Each year thousands of volunteers coaches give up their time to help kids' sport teams around New Zealand. Now, a Kiwi-made app is hoping to make their lives easier.
The new CoachMate app provides volunteer coaches with bite-size videos and personalised training programmes that can be accessed on-the-go.
CoachMate co-founder Michelle Walshe says coaches can learn an activity in under 90 seconds, plan practices in minutes and upskill at their own pace.
Walshe explained to Seven Sharp why she's passionate about the project.
"I’m a mum of four and have been on the side lines of probably 15 different sports over the last decade so I’ve seen the amount of work and effort that goes in from volunteer coaches and how much they do to benefit kids.
"So, for us we thought about what we could do to give back to the volunteers to make their lives easier so they can carry on influencing kids’ lives for the better?
"CoachMate takes national sporting organisations' really good coaching content and turns it into dynamic personalised coaching programmes with videos and animations that are available on a free app so volunteer coaches can turn up with a great session planned for the kids."
The app is designed to bypass complicated PDFs that can be time-consuming to learn, Walshe added.
Basketball and Golf New Zealand were the first sporting organisations to partner with CoachMate.
"I believe CoachMate is a real game changer for basketball in Aotearoa," Basketball New Zealand CEO and former Tall Black Dillon Boucher said.
"By putting expert resources and guidance into the hands of anyone across the country, we’re not only lifting the standard of the game, but more importantly, we’re making it easier for people like parents and teachers to get involved in coaching - and to feel supported when they do."
Golf New Zealand CEO Dean Murphy said: "CoachMate is one of the best things I’ve seen in sport."
NZ Football has also announced it will be launching its own content on CoachMate "later this year".
The app has launched during National Volunteers Week, with some big Kiwi sporting names getting behind the initiative.
Former All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen is among them, giving a shout-out to one of the coaches who influenced him.
"A big #CHEERSCOACH to Brian from me! He just had such an enthusiasm for the sport, for doing the right thing, for working hard, for training every day to get better and most importantly to have fun,” says Nelsen. “I wouldn’t be who I am without him."
CoachMate has launched on both the Google Play and Apple app stores and Walshe has high hopes for the future.
"We’re excited for the global potential of what this tool could help achieve for kids everywhere."
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