To celebrate 10 years of HUNGERBALL at Matarau School, we wanted to do something special – something that was all about getting more people moving, kicking, laughing, chasing and having a blast.
From our very first kick off in 2015, we wanted HUNGERBALL to get the whole world moving, and it seemed that the best way to celebrate was to gift some awesome schools an arena for a year – for FREE!
We spread the word via our socials and were overwhelmed by more than 100 applications from schools throughout Aotearoa, all with great stories and keen to keep their kids on the go.
The first school that popped out was Matarau School, a semi-rural, full primary in Northland with 288 students.
Principal Tom Clarkson wrote an excellent case that synced with our goal to give players extended access to HUNGERBALL, which gets hearts pumping and heads thinking for longer.
“I’m passionate about getting our kids involved in some sort of physical activity,” says Tom. “We’ve had HUNGERBALL at the school for a few weeks and as expected – it’s been very popular. It’s been crazy.”
During term three, Andu headed up to Matarau School, near Whangārei, to deliver the arena and to give the teachers a coaching session. Tom has 33 staff in the school and he prioritises investing in his team. He is new to the school and during the HUNGERBALL training session he learnt a lot about the staff, discovering some of them are quite competitive.
During the variable spring season, the arena has been set up in the school hall and every lunchtime there are queues of tamariki lining up to play. The school has established allocated times to ensure every student has access and some Year 8 students have a leadership role in the arena.
“It was good having Andu training all staff, so whoever is on duty during lunchtime knows the ins and outs and what can be done. There are a million different options within the arena.”
Tom had never seen HUNGERBALL until the social media post was published, inviting schools to apply for the gift of an arena for a year. The instant appeal was the volume of kids that could be in the game at the same time.
“The differentiation is that every child can achieve success at some level. The game can be adapted to suit a target group, and it’s safe. I love the variability of it – that it can be adapted to emphasise certain skills.”
As well as giving tamariki a fitness workout, the endless versions of the game develop physical and strategic skills of players of any age or ability. The team of HUNGERBALL coaches and teachers at other schools have identified the value of giving students regular play in the arena to enhance their skills, fitness and of course, fun.
Tom reports that the tamariki are thoroughly enjoying the experience, and he looks forward to observing how their play develops over the coming months.
“We anticipate that students’ confidence will continue to grow as they become more familiar with the game and its strategies. Looking ahead, we have plans to explore opportunities for inter-school games and events, which will further extend their learning, teamwork, and sportsmanship.”
Watch HUNGERBALL’s socials where we will celebrate more schools gifted an arena to celebrate a decade of action. Please note that due to an overwhelming response to applications, we are unable to accept any more until further notice. Still, please check our hire locations for HUNGERBALL associates in your area.
