The value of sport in youth residences

With so many former athletes working in our residences, there are plenty of kaimahi there to ensure those values are properly instilled.

Darrel Shelford is the Team Leader of Operations at a bail home in Rotorua.

It would take a full page to run through Darrel's rugby credentials. 

He played for the Māori All Blacks before heading overseas to play both rugby codes in the United Kingdom. 

He also coached in London alongside his brother (you may know him, former All Black Buck Shelford). 

After returning home to work at the New Zealand Sports Academy for 14 years, Darrel coached in Japan and Italy until Covid-19 cut the latter stint short.

He also squeezed in some playing time for Scotland’s rugby league team. 

Back in Aotearoa in 2020 Darrel's experience as a rugby coach led naturally to youth work and he got a job at the youth justice residence, Te Maioha, in Rotorua.

Once a coach...

That coaching perspective has never left him. Darrel often encourages the youth he works with to consider a future in sports.

“Rugby league, netball, basketball scholarships, they’re on the table for a lot of them and having seen some of the athletes that we have in residences, there are kids that could go on to play professional sport,” he says.

Even for those who don’t have an athletic future, Darrel says they still learn so much from sport.

“It’s not just the playing, it’s the preparation. The physical and mental preparation. It’s how to manage when you make a mistake and move on.”

Jazz Wynyard is a Programme Coordinator at a youth justice residence in Christchurch.

Jazz spent more than 20 years playing and coaching rugby union and league.

She represented the New Zealand Māori women’s team and continues to play rugby league for Canterbury.

Unlike many of her colleagues, Jazz already had a background in community youth work when she got the programme coordinator job, two-and-a-half years ago.

For Jazz, sport and youth work go hand in hand.

“I think those attributes like resilience really help. We can’t fly off the handle, we’ve got to keep it together and keep a cool head,” she says.

Resilience

Jazz sees that resilience in the young people as well, when they play sport.

She describes them getting excited to suit up and run onto the field and says they follow the rules because they know that’s part of the deal.

“Things might not go their way, but they are keeping it together. Then afterwards they are all shaking hands. There are smiles and laughs happening as they head back to the unit.”

Jazz says the impact of sport and the values it can teach last much longer than the game itself.

Jacinta Nielsen is a Team Leader Operations at a care and protection residence in Dunedin.

Jacinta has been working at Oranga Tamariki (in its different forms) on and off for more than 30 years. She started as a youth worker and during the 'off' years, she played professional rugby.

Jacinta was Black Fern #82 and represented New Zealand between 1997 and 2000. Following that, she played professionally in England.

When winding down her rugby career and looking for the next big thing, she had one goal in mind – to find something as rewarding as rugby.

“If your workplace can be as fulfilling as a game, then you’re in the right place.”

A fulfilling job

Jacinta says she found that place at the youth residence, where sport, exercise and education play a big role.

It’s also a tool to teach important values.

“Being a rugby player, it’s all about structure and routine. It’s about how you set your goals and how you can achieve them,” she says.

Valuable lessons Jacinta and other kaimahi are teaching youth in our residences.

We're celebrating more Oranga Tamariki sporting legends in the month of October. Keep an eye on our news section for the latest stories.

From rugby to residences: our next generation of youth workers

Find opportunities to become a youth worker at Oranga Tamariki on our Careers site.