Katrina Rore’s been around sport her entire life, from her humble beginnings throwing a netball around Auckland’s club courts through to her career as a Silver Fern.
And although she’ll be on the sidelines for a little while yet after giving birth to her daughter LilyBud just five weeks ago, Katrina is still very keen to make sure the future Ferns of New Zealand have every opportunity she did.
Along with fellow sporting greats Dame Valerie Adams and Scott Barrett, she’s on the lookout for Kiwi kids (or those young at heart) whose clubs could use a bit of funding with Milo’s Pitch Your Club, which offers $50,000 in cash and sports equipment – and a chance to feature in an advert!
“Sport is part of our DNA as New Zealanders, and it’s just all about getting out there and being physical,” she says. “I’m very happy to help with anything that helps more Kiwis continue to play sport – even if I haven’t been very active in that area in the last few weeks!”
Defender Katrina and her husband Joel welcomed their new addition last month and they’re both completely besotted by their little LilyBud – although Katrina says she’s definitely not planning on pushing her daughter into a netball career herself.
“But,” she laughs, “She’s going to be around a lot of sport as she grows up, so I’m sure something will appeal to her!”
Katina’s not alone when it comes to parents wanting the best for their kids, and using sport to help achieve that.
According to a study commissioned by Milo, just 31% of parents consider mastering a chosen sport as a main motivator for encouraging their child to play in a sports team. Instead, Kiwi parents have revealed that learning soft skills (67%), taking part in physical exercise (60%) and meeting new friends (57%) are the top reasons for encouraging kids to take part.
The research also found that a whopping 94% of parents believe that being a member of a sports club can teach children valuable soft skills. Ability to work within a team came out top as the most commonly identified skill (65%), while learning to overcome obstacles (53%), the importance of physical exercise (53%), as well as learning about commitment and goals (53%) were also listed as skills and benefits of club sport.
How to enter:
To pitch your club, head to milo.co.nz/milopitch. Entries will close on 10 June 2021 and deserving clubs contacted from 18 June 2021. Terms and conditions apply*.
*Open to NZ residents 15+ (if under 18, obtain parent/guardian’s consent). Entries judged between 11.06.21-18.06.21. Beneficiary of all prizes will be winner nominated NZ local sports club who is registered with SportsNZ and has been approved by the promoter. Cash prizes include 1 x $10k, 2 x $5k and 10 x $1k plus 10 x $2,000 Rebel Sport Vouchers. Total prize pool up to $50k + money can’t buy experience. Promoter is Nestle New Zealand Limited.”
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