funding boost

A greater emphasis on athlete well being is a focus funding announced for New Zealand’s high performance athletes over the next three years.

High Performance Sport New Zealand will fund 44 of the country’s National Sporting Organisations (NSO’s) to the tune of $131 million over the next three years.

HPSNZ Chief Executive Raelene Castle said the investment package is designed to maintain the targeted approach that has helped deliver international success for New Zealand athletes while increasing support for the well-being of those in the system.

In addition to the $131 million, HPSNZ is investing $19 million performance support services such as psychology, strength and conditioning, nutrition, medical, physiotherapy, massage therapy, and athlete life coaching, which support athlete well-being.

This is an increase of $7.4 million over the next three years with well-being managers being appointed for NSOs, there’ll also be increased access to independent support services and a range of pilot projects where sports have identified specific needs.

Castle said HPSNZ will also be working with NSOs to improve mental health literacy and athlete voice throughout the system.

HPSNZ chief executive Raelene Castle.
Photo: Photosport

“We acknowledge and understand more work needs to be done in this area and this investment and our ongoing work with sports aims to ensure performance environments empower and support individuals and allow them to thrive on and off the field of play,” she said.

“We want to empower athletes to have a voice and to be able to influence decisions that affect them. We will work with NSOs to ensure their athlete voice mechanism within the sport is fit for purpose as well as working to develop an effective system wide athlete voice mechanism.”

Sixteen new sports will also get funding through HPSNZ’s Aspirational Fund, including Basketball (3×3 men and 5×5 women), Skateboarding, Diving, E Sports, Water Polo, Para Waka Ama, Climbing, Motocross and Touch Rugby.

“By supporting such a variety of sports, we are looking to help generate performances now and in the future that will engage a more diverse range of New Zealanders in high performance sport,” says Raelene Castle.

“We’re also backing sports that will showcase and provide pathways that resonate more widely with New Zealand’s culturally diverse population, such as touch rugby, women’s rugby league and badminton.”

Individual funding grants for athletes, Performance Enhancement Grants (PEGS) have been replaced by Tailored Athlete Pathway Support (TAPS).

“TAPS includes a Base Training Grant which is designed to provide a baseline level of financial support for the training needed as a high performance athlete, with flexibility to work and or study part time.

“TAPS is also intended to support athlete well-being by providing increased certainty of support. The minimum level that an athlete starts on will be guaranteed for three years and athletes have the opportunity to increase that through Excellence Grants, as well as access to fully funded medical insurance and Prime Minister’s Scholarships.”

TAPS will see direct financial support to for athletes increase from approximately $6.7 million in 2021 to $8.4 million in 2022.

-RNZ