The 2019/2020 Touch season again saw the AWHI Sideline Support Programme in action with the AWHI ambassadors engaging with Touch participants at various tournaments through the season.

AWHI, created specifically for our Touch Community, has become a noticeable addition to the Touch NZ Competition landscape over recent years and has been well accepted as a positive and nurturing side to our sport.

In addition to the TNZ organised tournaments, AWHI ambassadors enjoyed mixing with Touchies at the Ryan Gibbons Memorial Tournament, Whakatane Annual Tournament, and non-Touchies at the Papakura Community TouchED Turbo Touch event.

A large part of the AWHI kaupapa is the reinforcement of its positive messaging of Attitude, Whanau, Harmony & Integrity to all participants, from the Juniors all the way through to the Masters, and also to their supporters including parents and extended whanau. 

Thanks to Bunnings, many positive supporters won AWHI acknowledgement prizes throughout the season, which continued the constructive and nurturing environment that AWHI aims to bring to our sport.

Working alongside individual, and groups of players, coaches and managers as well as conducting team interventions is all part of the AWHI way and is helping in creating a positive, enjoyable and fun experience and environment.

Additionally, a Sport NZ Parents Study was undertaken through this last season with Forums inviting parents to provide feedback on their sporting and Touch experiences taking place in Wellington and Rotorua.

The study is to learn what parents feel they need in support and direction to provide a better and more satisfying experience for their children and how AWHI can help to achieve those things.

Valuable feedback was received and is currently being documented into a Sport NZ report that is due to be released later this year.

Our sincerest AWHI thanks to all those parents that took part, and we look forward to sharing the report upon its release.

Article added: Friday 15 May 2020