David Crewe – The self-employed Dunedin-based builder has an association with athletics going back almost 40 years. Here the 59-year-old talks about his role as the Get Set Go and Run Jump Throw Co-ordinator at Ariki Athletic and Harrier Club.
How did you start our volunteering?
I started running in the early 80s to lose some weight and joined the North Harbour Bays Club. I got involved in team selection and over time became a manager of the U20s squad. When I moved down to Dunedin in 1995 I continued to help out at Ariki Athletic and Harrier Club.
How did you get involved as a Get Set Go and Run Jump Throw coach?
I attended an Athletics NZ Club Connect Conference and that is where I was introduced to the Get Set Go programme. We’d had many mum’s and dad’s come to the club with their toddlers and younger children watching older siblings compete and train. Get Set Go seemed a great opportunity to get the three to six-year-olds involved, so that is why I was keen to be a co-ordinator. The Run Jump Throw programme for the older kids had already been set up for some time.
What are the benefits of the programme?
It is really just about children having fun, laughing and working together in a team environment.
What are some of the challenges you face?
Not so much the Get Set Go programme but more specifically Run Jump Throw. Children’s athletics in Dunedin has had a really competitive element for some time with a regular Saturday competition. Many parents believe Run Jump Throw is simply about participation and not competition. So the biggest challenge is to convince parents that their children do benefit from Run Jump Throw by having fun and learning some important fundamentals, which they can apply to competition.
Why would you encourage anyone else to volunteer?
Well, we already do encourage people to volunteer. At the age of 15 we offer club members the chance to train as Get Set Go coaches. We feel this keeps them involved and engaged and they also have a lot of fun.