Y Sports Camp fosters competition, culture, and community

Backed by Auckland Council and local boards, the Y’s low-cost camp is opening up sport and culture to students who might otherwise miss out.

A low-cost sports programme is transforming how South Auckland students experience competition, culture and connection, with strong backing from Auckland Council and local boards.

The Y Sports Camp, run by YMCA North, offers a one-week residential sports and cultural experience for Year 7-8 students who would typically miss out on major events like the AIMS Games in Tauranga.

Dave Lockwood, Group Manager Fundraising at the Y, says the project has been built around “giving our local South Auckland schools an opportunity” to participate in a large sports event.

“We know the AIMS Games in Tauranga is hugely expensive and not affordable for our local tamariki. It's now at a point that it costs $1,000 per student for them to go to Tauranga,” Lockwood says.

Now in its fourth year, the Y Sports Camp has expanded from 24 schools in 2022 to 50 schools in 2024, with 120 tamariki from the Ōtara-Papatoetoe area set to attend in 2025.

“What we've done in talking with our local principals is they said, can you run an event for us? And we said, sure thing,” he says.

Lockwood wants to involve more South Auckland schools, especially those that may not be aware of the programme.

“If there are schools in your area that you think would benefit, please connect us because once they come, they’re absolutely hot. They just want to come back year on year.”

At Tuesday’s Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board meeting, Lockwood shared how Y Sports Camp has become an accessible, community-led alternative.

Over the course of a week, eight schools participate in a rotating schedule of 20 sporting activities, including netball, rugby, and newer sports like flag football, Kī-o-Rahi, lacrosse, and gaga ball.

“It’s a mix of what our tamariki are already good at and sports they’ve never had the chance to try. And it’s not all full-on competitive - we also include chess, dodgeball and checkers, so there’s something for everyone.”

The programme is intentionally inclusive, encouraging schools to bring students who might be excluded from weekend or representative sports due to financial barriers or other life circumstances.

“It’s all about encouraging the schools to bring those kids who might be missing out because their family can’t afford the sports fees for league or netball or whatever,” Lockwood says. “We still have a few schools bringing their 40 best athletes, but most are now focused on the kids who stand to gain the most. That’s been one of our biggest wins.”

Camp Y is about more than competition – students form friendships, learn teamwork, and take part in shared cultural experiences. Photo/The Y Camp Adair Facebook

In 2024, Y Sports Camp received $279,000 in support from various funders, sponsors, and donors, including international backing from former All Black Michael Jones through the Madison Foundation in Hawaii. The support reduced the cost to just $75 per child, covering bus transport, meals, accommodation, sports equipment, coaching, laundry, and onsite first aid.

Lockwood says the support of local boards - including Ōtara-Papatoetoe - has been crucial.

“You’ve supported us every year, and we are genuinely grateful for your investment in this kaupapa. It’s having a real impact in our community.”

In 2025, Ferguson Intermediate, Papatoetoe Intermediate, and, for the first time, Kedgley Intermediate will participate from the local board area. Papatoetoe Intermediate performed strongly in 2024 against schools from across Counties Manukau.

South Auckland students take part in one of 20 sports at Y Sports Camp – including netball, rugby, and gaga ball – designed to boost confidence, teamwork and connection. Photo/The Y Camp Adair Facebook

Lockwood says the impact goes far beyond sport. “We've had fantastic support and feedback from our schools. Each year we run a survey for the participants and the teachers, and each year, we just get glowing reports back from both.

“There's been feedback from our school teachers that there's actually been a lot less tension around bus stops, train stations, because they recognise that these kids aren't your enemy - they're actually your mate.

“And because what we do at camp is that all the kids have got to muck in - they've got to help clean up, do the dishes, they work in teams to achieve that - and it's a really wonderful experience.”

Each evening, students present a cultural performance reflecting their own school’s tikanga and identity - a key part of the camp experience.

Y Sports Camp gives tamariki a shot at teamwork, identity and belonging. Photo/The Y Camp Adair Facebook

In 2025, they’ll introduce t-ball based on school requests.

So, what’s the difference between AIMS and the Y Sports Camp? Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia says AIMS is for selected teams who compete against other schools in one sport, “whereas this one seems to be where the kids practise across or try out all the different sports”.

Lockwood says that's “absolutely correct. We're running 20 different sports, and not all of them are really competitive - we have more passive sports like chess, checkers, dodgeball, and gaga ball. We encourage schools to actually bring the kids that they know would benefit from this the most.

“So yes, some schools do bring the best 40 athletes - 40 boys or 40 girls. If they need to bring more, we put up more stretchers and tents. But it's all about encouraging the schools to bring those kids that they know might be missing out on weekend sports because their family can't afford their sports fees.”

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.