Change in Kiwi Behaviour

I've been living outside NZ since late 2006.  When I left home it was still kinda uncool to be a football player/fan (even worse a kiwi football tragic) and most children played touch etc at my local parks in Auckland and the Waikato.  While I've been in and out of NZ a lot I didn't think much had changed generally other then the AWs playing at the WC and pro footie moving south.

Anyway I've comne home for a holiday and went camping with friends in Northland for the first time since '05.  I could not help but notice that all the youngsters around me were playing football, at the beach, in the camping ground etc.  Not once did I see a rugby ball and those children were Maori, Pacific Islander, Chinese (Korean?), Afghani and Pakiha.  All spoke with strong kiwi accents.

NZ has clearly changed sporting wise and I can't help but think that most NZers haven't noticed the step change over the last ten years.  I'm betting even less here will be aware of it due to our collective "anorak" status football wise.  I can only wonder where NZ sport will be in 10, 20, 30 years if this pattern continues and NZF doesn't royally f**k things up like normal.

Participation numbers have always been there but the change has been pretty significant.  I remember someone giving me the numbers for my old school Wellington College and there are now about twice as many football teams and half as many rugby teams as when I was there in the late 90s.

I think there is no doubt that better athletes are now playing football where in the past if you were big and fast you played rugby.  Better coaching is key but so is keeping people in the game past school plus getting people to go and watch matches live, not just follow the Premier League on TV.  

Academies popping up everywhere too.

thats not just a kiwi thing

Progression for sure. 

However still a million miles behind South America. I came over for the Peru away game and have been here since touring around Peru and now Colombia. First time to this continent. Typing this on a Colombian bus

Everywhere you go is these small futsall all sized grounds mostly on concrete, with some Astro or grass in the wealthier suburbs and towns. Kids just constantly playing 5-6 aside football. The skill of some of these kids is pretty bloody awesome. Apparently most don’t have the ambition or opportunity to play 11 aside in an organised club environment or give football a real crack. 

Watched a 20 yr old kid play who is relative of family staying with in Lima. Fudge he was good. However through a lack of funds to pay for Academy trials etc plus right contacts, he’s never likely to crack it 

However if only a fraction of these kids, progress up the football pyramid - South American teams will always be a fair away ahead of the likes of NZ, just through sheer wait of numbers, and huge football culture.

Know this is hardly earth shattering stuff, but still fascinating to view up close

There's alot more exposure to football for youth these days especially with FIFA games coming out year after year. It's also hard to get televised exposure of any sport in NZ especially rugby unless you have Sky which theres roughly 700,000 subscribers. So while NZ Football keep shooting themselves in the foot you can bet that Sky will do the same for every other sport code until basically there's only exposure for the few that have the parents to afford to watch it. I say football is doing pretty well with kids playing backyard stuff considering the corporate sponsors and exposure the big three get (Rugby, Cricket, Netball).

Nor is having many soccer players. Just confirms the change in football culture in NZ